Duke Charges Dropped
North Carolina attorney general calls lacrosse trio “innocent”
APRIL 11—Meet Crystal Gail Mangum.
(snip)
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
The level of hypocrisy regarding the level of damage in both incidents is appalling.
If so, what is the 3rd good news going to be this week?
I assume Nancy Grace came down on the side of Nifong...did any other news people?
Grand juries are prosecutors' tools. I forget who said "I could get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwitch" but it's true.
Not disputing that. But that can be said, unfortunately, of may counties in the United States. (Don't get me started on Kansas)
Just let’s not suggest that North Carolina is the Alabama & Mississippi of the 1950’s .
Duke Charges Dropped
North Carolina attorney general calls lacrosse trio “innocent”
APRIL 11—Meet Crystal Gail Mangum.
(snip)
I think you should compare this malicious prosecution to one that happened here in Pennsylvania, namely Don Adams.
In NC, the DA is facing charges.
In Philly, the DA has been re-elected repeatedly, and the mayor of Philly who gave political cover for the aftermath is now governor.
Rogue prosecutors are a problem wherever they happen. In this case, Nifong paid a price and that will chill the next overzealous one in NC.
Lots of ham sandwiches for all
Their families have also spent nearly $3,000,000 defending them. I dunno about you, but this would pretty much kill my life savings.
Who was that female talking head former prosecutor arsekisser who all but shined Nifong's jackboots? Wendy something-or-other. She was the worst.
I never mentioned Alabama, Mississippi or the ‘50’s for that matter.
She’s an exotic dancer? Here are her stats: 150 lb. 5’4” tall. Sounds fat to me for a dancer: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0411071duke2.html
“WHERE IS THE REV AL???”
**************************
I think the second Wednesday of each month he meets Jesse to discuss other possible scholarship recipients. lol
Cooper left no doubt and was great, and man that was great to see.
Philly is worse. DC is worse too look at crackhead Berry being re-elected to public office, but still doesn't make this anything less than dispicable.
If that happened, he would vanish.
Fox about to Name Crystal Mangum on the air.
Shepard is going to show her pic too! in a minute.
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