Ex-Duke Lacrosse Prosecutor Pleads Not Guilty

WRAL.com ^ | August 30, 2007 | AARON BEARD

[NCDragon]

DURHAM, N.C. — Disgraced former prosecutor Mike Nifong pleaded not guilty Thursday to criminal contempt charges stemming from his failure to turn over complete DNA testing results during the discredited Duke lacrosse rape case.

Defense attorneys for the three falsely accused players had asked a judge to punish Nifong for initially telling the court he turned over all testing results when he knew, and failed to disclose, that genetic material from multiple males was found on and about the accusing woman - but none of the DNA matched any lacrosse player.

[Rb ver. 2.0]

I wonder how much is left of that $106,000 in equity Nifong took out of his house back in February? Surely this defense will consume the rest of it, if there’s any left to begin with.

[MplsSteve]

Not guilty? Does he really believe that he’s not guilty?

I’ll bet he’s looking for a plea agreement of some sort. Or at this point, does he really think a jury would acquit him of the charges?

[cake_crumb]

The REAL question is: will the media break into the Katrina rhetoric to report this? Will they cover his trial as thoroughly as they covered the rent-riots and speeches by Je$$e Jacka$$ and company? OK, so that’s two questions.

[COBOL2Java]

Not-too-many years down the road: Mike Nifong meets his new supervisor:

[Neoliberalnot]

Nifong knew full well that if the key evidence had been submitted the case was closed and he wasn’t going to let that happen. I can’t believe this crap-artist is still walking free, but hey, that is called PC justice or selective enforcement of the law.

[ElkGroveDan]

What he did was so egregious, not just to those boys but to the sanctity of our nation’s legal system. He deserves all that he is going to get.

[NCDragon]

Here’s a report from the News and “Obstructor” as well:

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/crime_safety/duke_lacrosse/nifong/story/686971.html

[vetsvette]

“Not guilty? Does he really believe that he’s not guilty?”

I think that it would be only fair to play by his own rules — rules where guilt or innocence doesn’t matter.

Guilty or not, throw him in the clink and throw away the key.

[Emmett McCarthy]

Hey, don’t make fun! That’s my plan for old age - get the job of Wal-Mart greeter. I figure that’s the best way to meet all the old ladies whose husbands died and left them money. Don’t spread it around, though, because I don’t want a bunch of competition.

[Jane Austen]

He and Johnny Sutton both. IMHO Nifong was, among other illegal acts, covering also for whoever’s DNA was found on Crystal.

[COBOL2Java]

Hey, don’t make fun! That’s my plan for old age - get the job of Wal-Mart greeter. I figure that’s the best way to meet all the old ladies whose husbands died and left them money. Don’t spread it around, though, because I don’t want a bunch of competition.

He he. Don't worry, it's our little secret! :0)

[jdlh8894]

Sorry,beat ya to it . And those widowed ladies?....Don’t get your hopes up! LOL

[freespirited]

Not guilty? Does he really believe that he’s not guilty?

I think so. He's a sociopath, so it's always someone else's fault.

Or at this point, does he really think a jury would acquit him of the charges?

I don't know that this kind of thing goes to a jury. The judge may be the sole decider. I actually think there is a good chance that Nifong will do time, because the monetary fine (max 500 bucks) hardly seems sufficient for the magnitude of the offense.

[OKIEDOC]

I think that it would be only fair to play by his own rules — rules where guilt or innocence doesn’t matter.

Guilty or not, throw him in the clink and throw away the key.

COURTESY COMMENT:

You have unlocked the secret to how the MSM and 100 percent of liberals think.

[xJones]

Nifong didn't provide that information to the defense until October, and only then amid nearly 2,000 pages of raw DNA test data that took a defense attorney days to decipher.

Nifong didn't deliver even the voluminous raw data until he was forced to by repeated defense attorney appeals. And the raw data is virtually unintelligable to non-specialists, but the defense educated themselves enough to figure it out.

Nifong was damned and determined to save his own tail, and to heck with the 3 innocent young men.

[Roccus]

“He deserves all that he is going to get.”
___________________________________________________________

...and that could very well depend on how extensive his knowledge is of courthouse skeletons.

[Nonstatist]

does he really think a jury would acquit him of the charges?

This a contempt citation; only a judge here, no jury.

To paraphrase something he himself has said with regards to this case..."he's f@@ked !"

[xJones]

The judge pressed for an answer: "So you represent there are no other statements from Dr. Meehan?"

Nifong responded, "No other statements. No other statements made to me."

Meehan has since testified that he briefed Nifong several times that tests found DNA from unidentified men on Mangum's body and underwear. Nifong has confirmed Meehan's account in interviews and sworn testimony.

Whoopsie, Nifong really angered Judge Smith. Did Nifong think that Meehan wouldn't be called to testify, or if so, that Meehan would commit perjury and lie for him?

[longtermmemmory]

This is about the civil case.

A CRIMINAL contempt conviction can be used as a presumptive conclusion in the civil case due to the burden of proof standard.