Duke Rape Suspects Speak Out - 60 Minutes' Ed Bradley Talks To The Accused Lacrosse Players

CBS News ^ | October 15, 2006 | CBS News

[mel]

I fear you may be absolutely correct

[diogenes ghost]

"...they do share some of the blame." Oh bullshit!!!

[isthisnickcool]

College kids having toga parties, stripper parties or whatever will not stop. If at one of these parties there is a rape I say throw the book at the kids. But the issue here is that the DA has abused his power. If he hasn't and has something concrete he damn sure better pull it out of his pocket this week. And why not? If indeed the DA has something on some of the kids he needs to release it. Heck, he's REQUIRED to release any evidence to the other side.

To me this is not about wild parties or strippers, it's about the DA's misconduct.

In the past Nifong has been media and publicity hungry about the Duke case. But when he gets the opportunity to go on one of the most watched programs on TV and be interviewed by someone who would certainly be leaning to his side he declines?

[submarinerswife]

It's not just one kid with a solid alibi. Colin Finnerty also has an alibi. His lawyer wisely insists that he not divulge it since it will allow Nifong to change the timeline again. Nifong has refused repeated requests to state exactly where and when the rape occured. He won't say what room(s) and won't give the time. At first he said it took place over 30 minutes. When Reade showed evidence that he wasn't even there during that time Nifong changed his story said maybe it only took five minutes!

Right, I saw him (Finnerty)state that he has a solid alibi. I can't blame him or his lawyer for not laying this all out for Nifong.

You would think that after the DNA tests and the cell phone records, testimony by the cab driver, ATM receipt, ATM video with time stamp, fast food receipt, that the police would see this for what it is.

The civil rights groups, lib students, women's groups and facist professor's and staff who showed up to protest want blood and the police and DA want to give it to them, obviously.

[Burkean]

There was talk some time ago that earlier in the day the accuser had been hired for a private "performance" by a married couple in a hotel room. She used a sexual device (otherwise known as a dildo) and this was likely the source of her inflammation.

[NeonKnight]

Watch it here.

60Mins

[wireman]

The term "nifonged" will be in the dictionary before long.

As in these guys sure got nifonged...

[JWinNC]

"I am just wondering if there was something more involved than just getting reelected, like Nifong and Precious expecting a big payoff (only things didn't work out) or, like Greta once suggested, that Nifong is possibly mentally ill."

I think the analysis that he did it to get elected is wrong. He was running against two other Democrats who were not much of a threat and he had been at least up to this point trusted and well-liked.

I think there were/are three things at play:

1. Nifong's personal beliefs and the "excitement" of a high profile case rushed him to judgment. He simply wanted to believe the girl and not the "evil, rich, white" athletes.

2. Political pressure: there is, almost always, a strong and immediate "victim" reaction in Durham. They must be guilty. They HAVE TO BE guilty. The polical pressure is immense.

3. Hanlon's razor.

So, once Nifong realizes how deep he has stepped in it and considering the pressure he is under, the course it's on is predictable... put the trial back as late as possible, shut down communication, string things along for as long as possible, wait for interest and public memory to subside and then hope to quietly settle it when everyone is ready to just get it over with and put it behind them.

JW

[Ready4Freddy]

ping for the ping list

[writmeister]

Exactly!

This case is all about Nifong's prosecutorial misconduct and his abuse of prosecutorial discretion to gain a political advantage.

[Thombo2]

I haven't watched 60minutes in many a moon.I get the impression that even the msm is willing to admit that this entire episode was a travesty.This is not good news for Nifong.

[Jaded]

watch later

[ltc8k6]

The Fong donated about $30K to his own campaign because it was failing early in the year. He will not get reimbursed if he loses. Crystal Gail Mangum was his salvation. He thought.

[Darnright]

Bump for later.

[shield]

I watched it and if true...something needs to be done to this DA fast...he's the criminal in all this...look at these young men's lives and what this DA has done to them.

[JWinNC]

That does not make sense to me. He was running against two people in the Dem primary. One of which had no chance of beating him and the other had very little chance. There would have been no opposition beyond the Dem primary. The only reason there is some token opposition now is because of this case. How could his campaign have been failing? When this happened he was the favorite to win the primary. He had more to lose than to gain.

JW

[relictele]

Reminds me of Tawana Brawley and the Rev. Al Sharpton. Nifong nor the police would even talk to the kid who had a solid alibi. That is mind blowing.

I listened to clips on Drudge's radio show last night. I could hear one, erm, 'supporter' of the now-discredited stripper yelling 'JUSTICE WEEEAAALLL BE DONE, RAPIST!' at one of the Duke players, ostensibly during a perp walk or sidewalk appearance outside the courtroom.

These people are predictably misguided but somehow the gullible MSM laps it up.

[jennyd]

That's just wrong. He was going to lose. Freda Black was ahead of him in the polls.
He wouldn't have won if Precious didn't show up.

[JWinNC]

Hmmm... I don't know what polls you are referring to or how accurate they would be. Freda, had almost no chance of beating him, no way. Freda had/has too many people lined up against her and too many skeletons in her closet.

Nifong was the front runner before any of this happened.

JW

[Sonnyrain]

It did not matter where he was in the polls. Nifong would have lost the election if he did not come down hard on the Dukies and claim to be the black community's "Great White Hope." Whatever support he had from the black community (if any) would have dissipated if he did not jump on this case.