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You are correct. And given the threats against the Duke 3 on the part of the Black Panthers and their 'fellow travelers', it is likely he feels himself and his family to be in danger, too. If the dancer drops the charges, he's safe; if a judge rules against the case proceeding he's safe; and if the case goes to trial he's safe, though a conviction would be better for him than a not guilty verdict.

And if the case goes to trial, even with a change of venue, he just needs one or two "OJ jurors", or jurors who are afraid of what might happen if the Duke 3 are found not guilty of all charges (ie are afraid of riots or becoming targets themselves when their identity as jurors becomes known) , or jurors who believe "no woman lies about rape"....All of which would probably mean a "compromise verdict", in which the Duke 3 are found guilty of SOMETHING they're charged with, though not on all charges.

I hope all charges are dropped so this case does not go to court-I do not trust the jury system and haven't for many years. Read Judge Burton Katz' Justice Overruled for a good overview of what's gone wrong with our legal system. I highly recommend this book, and I hope when the Duke case is finally over he'll release an updated version of the book with this case included and analyzed.