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LIVE THREAD: NC Attorney General Announcement at 2:30pm Today (DUKELAX)
ABC 11 WTVD ^

Posted on 04/11/2007 7:46:54 AM PDT by Howlin

RALEIGH, N.C. — Three members of Duke University's lacrosse team could learn Wednesday whether state prosecutors will drop the remaining charges accusing them of sexually assaulting a stripper at a team party more than a year ago.

"I think it's likely that they will do that," said Wade Smith, an attorney for charged player Collin Finnerty. "We certainly hope that would be true. But until we hear it, we're not going to acknowledge that's the truth. We'll wait and see."

The state Attorney General's Office has scheduled a 2:30 p.m. news conference to discuss the case. It is unclear whether Attorney General Roy Cooper will be at the news conference at the RBC Center, which can accommodate the crush of national media interested in the case.

The Associated Press, citing sources close to the investigation, reported Wednesday morning that all charges would be dropped in the case.

The Attorney General's Office took over the case in January after Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong was charged with several ethics violations tied to his handling of the sensational case.

No notice of dismissal had been filed at the Durham County Courthouse by early Wednesday. But a spokeswoman for the Attorney General's Office told WRAL that the investigation into the case has been completed.

"We are relieved that this day has come,” Smith told WRAL. “There will not be a celebration because this has been a train wreck.”

The families of Collin Finnerty, Reade Seligmann and David Evans arrived in Raleigh Tuesday. Officials told WRAL that the three lacrosse players would be present once a decision had been made as to how the prosecution would proceed with the case.

A grand jury indicted the three players on charges of rape, kidnapping and sexual offense last spring after a woman told police she was assaulted at a March 2006 team party where she was hired to perform as a stripper. All three have steadfastly maintained their innocence, with Evans calling the allegations "fantastic lies."

Nifong dropped the rape charges in December after the accuser changed a key detail in her story. He recused himself a few weeks later after the state bar charged him with violating several rules of professional conduct.

Among the ethics charges, Nifong is accused of withholding potentially exculpatory DNA evidence from the defense and lying to both the court and bar investigators. Nifong faces a June trial before the bar and could be disbarred if convicted.

Nifong faces a Friday afternoon hearing in the ethics case, and he spent Wednesday morning with his attorney in Winston-Salem.

Nifong's recusal put the players' fate in the hands of Cooper, who promised "a fresh and thorough review of the facts" when he took over the case in January.

Smith said the players, their families and the defense attorneys were pleased that the special prosecutors took over the case, saying they brought "sanity to this situation."

“The special prosecutors have looked under every rock, and they have searched for evidence in places even the defense did not,” he told WRAL.

While Evans graduated the day before he was indicted in May, Duke temporarily suspended sophomores Finnerty and Seligmann in the wake of their arrest. Finnerty was also convicted in July in an unrelated assault case in Washington, D.C., and sentenced to six months of probation.

Finnerty and Seligmann were both invited to return to campus, but neither has accepted. John Danowski, the former coach at Hofstra who took over the Duke program last summer, has also said that both are welcome to continue their lacrosse careers with the Blue Devils


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News; US: North Carolina
KEYWORDS: crystalgailmangum; duke; dukelax; durhamdirtbag; nifong
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To: ErnBatavia

I’m LOL! That baby is hysterically funny and cute to boot!


481 posted on 04/11/2007 12:12:43 PM PDT by nfldgirl
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To: teawithmisswilliams
I think so, although it would be "libel" since they took out an ad in the newspaper. Those 88 professors should pay a big price for their heartless, self-righteous rush to proclaim the guilt of their students.

Thanks for the correction. I'm usually not a sue happy person but in this case I think they should sue each and every idiot one of them!

482 posted on 04/11/2007 12:12:51 PM PDT by TXBubba ( Democrats: If they don't abort you then they will tax you to death.)
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To: Petronski

My money is on the SL500 AMG.


483 posted on 04/11/2007 12:13:26 PM PDT by The KG9 Kid
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To: Mean Maryjean

Today the role of the Indignant Diva will be played by Shep Smith.


484 posted on 04/11/2007 12:13:41 PM PDT by Sue Perkick (...what I was born to do, don't have to think it through.....)
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To: Howlin

Fully expected it.


485 posted on 04/11/2007 12:13:48 PM PDT by MNlurker
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To: Howlin

Dude with the pony tail is filling in.

http://www.courttv.com/anchors/nancy_grace.html

Nancy Grace
...is on your case

Nancy Grace: Closing Arguments
Weekdays 3-5pm E/P


486 posted on 04/11/2007 12:13:52 PM PDT by maggief
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To: CedarDave

Defense attorney presser at 4 p.m. EDT??
__________

Yep, that’s what I was told, 4PM.


487 posted on 04/11/2007 12:14:12 PM PDT by snarkytart
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To: Howlin
some defense lawyer and guess his daddy is one too in Brooklyn. Shep was trying to get him to admit what his daddy would do if bald guy was in Duke players' shoes.
I think.
I was having Katrina flashbacks to the overpass in New Orleans and didn't get it all.
488 posted on 04/11/2007 12:14:22 PM PDT by daybreakcoming (X41:"I will never apologize for the United States of America — I don't care what the facts are")
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To: Howlin
Even if they did do it for political reasons.......LOL

Of course they did, but I'm also proud.

Right is right, even if it IS political.

489 posted on 04/11/2007 12:14:28 PM PDT by Constitution Day
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To: windchime
1. Populate the internet with the FULL truth 2. Reach out to people who have written/are writing about this and ask them to remove or correct their stories by adding today’s information

We can hope. The left would practically never win another election if the full and true facts of situations were available to all. They thrive on MSM-protected propaganda based on false statements, omissions and half-truths.

490 posted on 04/11/2007 12:14:43 PM PDT by Freee-dame
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To: maggief

What a witch she is.

Now let’s find Wendy Murphy and throw tomatoes at her!


491 posted on 04/11/2007 12:14:48 PM PDT by Howlin (Honk if you like Fred Thompson!!!)
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To: Howlin

Congratulations Howlin! Thanks for being front and center on this.

I want to see the stripper brought up on charges of some type as well as Nifong.


492 posted on 04/11/2007 12:14:52 PM PDT by sauropod ("An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools." Ernest Hemingway)
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To: teawithmisswilliams
My bad!

I thought there were 93.

Anyway, the Duke 88 are soiling themselves.


493 posted on 04/11/2007 12:15:05 PM PDT by Petronski (FRED!)
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To: maggief

It’s Ron Kuby, trying to say that defense lawyers forced this into the AG’s hands.

Sorry. I think WE did it.......the public.


494 posted on 04/11/2007 12:15:39 PM PDT by Howlin (Honk if you like Fred Thompson!!!)
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To: sauropod

I would bring a civil suit against her if I were them, just to keep her from profiting from this LIE!


495 posted on 04/11/2007 12:16:06 PM PDT by Repub4bush (FWF.....Speechless!)
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To: sauropod

Now if we could just save Imus! :-)


496 posted on 04/11/2007 12:16:10 PM PDT by Howlin (Honk if you like Fred Thompson!!!)
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To: Sue Perkick
Today the role of the Indignant Diva will be played by Shep Smith.

Typecasting!

497 posted on 04/11/2007 12:16:17 PM PDT by Petronski (FRED!)
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To: TXBubba
I'm usually not a sue happy person but in this case I think they should sue each and every idiot one of them!

I agree. Heavy legal retribution should be forthcoming.

498 posted on 04/11/2007 12:16:46 PM PDT by teawithmisswilliams (Basta, already!)
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To: Repub4bush

Exactly!

Look, here’s Bill Bennett’s brother, what’s his name; remember way back when we heard he was advising the parents’ group?

Heads are going to roll.


499 posted on 04/11/2007 12:17:00 PM PDT by Howlin (Honk if you like Fred Thompson!!!)
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To: Howlin

Imus has always sucked. He is an equal opportunity sucker.


500 posted on 04/11/2007 12:17:12 PM PDT by dotnetfellow
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