Posted on 12/24/2006 6:00:25 AM PST by Raebie
RAPE CASE Blacks aren't judging Nifong
Community leaders await next step after dropping of charges
FRANCO ORDOÑEZ fordonez@charlotteobserver.com
While scrutiny of the Durham district attorney's handling of the Duke lacrosse case intensifies, key members of the county's influential black community still back the prosecutor, though cautiously.
The district attorney, Mike Nifong, dropped rape charges Friday against former players David Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann after the 28-year-old accuser said she was unsure whether the players had penetrated her.
The move spurred outrage against the district attorney for continuing a case many legal experts say has completely unraveled.
But several members of Durham County's African American community said they believe Nifong is keeping his word to fully investigate.
"It's not going in our favor at this point," said Durham County commissioner Michael Page, adding that he felt Nifong would continue only if he had evidence of something occurring that deserved punishment.
"The question is what and who did it."
Cora Cole-McFadden, Durham's mayor pro tem, said she thinks Nifong is doing what he believes is right.
"I'd rather not be judgmental," she said. "I'm certainly anxious to see how this legal process is going to work."
The Rev. William Barber, president of the state chapter of the NAACP, urged patience.
"This is not a sound-bite case," Barber said. "We do not want a rush to judgment or a delay of justice."
The support of the African American community has been key for Nifong, who has received strong support among black voters.
More than a third of registered voters in Durham County are African American.
The accuser, an N.C. Central University student hired to perform as a stripper at a team party in March, has long said that three lacrosse team members raped her in a bathroom. On Thursday, however, she told an investigator that she was no longer sure that a penis was the body part that penetrated her.
The defendants still face at least 20 years in prison if convicted on the remaining charges of first-degree sexual offense and one count of kidnapping.
Nifong hasn't returned requests for comment. He told The New York Times on Thursday that the accuser is determined to continue. He said he will prosecute the players unless "she tells me these are not the right guys."
The players' lawyers and family have demanded the case be dropped based on lack of DNA evidence and questions about the accuser's credibility.
"It's hard to figure out how this DA is playing this," said Kevin Finnerty, father of Collin Finnerty. "It's pretty obvious to us that from the outset this man has been using this case for his own personal and political gain."
U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., and state Rep. Stephen LaRoque, a Lenoir County Republican, among others, have called for Nifong to be investigated for possible prosecutorial misconduct.
The Rev. Frederick Davis, pastor of First Calvary Baptist in Durham, said he is withholding judgment on Nifong until the case is over. He expressed concern of the media storm is having on the accuser stating he hopes she is receiving the proper counseling and family support.
"My prayers are with her," he said.
Well, I've also heard "rumors" that you can easily tell the difference between white guys and black guys in certain *Ahem* shall we say, intimate situations? Even in the dark, LOL! ;) (I'm not making fun of rape victims, just being as outrageous as these charges were from Day One.)
Gee. Should I pick the black guys attending a public or community college for blame, or pick the three white guys that go to an exclusive (monied) university? No-brainer.
Can they tell race or enthnicity from DNA?
The picture WORLDWIDE is becoming clearer and clearer...
Tribalism, Religious Wars, Race re-segregation is becoming the wave of the future.
The reason?
It's becoming apparent that most folks PREFER to be amongst their own, are truly intolerant of others, wish to strengthen their hand, retain and expand their power or incapable of competing with others..
Multiculturalism, Ethnic Diversity, All cultures are equal, Affirmative Action (Racial Preferences)and Freedom of Religion --- all seem to have the effect of weakening the culture where these thoughts and practices are dominant who then succumb to the cultures where NONE of these concepts are respected..
When society falls to control of the "Nifongs", "Black Leaders", "Leftists", "Communists" or other lunatics - it will require another bloody confrontation to secure the "equal protection under the law" that we THOUGHT we had..
Semper Fi,
"moron talk"= disclosure
Elsewhere on FR I found an article about a black thug in Little Rock, AR who robbed a bank. He took money from a black female teller, then demanded money from a white male teller. After taking the money, he shot the male teller and said, "Merry Christmas, mother f*ck*r." This anti white hate crime/murder will be buried by the media : And I will herein predict that the Duke case will lead to more anti white hate crimes. If the case is dropped, there'll be anti white attacks (revenge); if the boys are found not guilty, there'll be attacks (revenge) ; and if the boys are convicted, there'll be attacks (celebratory).I am willing to bet my life on this (and for that matter, who knows but the thug in Little Rock wasn't "inspired" by Nifong's recent announcement that the rape charges would be dropped .)
THIS is the reason that any charges are still pending.
Nifong is an ass. To ruin a person's life for your own financial advancement is the act of a total turd.
And if the case comes to trial, the jurors (regardless of race) will be aware of what might happen, based on their decision.
They can't determine race from DNA. However, I believe there is a "hair" involved in the samples and I believe they can determine race from this type of sample.
That's not to say she's not working her butt off.
She's a schemer, scammer. I feel sorry for the kids. What a way to start out and in 20 years, we'll probably be reading about them in the paper.
If those poor kids go before a jury in that area-they are convicted. Get to the jury is the DA's strategy.
A very illuminating quote.
The County Commissioner believes the Duke Rape Case is a racial issue -- "us vs them".
What a sick sack of racism he is, himself.
No, I guess not. The gal in question had semen samples swabbed from every orifice in her body and nary a one with a Duke Lacrosse allele.
Just don't ever get a traffic ticket in North Carolina if you are from the north. Bad things can happen to you.
This case was never about rape, or any crime. It was, from the very start, all about politics. Racial politics.
Which introduces a whole new level of disgust...
That jerk DA is a walking example of the constitutional case for Justifiable Assasination. Which, incidentally, IS explicitly mentioned in the US Constitution!
WHERE, you ask? Just look! It comes immediatly AFTER the right to abortion!
I think they might be able to tell race from those samples. Didn't the report say that all five samples came from black males? or was that speculation on the part of readers?
You're the first place I've even read of the other "rumors" about a prior party, so I don't know.
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