All charges have been dropped against the three Duke University lacrosse players who had been accused of rape, sexual offense and kidnapping. Though this will offer some sense of closure to the accused, in this generation of googling for information, they likely will forever be linked to this fiasco.
The district attorney in Durham County, N.C., who so zealously rushed to accuse the three college students and declare them guilty without any real evidence, should be disbarred. His self-serving actions not only showed him to be unethical, but have ruined three people’s lives.
Posted by Patrice Hein
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36 Comments
Where I think they should start is at Duke University. Have each of the Professors that signed that petition get on the stage of a Duke Auditorium of their choice and make a public apology.
The Duke 88 Professors stated they were just acknowledging what the students at Duke wanted them to acknowledge.
The Professors surely know that that should practice what they teach.
Where in their Professorships did they envision that “mob mentality” was to be their guiding light in making decisions on an establish legal system of the United States.
What part of presumed innocence did they not understand?
This is also problem of the Liberal Left of which these Professors appear to belong.
There should be great shame felt by these Professors and all those who hold the belief that assigned guilt of American Citizens is to be first step always taken because their ideology dictates so.
The Duke Professors were wrong then and now that the Justice system has run it course in regards to this case, and until these Professors apologize are still wrong.
It’s time for them to step up and apologize, one by one.
That is part of the problems I am seeing, there seem to be less and less absolutes anymore. In believes, principals or knowledge. It has always been some mob mentality when it comes to guilty or innocents.Please I am not doing so, but if I were to accuse you Republican of molesting a child. Even without facts nor evidence I will have ruined your life. The same goes for these students, ever time from now on that any of them have a questionable happening that involves the opposite sex. This will be brought to the front of those hearing about it mind. Any unfounded claim no matter how far fetched it may be, will be given more credence because of them being falsely accused.
Sadly it is human nature.
It apears that Mr Nifong will soon lose his job be disbarred and his home and bank accounts empty once the three duke men sue the shit out of him.
. . . and sue they should. This bozo has no business wrecking anyone else’s life.
Liberal left is the problem, at least according to repug? And it’s surly then the LL’s fault some hooker . . . er . . . dancer filed false charges in the first place? Get real, bozo, politics only entered into it when more bozos brought it up. You’re in great company . . . not.
Why is this even news in Kansas? This is the definition of tabloid journalism run amok.
Shouldn’t the woman be charged with lying to authorities/ Filing a false police report?
This was injustoce at its worst. I have never witnessed such a prosecution without any evidence of guilt AND with plenty of evidence of innocence. The DA should be removed from office and the community should pay these kids for the damages done.
It seems every generation has to have at least one of these. Remember Tawana Brawley, the McMartin Preschool trial, the church in Seattle(?) chock full of child molesters, the Texas town full of drug dealers etc.? Makes one wonder how many people there are in prisons across the nation who were simply railroaded by overzealous prosecutors. Thank god for The Innocence Project!
Patrice, I agree with everythingin your lead in except the part where you say Nifong has “ruined three people’s lives.”
He very well could have; butI have heard those young men speak. They are not the defeatist type who would go cower in the corner. I think they will come out of this stronger and wiser.
And Nifong deserves to be hung out to dry.
I agree Republican – the professors involved should, AT THE VERY LEAST, issue a public apology. Then I would expect the lawsuits. First on the list Nifong but would add the University for punishing them when they were innocent. Also add the City/County/State as Nifong is agent for the government. Parhaps his various investigators who could share responsibility. I would add the accuser but in her case that probably is not all that useful; doubt she has any assets to take.
Now for another step to really stir things up: challenge each and every prosecution Nifong and his staff have EVER carried out. Might this case be the tip of the iceburg?
Ok, so what is this about professors? I haven’t really followed the case lately (I did a lot in the beginning) and I don’t remember ever hearing anything about professors… And Nifong sounds like a colossal idiot.
I think both Nifong and the woman liar should be held financially accountable for the costs incurred by the boys.
Tom is wrong, this isn’t tabloid talk – this is a sign of the destruction of our judicial system by a couple of unscrupulous individuals; the woman and Nifong. Neither cared if the boys were made scapegoats – and now, they should get the SAME treatment the boys would have gotten had they been convicted.
And I think Social Services needs to look into removing the woman’s children from the home. I’m not sure a person who would intentionally do what she did – can effectively raise children. It should at least be looked into. She simply cannot be trusted.
This case is going to hurt a lot of women who really are raped.
Ben – I think that’s a very good point.
All convictions Nifong has ever had – need to be reviewed now.
Who knows what other cases he twisted just to get convictions, and another notch in his belt?
Look at this!
My God, Nifong KNEW this and went ahead with his case, anyway?
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0411071duke1.html
http://www.nypost.com/seven/04122007/news/columnists/let_the_liar_be_named__shamed_columnists_john_podhoretz.htm
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,265374,00.html
And, of course, the liberal Democrat Don Imus is right on this one: “When will Jackson and Sharpton apologize to Duke players?”
Paul, we agree on this. However, I am less interested in seeing charges against her than against Nifong. He is supposed to know better; also in civil litigation he might actually have some assets to go after.
BenThe I would like to say that even a hooker or a stripper has a right to say “NO” — but this accusers past made her a questionable witness from the start.Also, the reason for NOT prosecuting her for false statements appears to be a belief that she is not mentally stable.OK, she is stable enough to cause a huge mess like this, but she is not stable enough to be prosecuted?YES Nifong should pay.Since he was a government employee, I think it will be the taxpayers that pay.He probably has immunity, like most government officials.I do think that immunity can probably be “pierced” in cases of criminal acts, however.
In other words, Nifong probably cant be successfully sued unless and until he is convicted of a crime.Without that, I am betting Nifongs property is protected from any tort.
I agree … and I hope they can ‘pierce the veil’ with Nifong. His withholding of the DNA evidence is particularly damning.
The author of the linked article comparing the Duke matter with the firing of the U.S. Attorneys captures my concerns concerning both more articulately and suucinctly than I am able.
http://www.slate.com/id/2163862/
Read this, maybe I was wrong:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8OF9T7G1&show_article=1
Everybody should apologize to the Duke players and they should all be given full scholarships for Duke and any graduate school they choose. In fact even I should apologize because I too thought they were guilty as hell. And let me say I am sorry.
“He issued what appeared to be a plea to the students not to take any further action, saying, “It is my sincere desire that the actions of Attorney General Cooper will serve to remedy any remaining injury that has resulted from these cases.” ”
I think they should tell him PRECISELY where to stick that plea. Nifong should publically get down on his knees and beg their nd the public’s forgiveness.
I hope they can sue him and I hope they take him apart.
Kev – agreed.
The way I see it, if they can make such an outrage over a few words that a radio host said about a girl’s college basketball team then they should even be more enraged about a lawyer who was willing to allow 3 college kids on the Lacrosse team go to jail for something they didn’t do. I do not condone what happened in either of these cases; however, I most definitely expect a lot more from our courts and it’s lawyers and judges than I do from television stations and their radio show host especially one that hardly anyone knew. The girls had their reputations on the line but those boys not only had their reputations on the line but their very own lives. I think that the Reverend Al Sharpton is a racist who got away with murder when he incited some of his followers to murder 4 people and burn down their business. Now he is always trying to get things stirred up between the blacks and whites. He should have been convicted years ago. And Nifong not only needs to lose his job but he should have to repay court costs to the parents and be sent to jail for the crimes he committed against these young men and their families. I hate to say it but I think the Imus case is nothing more than the mainstream media and it’s far left liberal supporters such as George Soros’ way of getting the other side to shutup(hence, NO freedom of speech). If CBS and MSNNBC want to fire Imus that is okay, it is their perrogative but it sounds like a lot of hooey when you consider people like Howard Stern and even our own congress, Harry Reid or even Howard Dean can say even worse things and still keep their jobs. Too bad that Imus actually apologized too. I’ll bet we will see a lot less apologies in the future seeing as how it didn’t do him any good. As for too little, too late; what a lie, he was apologizing the very next day.
A follow-up for Paul:
http://www.kansas.com/519/story/42839.html
Cleared Duke players could sueBy STEVE HARTSOEAssociated Press
RALEIGH, N.C. – Lawyers for three former Duke lacrosse players are considering suing the district attorney who pursued rape and sexual assault charges against the three men, who were declared innocent this week by the state attorney general.
Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong’s issued a carefully worded apology to the players on Thursday, but it may not have been enough to prevent a lawsuit.”
It seems to me that Mr. Nifong might be subjected to a civil action; as pointed out in the linked articles, generally a prosecutor has general immunity from civil litigation for official actions, but this immunity does not extend to all actions taken by a prosecutor, especially those outside the courtroom. The issue would be one of intent, as I believe the only two (IMHO) potential bases for suit are “intentional torts”. I’m of the opinion that there are ample grounds of liability for litigation against the complaintant, but as she has no discernible assets, there’s little reason to bring such an action other than on principle. Finally, it appears to me that there are no grounds for litigation against Duke University as an institution; and I’ve doubts about any grounds for civil action against the Duke faculty members in their individual capacities.
Any bets that the State and County will settle the Nifong case with compensation?
I say this because a large portion of the community that is outrage by Nifong’s handling of the case wouldn’t make very good Jurors.
I guess nobody thought to mention to the boys that perhaps hiring strippers is not a good idea.
Back in my college days–the ’70’s–I and my frat brothers saw it as somewhat demeaning to women.
Nowadays, that quaint notion got dismissed with the idea of “political correctness.”
Too bad the radical religious right can’t seem to muster any outrage against the boys for hiring women to sexually stimulate them.
VT – agreed in part. I wonder about Duke – they threw them out based on what? Rush to judgement, lack of due process?
I think Rep is also partly correct – the jurisdictions will likely try to settle. However, if I were in charge I would NOT cover Nifong’s liability; I would do everything I can to cut him off and separate from him. Then seek a separate settlement.
As for Duke faculty I am not certain. Did they say anything that could be construed as defamation? Or just respond to the charges. Their situation might be resolved by a sincere public apology.
Did you notice that wimpy ‘apology’ by Nifong? I’d tell him EXACTLY where to stich it.
Ben, as Duke is a private institution, I am of the opinion that the suspension (this is what I believe happended) for a year was well within its powers, pending investigation, etc.
Remember the originally accused Olympic Park Bomber? I won’t type the guys name here, because then it’d show up on a Google search and his life was already hell – he doesn’t need any more publicity.
Anyhow, the MSM had their financial asses handed to them when they had to pay him piles of money for defamation, libel, etc.
I hope those Duke boys sue every MSM outlet that broadcast libelous and defamatory statements about them. Nancy Grace of CNN comes to mind. I never watch her, but I’ve seen coverage of her. What a nasty, vile, vicious witch!
The same is true for every other public figure that got out there and beat the drums for a modern-day public media lynching. They should all be ashamed of themselves, and they should all pay for the damage done to those young men’s lives.
Capn America,What a JOKE !!!! Some lying tramp wrecked these boys’ lives and you are calling them out for hiring a hooker? Holy crap !!!!
Sol,
Why don’t you actually address Capn’s question? It’s actually a good one.
Tom,Amen to that. I think they have a case against Nifong even though he has prosecutorial (sp? – is that correct VT?) Immunity. By Nifong not handing over the DNA when he received it, I think they can prove neglect at least in a civil suit. Has Nifong been disbarred yet?
Back to the point Tom, you betcher ASS they should sue the MSM. They had those boys tried, convicted and HUNG !!!!!
Tom,I don’t see a question in his post.
It is her career choice to be a stripper, just as male strippers appear to female crowds. So we should ban stripping? Is a female stripper any more or less demeaned than a male stripper. Guess I don’t see your point.
My point is that while the boys participated in the female’s business, she lied, falsified police reports, and had a suit filed against them.
So, hiring her vs. her lying and creating this media storm…..
Mr. Nifong’s failure to hand over the DNA evidence is a violation of his responsibilities as a prosecutor, and he may be properly “punished” therefor in ethical proceedings. While I’m out on a bit of a limb here, I don’t believe his failure to so do would expose him to civil liability to the defendants.
On the MSM’s potential liability for defamation; to me, that’s an open issue. I do not know the current status of North Carolina defamation law, and point out that the following comments are no more than my best guess. If it can be shown that there was either intentional publication of known false information, or that the information published was in reckless disregard of the truth or falsity thereof without efforts made to ascertain the same, then there’s likely a case. If the reporting was on statements from the DA’s office only, or on public comments, then there may not be a case. The opinions of commentators made over the airwaves or in print present another problem in the analysis; Ms Grace, as an example, made, as I recall, several statements which I felt at the time were quite reckless, but if these were her opinion based upon the facts as then known, there’s a question as to her liability, notwithstanding the vituperative and venomous nature of the same.
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZTEzMGY2YmVkNzJkOWE4OGExNWUxMzgxZmRiMjIyMjk=
more, above, on CBS MORAN’S comments.