Posted on 01/11/2007 8:13:33 PM PST by Howlin
CBS) The forensic expert hired by the prosecutor in the Duke rape case says he made a "big error" in judgment by not stating in his report that the only DNA he found on the accuser was from several men who were not on the Duke lacrosse team.
Dr. Brian Meehan speaks with 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl in his first interview about the controversial case this Sunday, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
Meehan acknowledged that he has never omitted potentially exculpatory evidence before. "We haven't done that before," he tells Stahl. "In retrospect, I should have done a better job of conveying that information."
Meehan has stated that he told the prosecutor, Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong, about the other DNA for the first time in mid-April. Later that same month, Nifong indicted three Duke lacrosse players. Meehan has also said in court proceedings that he and Nifong agreed before the evidence tests were completed that his report should be limited to positive matches between the accuser and the players at the team party where she says she was sexually assaulted last March.
Meehan says writing an incomplete report violates his own firm's standards. "It was an error in judgment on my part. … It certainly was a big error," says Meehan. He says his firm wasn't trying to hide the information and that it released it when it was asked. But his client's behavior irks him, he says.
Nifong took six months to tell the players' defense attorneys about the other DNA, as required by law — and during that time, Nifong filed a court motion that stated he was not aware of any potentially exculpatory evidence.
The fact that Nifong withheld the information and knew it before he indicted their sons has outraged the parents of the accused. "You felt like someone hit you with a baseball bat. … It was almost too much to bear, as we sat there," says Kathy Seligmann, whose son, Reade, is among the three indicted players. "And [Nifong is] sitting 10 feet away from us."
It enraged Mary Ellen Finnerty, mother of Collin Finnerty, another indicted player. "I think [I felt] one of the strongest feelings of rage that I've had … I literally had to turn to my husband, because I was shaking from my head to my toe, and say, 'Hold me down,'" recalls Finnerty. Adds Seligmann, "And we had to hold on to each other because when you sit there and put two and two together and realize that it was calculated … set up to make these boys appear to be guilty of something they didn't do."
When asked what they would say to Nifong if he were in the room, Rae Evans, the mother of indicted player David Evans, says, "I would say with a smile on my face, 'Mr. Nifong, you've picked on the wrong families … and you will pay every day for the rest of your life.'"
Last month, after the results of the tests were ordered released by a judge and the accuser told an investigator she was no longer certain she had been penetrated by a male sex organ, rape charges were dropped by Nifong. The three players still face charges of sexual assault and kidnapping.
Pray for these families.
As with the Carter Center employees quitting in droves, there will soon be assistants from NiFog's office quitting as well.
Pathetic!
This is without a doubt the sickest low life ba$tard ever.
This just gets better and better! Did you see the mother this morning on TV? WRAL showed a clip of her - I would NOT want to cross her!!!
I imagine he will be cut some sort of deal or type of immunity for revealing everything about Nifong as it relates to him (Meehan) and his DNA company.
Ah, "intellectual superiority" complex much Ms. Hollow-way?
"When asked what they would say to Nifong if he were in the room, Rae Evans, the mother of indicted player David Evans, says, "I would say with a smile on my face, 'Mr. Nifong, you've picked on the wrong families … and you will pay every day for the rest of your life.'"
Bump.
Indeed, you should have held off sending it. Your letter reflects nothing so much as an impoverished spirit and intellect. What a shame, for you, and your family.<
Karla FC Holloway
Just finished reading Mrs. Dowd's impassioned letter to "Dr." Holloway and Holloway's response, and all I can think is WOW! This is the kind of thinking that Duke hires as exemplary and worthy of educating their college students? I think they ought to replace Holloway with someone of Dowd's "impoverished spirit and intellect". They would immediately improve their standing by 1000-fold.
I didn't see the clip you mentioned, but it might be the same one I found when I first heard of the interview with Stahl. One would have to be a fool, an idiot, or both, to go against a mom like her. Mama bears always protect their cubs when it comes to stuff like this, and it's unwise to wrassle with an enraged mama bear! Go, Mama Evans, go!!
Ha! This is a great point that I had completely forgotten about!
Is that the same clip on the CBS page linked at the top of this article?
If so, I think she burned a hole in my monitor!
The irony of that is that that is EXACTLY what those assistants sat back and watched Nifong do to these boys in the very beginning when he kept asking somebody to "come forward" and "break the code of silence."
Guilt by association.
I wish we had their names!
Well, DUH!
Every day that goes by and the powers that be don't step in and dismiss this case is another day that the country gets to see just how backwater and corrupt the state is.
Not only hurting Duke, but relocations too.
WRAL video link here:
Video
* Parents of Duke Lacrosse Players to Appear on '60 Minutes'
http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1134613/
The list of assistant DAs are at www.ncdistrictattorney.org/mikenifong/da_staff.html
I'm getting that feeling from almost every single attorney that is talking on this now.
Too bad they didn't get all stirred up months ago. To be fair, Greta has been torqued off about it for quite a while now.
But I wonder why she's disbursed her panel; I wanted to see Ted's head blow off!
Better than Nancy Grace, though; from what I've seen and read, the word "Duke" hasn't crossed her lips in months.
It's great that the MSM is piling on Nifong, but what about the alleged victim? What are they saying about her? Or is she forgiven and forgotten?
Well, well.
BTW, expect all hell to break loose today; I have to go out at 1 p.m. You know what that means!
Notice that Nifong has 12 Victim Witness Legal Assistants....ALL FEMALES.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.