Posted on 06/21/2007 10:20:34 AM PDT by doug from upland
Do not miss this YouTube that nails and mocks Nifong. Please leave a comment, rate it, and pass it on. He needs to see it. OPERA YOUTUBE MOCKING NIFONG WITHOUT MERCY
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DUKE CHRONICLE
So long, Mike Nifong
Posted: 6/21/07
It took some time, but there's finally a vacant corner office in the downtown Durham County Courthouse.
The honorable Judge Orlando Hudson effectively booted former Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong from his office this past Tuesday after learning that the embattled DA intended to stay on for another month before stepping down. "We took his keys and his badge that gave him access to the building," Durham County Sheriff Worth Hill told The Associated Press. "We'll make arrangements to help him get his personal belongings later."
Frankly, this board hopes the door bumps Nifong on the way out. After the DA's 15 months of irresponsible conduct, it took the court 5 days to disbar Nifong. Those who led the charge-Hudson, the Disciplinary Hearing Commission and Commission Chair Lane Williamson-should be commended for their thorough review and thoughtful reflection and for ensuring that the rogue DA was removed from his office in an appropriate and expeditious manner. Nifong's day in court was a long time coming, but it did come.
Most troubling, though, is the fact that Nifong was disingenuous up to the last. Even with damning arguments that Nifong had made inappropriate pretrial statements and failed to show documents that were crucial to the case, Nifong sparked murmuring in the courtroom when he maintained that he still believed something did happen in the bathroom of the lacrosse house last March. We're glad to see the commission had little trouble seeing through the tears Nifong shed up on the stand.
Lawsuits against Nifong will no doubt continue for some time to come, but it's nice to see the most public courtroom aspects of this case come to an end once and for all. Closure is precisely what the Duke community needs right now.
And that's just what the University has sought to bring when it announced Monday that it had reached an out-of-court settlement with the three exonerated lacrosse players and their families. The settlement reached, Duke administrators have been quick to note, encapsulates all aspects of the University-including the faculty members who have been criticized, sometimes fairly and sometimes unfairly, for their statements during this case.
Even though the University for the most part took the right steps along the way, it was prudent for Duke to avoid ongoing and tedious litigation, and push to put a cap on what has been a long year for the entire community.
Duke's settlement with the players, however, does raise a few questions. For one, the fact that the University decided not to disclose details of the negotiation is questionable. We don't know the details, but hope the settlement was carefully considered, as it likely pulled a large amount of money from Duke's coffers. In this instance, though, it honestly may be in the best interest of all parties to spend a few million dollars to tie up a few loose ends and move forward.
In addition, it's somewhat worrisome that in the interest of pushing everything under the rug once and for all, the settlement will allow administrators to overlook the serious concerns about academic freedom raised during this case and formally acknowledged when Duke settled up with former lacrosse player Kyle Dowd, Trinity '06, earlier this summer.
It's clear that everyone here at Duke wants to move beyond the lacrosse case, but, this board reiterates, the University absolutely cannot lose sight of the many issues raised by the case.
Absolutely not! No 'moving beyond' until the DUKE 88 Marxists pay for their racism.
Ping for later
Don't hold your breath.
Some things will only be made right in a Higher Court, ruled by a perfect Judge.
We'll see what the alumni think about that.
bookmark
Yep, let's get on with business as usual. The gang of 88 has gotten daddy to buy them protection and now they can go back to their research on race/gender/class. Nothing to see here, keep on moving.
If I recall correctly, no one had been indicted when the 88 published their creed. So I think every OTHER player on the team has grounds for a defamation/infliction of emotional distress/conspiracy to deny them their civil rights suit against these clowns. If they need help with the legal bills, I’m sure some of us would be glad to help!
Like someone else already said, don’t hold your breath.
From the responses, they won’t even admit that they were wrong in their attitudes or actions.
Oh, I know. The only way the victims (the Duke 3) will have closure is through the courts. I sincerely hope that happens.
bttt
That’s my understanding as well - the undisclosed terms of the settlement between the 3 and Duke included immunity for the 88 from civil action.
I would think, however, that some clever DA would be able to bring some sort of criminal action against them for their false accusations.
And, perhaps the other members of the team might have standing to take them on civilly as well - especially any that received harassment from any of these 88 in a classroom.
They’d run to the authorities in 2 seconds, claiming harassment and threatening behavior,
even though it is EXACTLY what they subjected the lacrosse boys to.
Nice job Doug!
“I would think, however, that some clever DA would be able to bring some sort of criminal action against them for their false accusations.”
Really doubtful that that could be turned into a criminal matter and I’m not sure if i’d want that in a free society. They are idiots who should be fired but their tirades were based in large part on taking the word of a rogue DA at face value. Makes an easy enough defense i’d think.
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