NAACP Urges Fair Probe of Duke Case

AP via SFGate ^ | 1/18/7

[SmithL]

Durham, N.C. -- The state chapter of the NAACP on Thursday called on those involved with the Duke lacrosse sexual assault case — from defense attorneys to state bar officials — to stop talking publicly while the state attorney general's office begins its review.

"We sincerely believe that the high level of public scrutiny and controversy involved in this matter is unwarranted and threatens to pervert the truth-finding process," said the Rev. William Barber, president of the North Carolina chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

No parties involved in the case have indicated whether they plan to stop speaking publicly.

Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong, under heavy criticism for his handling of the case, asked the attorney general's office this month to take over the prosecution — a decision Barber said his organization applauded.

Until turning the case over to state prosecutors, Nifong led the investigation into allegations that a 28-year-old black student at North Carolina Central University, hired to perform as a stripper, was raped and beaten by three white men at a March 13 party thrown by Duke's highly ranked lacrosse team.

[OldFriend]

And the circus that ws Sharpton and Jackson AND the New Black Panthers......that was justified public discussion?

[highimpact]

Funny, I don't remember any cries from the NAACP about the unfair treatment of the accused. I guess some people are more deserving of fairness than others.

[DustyMoment]

Uuuuuhhhhhh . . . . . say bro, there's already BEEN a fair probe of this sordid episode, and the white guys are demonstarbly and totally innocent. It isn't a racial issue, it is a LEGAL one.

Deal with it!!

[OldFriend]

Peter King is on the case. Demanding that the Justice Department investigate Nifong.

He was on WABC radio this morning. Two of the families live in NY so he felt it was incumbent upon him to get involved.

[FormerACLUmember]

"We sincerely believe that the high level of public scrutiny and controversy involved in this matter is unwarranted and threatens to pervert the truth-finding process," said the Rev. William Barber, president of the North Carolina chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

William Barber has not a scintilla of sincerity about preventing the perversion of the truth-finding process (in this incredible frame-up of innocent lads). He is a complete fraud and liar.

Liberals always accuse others of PRECISELY their own misbehavior.

[Libloather]

Where does the New Black Panther Party go to get it's reputation back?

[CharacterCounts]

And the circus that ws Sharpton and Jackson AND the New Black Panthers......that was justified public discussion?

Of course not. but when you have a highly visible public discussion, you get the bad with the good. In this case at least the bad was exposed. Now, the NAACP wants to quiet the public discussion.

[BossLady]

Interesting the NAACP is coming out with this whole thing AFTER the 60 Minutes interviews.....

[OldFriend]

Well, the NAACP can kiss my grits!

[leilani]

I'm still hoping for the LaX guys' supporters in NC to start playing the race card themselves. If they're smart, they'll try to really drive home the fact that Nifong not only pursued a meritless case against those innocent white boys with full malice aforethought, he also willfully exploited an obviously very disturbed young black woman in a cynically self-serving & egregiously racist way to further his political career- and they need to add that this white D.A. could not have used this sick black woman with such callous disregard without the assistance of his fawning stepnfetchit flunkies at the local office of the NAACP.

Even members of the un-victim's family are starting to harp on this. Folks need to loudly call Durham's black leadership out on their reluctance to condemn the serious miscarriage of justice this racist crook perpetrated against everybody - white, black & chartreuse- in that county, but especially against real rape victims. The damage this racist monster and his NAACP ennablers have caused them is incalculable.

[JLS]

Yep, it is too late for the NAACP to offer any advice to anyone on this matter. They threw away their moral authority by allowing the Durham chapter or members to side with this frame up. They got played in the DAs election and as I said frittered away any moral authority they might have had in this matter.

[vetvetdoug]

Easy explanation of the NAACP's stance. The NAACP has got their tit in the wringer with their meddling into the case with no respect to the Civil Liberties of the accused. They now want the publicity to tone down because the truth is frying their collective butts and exposing their bias and prejudice.

[pgkdan]

"We sincerely believe that the high level of public scrutiny and controversy involved in this matter is unwarranted and threatens to pervert the truth-finding process," said the Rev. William Barber, president of the North Carolina chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Yeah right! All you want is to railroad these boys. This needs to end...now. This dirty whore and her pimp Nifong have done enough damage. This needs to end now!

[CFC__VRWC]

Hey NAACP, go find a street corner somewhere and bang some pots and pans.

[Pharmboy]

There's something here that strikes me as analogous to the Israeli-Lebanon flare up of several months back. Hamas lobbed rockets into Israel, but when the Israelis responded, the world started crying for a cease fire.

Where was the NAACP when these kids were being railroaded by the evil and corrupt DA? Not a word then about due process or fairness.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

Are they the same ones who asked for a gag order earlier in the case? Or was that NBP?

[TommyDale]

Yes, gag everyone else except them.

[Bitter Bierce]

"Nobody knows the totality of the facts," Barber said. "We do not expect, nor should North Carolina citizens condone, a resolution of this case based on biased and political or public pressure from the public or any overzealous supporters on either side. What we must do is insist that we follow the facts wherever they lead and face the facts when they are all in."

Indeed, OldFriend. If Barber had said as much at the very outset of this case, the Durham chapter of the NAACP might have induced something of a calming effect. But by remaining silent while what you correctly referred to as "the circus that was Sharpton and Jackson AND the New Black Panthers" was in full, unmitigated, and revolting swing, the rev and the chapter forever lost all semblance of objectivity or credibility.

[azhenfud]

Nifong's political ass is toast with a heavy darkening.

[azhenfud]

NAACP needs to go bark at some 'federate flag somewhere...