Posted on 01/25/2007 7:20:20 PM PST by freespirited
North Carolina Congressman Walter Jones is demanding an investigation of Durham D.A. Mike Nifong.
Thursday Jones met with the U.S. attorney general's office in Washington. He said he has a new reason why he thinks the nation's top law enforcement office will launch an inquiry.
According to the Jones, there is no excuse for the attorney general not to initiate a civil rights investigation because the three lacrosse players had their civil and constitutional rights violated.
The Congressman delivered letters from nine members of congress who think now that Nifong has removed himself as prosecutor on the Duke lacrosse case, the U.S. Justice Department should take action against the D.A.
Jones cites as basis for the investigation "misconduct by the prosecutor." He went on the say that gives the U.S. Justice Department "authority to look into misconduct by a state or federal law enforcement officer."
Jones said he has never spoken with Dave Evan, Collin Finnerty, Reade Seligman or their lawyers or family members. The three are charged with sexually assaulting an exotic dancer at a lacrosse team party last March.
"I feel sorrow for the three young men and their families," said Jones. "They have been destroyed by this D.A. for politics." We just want to bring some protection to the young men.
The Congressman hopes the charges against the men will be dropped.
Eyewitness News spoke to Nifong's legal assistant and she said the D.A. has "no comment" about the latest development in Washington
GOOD NEWS
He needs to be tried for civil rights crimes the way the Rodney King cops were.
What a novel idea. I didn't know that white, Duke lacrosse players had civil rights. When did that happen? I guess the Duke faculty will weigh in and explain just who has reliance on civil rights laws.
Nifong is a good example of what is sick with our justice system in this country. A pure partisan political hack using the judiciary as a political weapon. It should become a felony with a heavy prison sentence attached to it....
"the Duke faculty will weigh in"
And they would never approve of giving civil rights to those uppity white boys. It would harm race relations.
The Rats are always ready to turn to the legal system to intimidate people they don't like. The Pubbies need to learn how to play the law card too, at least until the Rats back off. I wouldn't hold my breath, though.
I think some legislation holding these DA's accountable for there actions is in order.
Nifong needs to be prosecuted because of what he's done to those kids and to send a message to other DA's that this behavior is not acceptable.
Not just a heavy prison sentence, but hard time in a real prison, not one of those "non-violent offender" country club prisons.
Methinks Nifong needs to experience the San Francisco State Football Team phenomenon.
Y'know, where you start as a tight end, and end up as a wide receiver. . . . (evil grin)
Y'know, where you start as a tight end, and end up as a wide receiver. . . . (evil grin)
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(chuckle) Justice always prevails IN THE END!!!! :-)
The "pushed probe" should be a stiff, thick broomhandle up his arse.
Walter Jones has refused to support the military surge in Iraq and after originally voting to send the troops there, he now claims he was misled. Cindy Sheehan calls Walter Jones "her hero". I call him a coward.
I agree with the message, but Walter Jones is a poor messenger for this cause.
He's got the reputation as being a bit of a grandstander and a political opportunist (he's a party switcher, as well as a flip-floper on Iraq, and one of the authors of that freedom fries stupidity,) and the fact that he's not a lawyer and is talking about lawyer rules just seems to reinforce the image, earned or not, that this is more grandstanding then substance. I'm not saying I think it is, but I think that's the appearance.
I wish one of the other R's from NC would run with this.
The question I don't hear anybody asking is what might have happened had the racial roles been reversed, i.e. had a psycho DA met with klansmen and agreed to lynch three innocent blacks as quid pro quo for an election, and then been reelected to his job with 95% of the white vote. I believe the FBI would have been bang straight down on top of that like flies on manure. Some of the biggest villains in this story appear to be in NCCU and the NC chapter of NAACP.
If those boys were three black students, there would already have been an investigation. But then, civil rights are only for minorities, right?
The civil rights charges were filed only after the state courts didn't convict. I'd rather see this remain a state case and be tried in state courts unless it becomes clear that justice isn't going to be done there.
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