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
I know. While I don’t condone his comments, the news story I heard about the Rutgers team deciding in the future if he could keep his job was a bit much.
If that happens, we will have progressed down a very, very dangerous road.
LOL.........I know exactly what you are talking about.
Is that bald guy the son of the Mafia lawyer?? You know who I mean?
“THANK GOD and thank you all!!!!”
I second your post. Thank you Howlin, abb, Locomotive Breath, JLS, Sue Perdick, alia, jezebelle, Guilty by Association...just everybody. YOU’RE THE GREATEST.
I hope so! I will be patient, but popcorn is only an arms lenght away!
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,265374,00.html
Crystal Gail Mangum: Profile of the Duke Rape Accuser
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
By Michael Y. Park
Fonger & Durham County are not the only instances in NC where a prosecutor has run amok. NC has a system in serious need of repair.
Time and Newsweek should also be included in the list of those sued imo.
I agree 100 percent; I’m getting so mad about it, I might start getting up early to listen to him again.......LOL.
LOL, you’re asking me? I have the TV in one room and the computer in another and a LONG hall in between.
Presicely.
And everybody knew it.
I disagree that there is anything to be proud of.
Rev Al? A job? Surely you jest!
Gee whiz, we all knew that months ago; and NOW they publish it?
SOBs.
I’d love to hear from those grand juries that indicted these people.
Shame on them.
Ping me to the good parts of the boys news conference-—I have to go to my quilt group this afternoon.
Wonder what she will say now?
Better late than never?
:o/
I hope the three accused at least can sleep and smile easier today even though they have been dragged through hell for the last 13 months.
I wonder if she’s ducking out because she may get sued.
Hey, we can dream, can’t we?
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