Nifong Issues Apology to Ex-Lacrosse Players

WRAL.com ^ | April 12, 2007 | Associated Press

[GOPRaleigh]

Nifong Issues Apology to Ex-Lacrosse Players

Posted: 2 minutes ago

Durham — The local prosecutor who charged three Duke lacrosse players with raping a stripper apologized Thursday, acknowledging the decision of state prosecutors to dismiss all charges against them was correct.

"To the extent that I made judgments that ultimately proved to be incorrect, I apologize to the three students that were wrongly accused," Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong said in a statement.

[John Jorsett]

I leaked lies to the press, withheld or ignored exculpatory evidence, violated the canons of criminal procedure, did everything possible to railroad you into a conviction that would have sent you to prison and branded you sex criminals forever, and generally destroyed your lives.

Sorry.

Sincerely,
Mike Nifong

[Crawdad]

Nifong has some kind of mental problem.

Maybe he's just a really mean person.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

A prosecutor has immunity if he acts “within the scope of his employment.” This immunity flows from the State’s Sovereign Immunity. However, if he acts outside that scope, particularly with malice, he is open to personal liability. Some government officials in the State and Federal Governments carry liability insurance just in case. One thing that stands out to me was his out of court statements against the defendants that proved to be lies. Also, I seem to recall that he failed to provide exculpatory evidence to the defendants (Brady vs. Md.).

[Sicon]

Hmmm, withholding exculpatory evidence from the defense, conducting improper lineups, making repeated defamatory and pre-judgemental remarks about the case to the press, conspiring with the DNA lab director to withhold/ignore evidence...

Apology NOT accepted!

Nifong is going down, big time. Hopefully, the players can sue Duke and it's cabal of lynch-mob professors into oblivion as well.

[Jrabbit]

I hope he keeps talking....dig a deeper hole....try to dig himself out using his cloven hooves.

[pnh102]

Going back to what one of the players mentioned... What about all of the other innocent people Nifong screwed over... the ones who were not rich and could not afford to defend themselves. Surely there must be some innocent people serving time in jail or prison because of this persecutor.

Someone in NC needs to go over every single case that Nifong's office has handled to ensure that no innocent people were wrongly convicted of any crime. Nifong himself must be prosecuted because the handling of this case could not possibly be the result of negligence. Any honest lawyer would have dropped these charges long ago due to lack of evidence and witness credibility issues. The only possible explanation for this conduct must be malice.

[mewzilla]

All I can find so far...

Duke D.A. Nifong Apologizes To Lacrosse Players

[ohioWfan]

Oh, that will give them their lives back........

[jerry639]

Stuff the apologies Nifong. Get out the check book, the deed to your home and the car title. The parents of these young men will make you pay dearly for what you did.

[American Quilter]

Typical non-apology apology. Insufficient. I hope the players sue him—perhaps it will serve as a warning to other dishonorable prosecutors.

[steve-b]

"To the extent that I made judgments that ultimately proved to be incorrect, I apologize to the three students that were wrongly accused," Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong said in a statement.

BULL$#!^! Nifong didn't make honest mistakes; he knowingly covered up exculpatory evidence.

[GOPRaleigh]

You know - I want to see the video tape of Nifong when he tried to explain how the INNOCENT players held and choked her. Remember that?!

I wish the media would stop showing Nifong in his robe - ugh. He may need that robe in prison...

[sissyjane]

>> I made judgments that ultimately proved to be incorrect<,

Ya think??? You’re going to be singing “Who’s Sorry Now” From your jail cell, before I’m satisfied, so I can just imagine what the Duke kids and their parents think about your apology.

[Suzy Quzy]

Liberalism is a mental disease!

[onyx]

He sacrificed three innocent college boys to win his damn election and damn near caused a race riot.

No punishment that can come to him will be sufficient.

[ohioWfan]

No punishment that can come to him will be sufficient.

Hear! Hear!!

[TommyDale]

He better not bend over to pick up a bar of soap!

[HaveHadEnough]

Those kids are right. If this can happen to three people whose families can afford a combined 7 figure criminal defense lawyer bill, imagine how many people without these resources are sitting in jail as a result of similar prosecutorial tactics. It is frightening.

[pepperhead]

I think I am going to puke. This apology is so transparent it is funny. At this point in time the only way Nifong could make this right is to resign as DA of Durham, go home and commit hara-kiri.

[Guenevere]

He would have put these young men away for 30 years without losing a wink of sleep.

He deserves every lawsuit the families can muster!