Posted on 01/25/2007 8:03:11 PM PST by BerniesFriend
Ummm... Did anyone else notice Alton Maddux's assertion that the dancer danced suggestively, therefore the men must have been sexually aroused, therefore they must have raped her? Yikes!
All I want to know is will she dance again? I may be throwing a bachelor's party this year and having a celebrity would be pretty cool. imho of course..
Chief's absences raising concern
BY RAY GRONBERG : The Herald-Sun, Jan 27, 2007 : 12:38 am ET
Police Chief Steve Chalmers' absences from duty in the past year have the City Council grumbling, but most members say they're relying on Durham's city manager to monitor the situation and make sure the department runs smoothly.
The chief was out of the office for an extended time last spring coping with a family illness, and apparently missed time again in December. In December, he had his top assistant, Deputy Chief Ron Hodge, deliver two key reports to the council, one documenting an increase in violent crime and the other on the Durham Police Department's long-range facilities needs.
That delegation of the chief's public role -- coupled with City Manager Patrick Baker's parallel announcement that he hoped to have a replacement for Chalmers hired and in place by mid-August, more than four months before the incumbent's scheduled retirement -- has prompted considerable behind-the-scenes speculation about the department's day-to-day management.
"I've heard that questions are being asked about [the chief's] absence," said City Councilman Eugene Brown who, colleagues said Friday, is the member most concerned about the situation. "And I would say that I'm hearing more and more complaints -- from a variety of people."
Brown added that he thinks Baker should speed up the impending search for a new chief, to have Chalmers' replacement on board no later than Aug. 1.
"Steve's done a good job, but everyone knows he's retiring," Brown said, explaining. "We need to start a new chapter of the Durham Police Department with a new police chief. Sooner is better than later."
Other council members acknowledged the backroom chatter, but say it's up to Baker to handle the situation.
"We rely on our city manager to monitor the presence or absence of employees," Councilwoman Cora Cole-McFadden said. "Since [Chalmers] reports directly to the city manager, I will assume that [Baker's] assuring that things are being taken care of in his absence."
Councilman Howard Clement echoed Cole-McFadden's stance, but added that he's "not surprised that it's an issue" and that Hodge "has been right where he needed to be when he needed to be there." Clement also said the council hasn't formally discussed the matter in closed session, the usual venue for airing personnel matters, but "some of us in our private conversations with each other have talked about it."
The chief's decision to have Hodge deliver last month's reports caught the eye of Councilwoman Diane Catotti and Councilman Mike Woodard. Catotti said members "are used to having the chief present" the crime report, but added that she thinks Chalmers still has "his finger on the pulse of the department."
Woodard said he intends to hold Baker to his announced deadline for hiring a new chief, and added that Chalmers did attend a meeting with him in December to discuss youth mentoring.
Attempts to reach Chalmers and Baker were unsuccessful Friday.
Firm data on how much vacation and leave Chalmers used in 2006 was unavailable. A Herald-Sun request to the city's public relations staff for the information initially drew a favorable reception, but officials later said City Attorney Henry Blinder's office had vetoed releasing it.
State law specifies that city personnel files are confidential save for a few narrow exceptions that include an employee's position, office assignment, title, salary, most recent salary change and most recent promotion or demotion. The City Council can waive those restrictions to maintain public confidence in municipal services.
Baker has said the search for a new chief would begin this month when officials advertise the job in trade publications and other venues. As of Friday, that had not occurred, but city spokeswoman Beverly Thompson said the posting should occur next week.
Officials in neighboring Chapel Hill launched a search of their own last month after their police chief, Gregg Jarvies, announced on Dec. 8 that he'd retire on April 1.
They posted the job on Dec. 15 -- more than a week after Baker announced his timetable for replacing Chalmers -- and by Friday had received about 50 applications. They have also conducted three public forums and a session with the Town Council to gather advice on what they should look for in the hiring process.
Council members in Durham have said they'd like Baker to conduct a national search for Chalmers' replacement -- a term that suggests they think the next chief should come from outside the department.
Clement said Chalmers' successor needs a firm grip on the public side of the job. "We've got to have police chiefs capable of dealing with that spotlight and relating to it in a fashion comfortable for him or her and the community," he said.
http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-813358.cfm
Has anyone ever seen a picture of what this black exotic dancer looks like? Why such protection from the liberal media?
So almost a year too late the Herald is worried if the police chief can do his job and how the department is running with the chief gone all the time.
I guess that means after Nifong has been in the slammer six months or so the Herald will worry how the prosecutors office has been running under months or years of distractions but not call for an immediate change?
Oh well. I didn't post that link correctly. See my profile for a picture.
Question and answer with attorney Jim Cooney on Duke case
By Gary L. Wright, McClatchy Newspapers, Sat, Jan. 27, 2007
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Charlotte lawyer Jim Cooney is handling the highest-profile case of his career: defending one of three Duke lacrosse players charged with sexually assaulting an exotic dancer hired to perform as a stripper at a team party last March.
The three men - David Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann - are white. The woman is black.
Cooney, for the first time since being hired to defend Seligmann, talked in depth about the controversial case that has fueled racial tensions in Durham, led to the suspension of Duke's lacrosse program and left Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong facing ethics charges.
How have these three men been affected by the publicity and the sexual assault allegations?
The best way to answer this question is to ask everyone who may be reading this to imagine how they would feel if their picture - or a picture of their sons or daughters - appeared on the cover of Newsweek accused of a crime as heinous and vile as rape. Then I would ask everyone to consider that if the district attorney had succeeded in convicting these young men of all of the crimes with which they had been charged, none of these young men would have been released from prison until they were well into their 50s. They literally would have never seen their parents alive again outside a prison visiting room. It does not take much imagination to understand the daily pain that these young men and their families go through each day these cases are permitted to continue.
Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong has been accused of withholding evidence favorable to the defendants. The DA eventually dropped the rape charges after the victim changed her story. He now faces ethics charges levied by the N.C. State Bar. What is happening in this case?
I think my answer to this question is better left until the resolution of these cases. Moreover, Mr. Nifong is now the subject of ethics charges by the State Bar, and I think it is important to accord him something that was not given to these young men - due process and a fair trial.
Do you think we'll ever know what happened during the team party on March 13, 2006?
I feel very confident that we know what happened. I am also confident that there are certain people who will never believe the facts of this case because it does not fit their view of the case or their personal agendas. The simple truth, as the facts show, is that there was no rape, no sex offense and no kidnapping.
What do you believe happened inside that house?
There is little question that this was a party in which a number of young men were engaging in conduct - drinking, watching strippers - that is offensive and about which they should have known better. This said, nothing that occurred at that party justifies either jailing these young men for 30 years or the national condemnation and death threats that they received.
Have you met or interviewed the woman who accused your client and the other Duke lacrosse players of sexually attacking her?
No. If this case goes to trial, however, I anticipate getting a chance to do so when she is under oath in a court of law.
Do you think the news media played a role in the players being charged?
I think the media played a pivotal role in these cases, both in leading the "charge" against the players, and then in the re-evaluation of the cases in light of the objective evidence. There is little question that, fueled by the district attorney's comments and focused on the theme of "privileged white males vs. poor black female," a feeding frenzy developed among the media with one commentator after another competing to outdo each other in their condemnation of the defendants.
The feeding frenzy led to an atmosphere of outrage that not only demanded indictments_regardless of the evidence - but was directly responsible for street protests in Durham and in front of Dave Evans' house and the mob that confronted Reade Seligmann at his court appearance, a mob that shouted out death threats. As objective evidence emerged, however, and as the evidence was analyzed and re-analyzed on the Internet and in the "blogosphere," something fairly rare occurred - many parts of the media began to re-examine their initial views on what happened.
The DA has taken himself off the case and asked the N.C. Attorney General's Office to take over the prosecution. What do you hope will happen now?
My hope is that all of the charges will be dismissed against all of these young men. My belief is that the prosecutors now reviewing the case will do so professionally and honestly, and will review all of the objective evidence in order to decide whether this case should continue.
What do you make of the tensions of race and gender that this case has exposed in Durham?
I think many of these tensions pre-existed this case. Perhaps one of the great tragedies of this case is that the African American community in Durham has historically been one of the most vibrant, prosperous and successful communities in this state, even during the height of segregation. The success and resiliency of that community has been lost in the media frenzy surrounding this case. Regrettably, these cases were hijacked by individuals who had an agenda that had nothing to do with Durham, these defendants or justice. I fear that this case has widened the race and gender tensions that existed before, and so polarized people that any attempt to relieve those tensions has been set back by years.
Rape is often a difficult crime to prosecute. Will this case change how prosecutors deal with rape cases?
I can't speak for how prosecutors will view rape cases. I do fear that many legitimate victims of rape will not come forward after these cases because their real claims will be met with skepticism. There was a long struggle in this country to force the justice system to take rape cases seriously and treat real victims of rape with the dignity and justice that they deserve. I fear that these efforts have been set back by decades because of this case and the way in which it was handled and prosecuted.
Why do you think this case attracted so much attention?
I think there were really three factors. The first was that this case was a "perfect storm" of race, class and gender issues - it appeared to appeal to our worst thoughts about male athletes and underprivileged women of color. Second, the district attorney was so adamant and certain in his public statements that these crimes occurred - and that they were racially motivated - that even casual viewers could not help but be outraged by it. The third was that a number of constituencies - both the media and individuals with various race, gender and class agendas -then seized upon the case for their own purposes. This created a Pandora's box that, once opened, could not be shut.
---
Charlotte lawyer Jim Cooney has had his share of high-profile cases. He defended serial killer Henry Louis Wallace, who was sentenced to death in 1997 for the murders of nine women. Cooney, 49, is a death penalty expert who helped get Alan Gell off North Carolina's death row in 2002 and won him a retrial and an acquittal. Last year, Cooney defended bank executive David Crespi, who was sentenced to life in prison for murdering his 5-year-old twin daughters.
© 2007, The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.).
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/16561971.htm
and by the way jesse says you can't say chiggers any more. it's chiggroes
"As objective evidence emerged, however, and as the evidence was analyzed and re-analyzed on the Internet and in the "blogosphere," something fairly rare occurred - many parts of the media began to re-examine their initial views on what happened."
Thanks for posting this interview. Cooney's going to make a lot of people happy by crediting blogs with changing the media's focus.
LOL.Yep. I guessing the only thing that arose from that performance was dinner.
http://durhamwonderland.blogspot.com/2007/01/sunday-roundup_28.html
-snip-
In late August, Nifong termed himself "very pleased" and said it "made me feel good" to have Victoria Peterson sign on as his citizens' committee co-chair. In addition to her homophobic rants and her claims that Duke Hospital tampered with the DNA evidence, Peterson had shared the platform with the head of a hate group, the New Black Panthers, during the Panthers' visit to Durham. Most district attorneys would not consider this a welcoming resume.
A recently released Duke Police report shows that Peterson did more than simply stand silently on the platform. According to the report of Officer S.M. Tiffin,
Capt. Evans informed me that during the rally, Ms. Peterson was advocating burning down the house at 610 N. Buchanan. Capt. Evans told me that he quietly asked her not to continue telling people to burn the house. He also said that the leader of the group also stated that he did not agree with burning the property.
So the figure that Nifong welcomed as his citizen committee co-chair advocated burning down private property and adopted a more radical position than the head of a hate group. Incredible.
-end excerpt-
Durham Committee gathers today
From staff reports : The Herald-Sun, Jan 27, 2007 : 8:04 pm ET
The 2007 annual meeting of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People will be held at 5:30 p.m. today at St. Joseph's A.M.E. Church, 2521 Fayetteville St.
The public is invited to attend the meeting, which was rescheduled from Jan. 21.
The keynote speaker will be U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C.
Congressman Butterfield is a native of Wilson who graduated from N.C. Central University and the NCCU School of Law.
"A major focus for 2007 will be to work collectively with federal, state and local organizations on priority issues," said DCABP Chairwoman Lavonia Allison. "These are issues that impact the quality of life of African-Americans in areas of health, education, economic empowerment, wealth distribution, housing ownership, crime, unequal justice and political empowerment."
http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-813536.cfm
NAACP urges support of policy
By Kelly Hinchcliffe : The Herald-Sun, Jan 28, 2007 : 12:02 am ET
NAACP leaders came together Saturday to urge the Durham community and others across the state to support the group's 14-point public policy strategy that addresses everything from the war in Iraq to education.
The news conference was held in preparation for a march, known as "Historic Thousands on Jones Street," aka "HK on J," that will be held Feb. 10 in Raleigh to bring attention to the policy strategy of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
"We want to insert a new ethic and energy into public policy," said NAACP State Conference President the Rev. William Barber, speaking at the Durham Marriott at the Civic Center. "We're putting our feet to the pavement ... We want a movement, not a moment."
The 14-point policy, called "The People's Agenda," states the following:
* All children need high-quality, well-funded, diverse schools.
* Livable wages and support are needed for low-income people.
* Health care is needed for all.
* Two ugly chapters in the state's racist history need redress: the overthrow of the biracial 1898 Wilmington government and the sterilization of poor, mainly black women from 1947 to 1977.
* Same-day registration and public financing of elections are needed.
* Every historically black college and university needs additional assistance.
* The state should document and redress 200 years of discrimination in hiring and contracting.
* The state should provide affordable housing and stop consumer abuse.
* The state should abolish racially biased death penalty and mandatory sentencing laws and reform prisons.
* Young people should be put to work to save the environment and fight for environmental justice.
* Collective bargaining is needed for public employees.
* Government should protect the rights of immigrants from Latin America and other nations.
* The state should immediately organize, strengthen and provide funding for our civil rights enforcement agencies and statutes.
* Government should bring troops home from Iraq now.
"Never give up until all people are treated equally," Barber said. "We will fight and push the agenda until we see change."
http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-813632.cfm
Shall he stay, or must he go? [ Ammons NCCU ]
BY JAMIE SCHUMAN : The Herald-Sun, Jan 27, 2007 : 11:50 pm ET
The N.C. Central University community could know by week's end whether Chancellor James Ammons will remain at the Durham school or take a job at his alma mater in his home state of Florida.
Ammons is one of three finalists to be president of Florida A&M University, which is expected to choose its new leader Thursday.
Ammons, who graduated from Florida A&M and worked there for 18 years, hasn't said whether he would take the job if offered.
But some leaders at NCCU have said it is a very real possibility that they soon could face finding a new chancellor.
Florida A&M, located in Tallahassee, was supposed to name its new president in March. But trustees are expected to speed up the timetable because they have "identified some quality applicants" and want to "make the decision sooner rather than later," said the Rev. R.B. Holmes Jr., co-chair of Florida A&M's presidential search committee. -cut--
In recent months, Ammons has handled some fallout from the Duke lacrosse case, in which an NCCU student accused three players of sexually assaulting her at a March party near Duke's East Campus at which she was hired as an exotic dancer.
Ammons' leadership and the way he has worked with officials at Duke and community organizations impressed the Florida A&M search committee, Holmes said.
The praise from the Florida A&M community has some at NCCU worried that Ammons' days in Durham may be numbered.
Thigpen said he has told Ammons that he would like him to stay at NCCU. But, he said, it is normal for chancellors to move on after five to seven years.
"The institution, of course, will survive regardless of who is the head of the institution," Thigpen said of NCCU.
NCCU has not gone so far as to form a search committee to replace Ammons. The university would wait for the Florida school's announcement to do that, and likely would employ an outside firm for help with a search, Thigpen said.
But NCCU trustee Ed Stewart said "serious concerns" exist that Ammons may leave and that some conversations have gone on about what to do if the situation arises. -cut-
http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-813622.cfm
Blah blah blah blah evil White people. Blah blah blah blah evil White people....
"Black Star News"
There are no Black stars. Only Black holes. ;)
No, for illegally withholding exculpatory evidence, Nifong is being driven out of the practice of law.
It seems that racists Blacks have embraced the logic of racist Whites from the bad old days of lynchings:
"If one of ours accuses one of them, it must be true."
Carolyn Q. Coleman Named 2007 NAACP Humanitarian of the Year [JAN 4, 2007- from NC NAACP press release]
Durham – State Conference President, Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II announced today that the Honorable Carolyn Q. Coleman of Guilford County has been named the 2007 NAACP Humanitarian of the Year. Mrs. Coleman who currently serves as Secretary on the NAACP National Board of Directors and First Vice President of the NC State NAACP will be recognized at the 23rd Annual NAACP Humanitarian of the Year Banquet scheduled for Saturday, January 27, 2007 at the Durham Marriott Civic Center beginning at 7:00pm.
Coleman, the first African-American woman elected as chair of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners has a long history of contributing to civil rights and to humanitarian efforts in the state and in the nation. Active in the NAACP Youth Council in Savannah, Georgia, Coleman was one of the first sit-in demonstrators to be arrested in her hometown in the 1960’s. Coleman has held several positions as a part of the NAACP national staff---Regional Youth Director, Alabama State Director, Southeast Voter Education Director and serving as the North Carolina State Executive. -cut-
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