Posted on 12/29/2006 10:07:41 PM PST by rawhide
Dec. 29, 2006 — In yet another moral blow to Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong, the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys called for the prosecutor to step down from the Duke lacrosse case.
The group, which represents district attorneys from across North Carolina, said in a statement that "it is in the interest of justice and the effective administration of criminal justice that Mr. Nifong immediately withdraw and recuse himself from the prosecution."
"It's extraordinarily unusual and it means a great deal," said Joshua Marquis, a district attorney in Clatsop County, Ore.
The district attorney group also called for the case to be reassigned and handed over to "another prosecutorial authority."
The statement was prompted by charges of ethics violations against Nifong filed Thursday by the North Carolina bar. Those allegations accuse Nifong of making inappropriate comments about the case in a series of press interviews early in the proceedings.
"As prosecutors, we do not try our cases in the media. We do not file charges frivolously," Marquis, who is active in the National District Attorneys Association, told ABC News.
"I do not know what the merit of the charges are, but Mr. Nifong has not brought respect to our profession," Marquis said. "Some of his actions have brought great disrepute on the profession of prosecution."
Under North Carolina state law, there is no rule requiring Nifong to recuse himself from the case, even though he has been charged with ethics violations. But Nifong's critics — including defense attorneys for the three indicted Duke lacrosse players — say Nifong should step down because the ethics charges create a glaring and unavoidable conflict of interest. A prosecutor, they argue, cannot make fair and independent decisions when he himself is in legal hot water.
"My opinion is that this crystallizes the conflict of interest," Thomas Metzloff, a member of the North Carolina bar and professor at Duke Law School, told ABC News.
No sooner than three months from now, Nifong will stand trial before a panel drawn from the bar's disciplinary hearing commission. If that panel finds Nifong guilty of misconduct, he would be subject to punishment ranging from private admonishment to disbarment.
Nifong should be disbarred immediately, and then prosecuted himself for what he's done in this case.
If this case is reassigned, the new DA won't have any more evidence than Nifong did. I think Nifong has painted himself into a corner with no way out.
Good!
Now for the disbarment and years behind bars!
That's all you need to know. Nifong stays to the end. A trial is his chance to save himself.
Ping list ping.
So the legal community has figured out this thing isn't going away, and is finally doing the right thing.
About time.
I hope the families of these boys go after nifong if for nothing else to make his life miserable as possible.Maybe send a message to other like minded media whores.
FYI
Let's see; is there anybody who hasn't been heard from in the last 24 hours?
There sure are a lot of people trying to get out in front of this parade, aren't there?
I admit that urban political monsters can be even worse, but there does seem to be a higher level of scrutiny and oversight in metro areas. Watchdog groups don't spring up for no reason, and rural areas don't seem to have much in the way of those.
Yep, clearly behind the scenes and now out in public everyone is piling on to get Nifong to drop this mess before the next term starts.
Bookmark
I would imagine another complaint would be filed regarding his conspiring, with the director of the DNA lab, to withhold evidence favorable to the accused players.
One would hope so. I can hardly wait to for the other shoe to drop on this one.
>>There sure are a lot of people trying to get out in front of this parade, aren't there?
That really says it, doesn't it?
Speaking of whores, I hope the families of these boys, teach the boys, that next time they hire a whore to entertain themselves, hire a call girl, they more classy.
Speaking of whores, I hope the families of these boys, teach the boys, that next time they hire a whore to entertain themselves, hire a call girl, they more classy.
District Attorney Michael B. Nifong, getting a hug Tuesday night from Shamieka Rhinehart, the assistant district attorney, after winning the election. "He's a good man," Ms. Rhinehart said. "I'm so proud of him."
Ted Richardson/The News & Observer
Pride would appear to be goeth-ing at this point.
What I want to hear are demands for ALL charges to be dropped against these innocent students.
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