Friday, June 23: I’m closing this post because I think it’s veering off into bawdiness. Ideally, commenters focus on the facts at hand and civilly discuss differences of opinion. I don’t like negative remarks about people’s physical appearance, and I’m beginning to wonder if there’s any value in talking about the stripping and “escort” professions in general. As long as commenters aren’t calling me or each other names, I usually stay out of it. But now I must ask commenters to refrain from general discussions about stripping and what turns on drunk college men. Click over to the newest post, and keep it clean.
Some commenters are lawyers; many others are not. But try to discuss the legal and social aspects of the case without being gratuitous.
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I didn’t get a chance to watch or listen to today’s hearing. District Attorney Mike Nifong was supposed to turn over more evidence, and Phillip Seligmann, father of indicted player Reade Seligmann, asked for a bond reduction from $400,000 to $40,000. I’ll find out the details and report later.
Note: I spoke too soon. The judge reduced Reade Seligmann’s bond to $100,000. It’ll probably take a few days before the defense releases the contents of the new discovery documents.
In the meantime, you’ll never guess what’s happened. I’m now worthy of mention in black liberal media as a “black conservative.” Thank goodness Cash Michaels didn’t use the term “black Republican.” Check it out:
Given tremendous opposition from the major media and the blogs, thanks to defense motions releasing prosecution documents that reportedly call into question the alleged victim’s claims, it seems as if there is almost a united front in the white community that she is not to be believed, though there have been a few Black conservatives like Thomas Sowell, LaShawn Barber and Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson who have joined the crowd.
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But there is evidence that the African-American community is, for the most part, fairly united on the premise that something very wrong did happen to the woman that night in March at the hands of several Duke lacrosse players, and it wants to see the criminal justice process proceed, unabated, so that a judge and/or jury can make a final determination.
Emphasis added, of course. The story is about a purported monetary offer by “alums of Duke” to the accuser in exchange for dropping the case. If true, it wasn’t a wise idea to try to pay off the woman. But true or false, it doesn’t make the rape allegations any more believable today than they were yesterday. Don’t be confused by the noise. I’ll have more to say when I find out what new evidence Nifong turned over.
By the way, am I to believe the stripper-accuser turned down $2 million? OK. 
What an honor to be named alongside Thomas Sowell, even if it wasn’t meant as a compliment. 
Addendum: As one commenter reminds us, if “alums of Duke” offered Nifong’s witness money to drop the case, that’s witness tampering. I think we can trust him to investigate this charge if he finds it credible.
Related stories:
- Sports Illustrated: The Damage Done
- Duke Mom Does Not Blame Son’s Accuser
- Father: Rape case has taken its toll
