Friday, August 4: This post is closed. Resume the discussion at Semen in the House.
Update (8/1): See KC Johnson’s latest Duke post, The Brodhead Files.
———————————————————————
Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong didn’t utter those exact words, but that’s the gist of his confession at a press conference last week. See WRAL.com for a video of the 30-minute conference.
The prosecutor said he “underestimated” the media’s interest in his weak yet titillating man-bites-dog case and “misjudged” the effect his many words — like labeling some of the lacrosse players “hooligans” — would have on the case. (For more of Nifong’s “misjudgments,” see Scottsboro, NYT, and Hauntings.)
In my lay opinion, he’s lying. While Nifong may be sorry now for not keeping his mouth shut then, I don’t believe for one second that he “underestimated” or “misjudged” anything. He manipulated left-leaning and jaded journalists to great effect. Bored with the usual crime stories, they soaked up every word.
I haven’t been following the Duke case for the last couple of weeks, but check out The Johnsville News and John in Carolina for updates. Also visit CourtTV.com’s Duke forum.
KC Johnson found Nifong’s campaign web site and dissects the heck out of it.
Meanwhile, the Charlotte Observer calls for a special prosecutor to handle the case.
Nifong should recuse himself from the case based on reckless comments made about the targets of his investigation while still gathering evidence and proceeding with this case based on what appears to be weak evidence. Can he make a case for forcible rape? Doubtful.
With no DNA connecting any of the three indicted players to the stripper-accuser (it was her “boyfriend’s” DNA!), conflicting tales woven by the stripper-accuser (see That Motion!), no physical evidence of forcible rape by the three indicted men (read the motions linked in this post), and serious timeframe issues, we’re left to believe that Nifong either has something huge but unrevealed or he’s a man so deep in #$%& that he can’t climb out.
It might be “mean-spirited” to say this, but I don’t like him. 
Addendum: Forgot to mention that Duke U. president Richard Brodhead responded to alumni criticism of his effete handling of the matter thus far.
Also, a reader wants to know if there’s a defense fund for the lacrosse players.
Later…There is indeed: click over to Friends of Duke University for info on contributing to the defense fund.
Photo source: WRAL
{ 56 comments }
IMHO Nifong is your typical below average civil servant legal idiot, and not smart enough to check cell phone records or otherwise think two steps ahead or manipulate the press and followed the typical DA routine, which works most of the time.
Robbing people with a gun also works 95% of the time until you accidentally shoot someone and end up in jail for the rest of your life. It’s called being fooled by chance/randomness where one thinks he is a legal/criminal genius when in reality one was just not caught yet.
Speaking of “sex sells†this is on NPR, Diane Rehm show today:
“abolitionist minister Henry Ward Beecher and the sex scandal that garnered more newspaper headlines than the entire Civil War.â€
La Shawn,
Thank you for staying on this case with your blog. Personally I believe that Nifong realizes and hopes that the publicity of this case will end so that he can dispose of it out of the limelight now that it has served its purpose in gaining him the nomination.
But then again, that may be giving the man too much credit. After all, what we’re really dealing with here is a traffic court prosecutor promoted beyond his capabilities.
Maybe this is a stupid question but if Nifong has something “really huge” – wouldn’t he be REQUIRED to reveal what he has to the defense?
Given that he apparently hasn’t revealed anything to the defense that proves their clients’ guilt, shouldn’t he be dropping this bogus prosecution?
I don’t like Nifong either!
La Shawn, it’s a shame you haven’t been following the case for a couple of weeks. You’ve missed all the fun with cousin Jakki.
There’s also been an “alleged” assault on a cook at a restaurant in Raleigh that “allegedly” was perpetrated by Durham police officers who have “allegedly” been involved in the Duke rape investigation. Seems those “alleged” officers “allegedly” hurled racial slurs at the “alleged” cook before “allegedly” knocking him down and kicking him in the head.
As you know, Nifong has said that racial slurs in the Duke case made a heinous rape all the more heinous (or words to that effect). Yet we “allegedly” have his investigators (allegedly including the guys who ran the tainted lineups), “allegedly” assaulting a black cook and “allegedly” hurling racial slurs.
What we don’t have is the Durham media covering it. For some very odd reason, no one seems to be asking the questions except for people on the blogs. It’s like you said months ago, if not for the bloggers, the Duke defendants might have been railroaded already (or words to that effect).
THE ULTIMATE POWER OF THE PROSECUTOR:
What has surprised me the most in this whole process is the unlimited power the DA seems to have when pressing a case forward.
It has seemed clear from early on that there is NO case here other than fraud by Nifong and the Stripper.
Can you actually have a conviction where there is NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE whatsoever (of the fact that a rape even occured at all) and the verbal testimony by the accuser is so thoroughly self-contradicting?
I would say no.
I keep hoping a judge will step in and blow this travesty out of the water, dismissing all charges – yet, every judge on the case so far seems only to want to kiss Niwrong’s backside.
I am just not getting it. the whole country considers him to be a scheming, corrupt political hack willing to sacrifice innocents for his own gain, yet the few who can actually make a difference act like his dedicated lap dogs.
Twilight Zone man.
Maybe CNN could hire Nifong as their answer to John Walsh. He could call his show “America’s Most Wasted.” Or maybe he could have a kind of Dr. Phil show for the loser’s in Judge Judy’s court.
Regarding the “defense fund” for the Duke Lacrosse players, there is a fund established for that purpose. The contributions made to that fund will help with the legal costs of the team members that are projected to be fairly high. The link below provides the necessary information on the defense fund and how to contribute to the fund.
http://friendsofdukeuniversity.blogspot.com/2006/02/duke-lacrosse-defense-fund.html
First, to LaShawn: I love your blog, and although I’m a practicing Heathen, I respect your opinions, and having grown up in the Mid-South during the busing years, and being the minority white in an all black high school, I can totally relate to your writings on Black social problems. You are spot-on and don’t let them shut you up. The world needs more fearless speakers of truth like you.
Now, I’d like to know what the long-term consequences will be if the charges against the LAX boys prove to be false.
For instance….if the charges are dropped, will their criminal records be expunged? If so, does that mean all mention of this case will go away? If one of these boys applies for a job that requires a background check, will it still be popping up when they’re 40?
I also like to know if there is a way to slide out of prosecuting the boys, but still leave it in the record that the reason they weren’t prosecuted isn’t because the charges are false, but that there “just wasn’t enough evidence,” thereby intimating that they are not guiltless, thereby affecting their permanent criminal records, and saving Nifong’s face?
What, if any, responsibility does the accuser have in this travesty? By making what appear to be false allegations, is there any reasonable way to make her pay for her role in all of this? Can they sue her for punitive damages that she can’t get out of in future by declaring bankruptcy? In other words, since Al and Jesse have declared their intent to put her through college, regardless of the outcome of this situation, one would think that eventually, she’ll be able to make a decent living, so can her future earnings be attached in a way she can’t weasel out of?
And last but not least, why, oh why didn’t the DA’s office even check her story SUPERFICIALLY before Nifong started pandering to the press, and what, if any, remedies do the boys have in relation to him? I should think that character assassination and slander would work, but is the DA immune from prosecution for running his mouth prematurely?
Any information from LaShawn or her readers would be welcome.
Do 6 off-duty white cops beating a black man in the south, knocking him the ground and kicking him in the head, while calling him “N___” and “boy” constitute a hate crime?
Does a certified hate group (the New Black Panther Party) calling for the murder of three defendants
of another race constitute a hate crime?
I guess not; because the FBI is not interested in either case.
Does a man suspecting a Pakistani at an airport of being a terrorist constitute a hate crime? You bet! The FBI will be on the scene within minutes, assuring everyone of their committment to equality and the protection of civil rights for all.
(The absence of the FBI and the DOJ and other federal authorities in this case is sheer dereliction of duty, brought about by the pervasiveness of PC correctness even in that august Bureau.)
Meanwhile, the defendants, and the citizens of Durham, have to pay the price for this, with no relief in sight.
La Shawn, Duchess of Austin is pointing out some of the fallout consequences to the three accused, and to some extent the rest of the lacrosse team,too. This tragedy will follow some of them for a long time, even if they are ultimately exonerated. Some people will always believe them, others will believe the “victim”, others (myself included) will wonder how it came to pass that these college kids, in their spare time, sought the services of strippers for their pleasure and recreation while surrounded by some of the most appealing and attractive ladies in all of the western hemisphere. Who would think it would be so?
#9
Now, I’d like to know what the long-term consequences will be if the charges against the LAX boys prove to be false.
The players will be vindicated, but not by the court system or the press, which will not admit mistakes or anything wrong with its mindset. The truth will leak out and be published in books and on blogs, and they will become a symbol for what is wrong with our media’s preconceptions, academia’s preconceptions, and our mortally-ill justice system.
I also like to know if there is a way to slide out of prosecuting the boys, but still leave it in the record that the reason they weren’t prosecuted isn’t because the charges are false,
Lots of ways to end this. If the ID process is dropped (it was fatally flawed in so many ways I can’t list them all here), then the case goes down the drain,
since there is no other evidence!
Their “record” may remain “blemished”, but
only in the sense that they had an accusation made against them. But the accuser will be seen to
have no credibility.
We all have accusations hurled at us every day
(no wonder that the devil is called “the accuser”);
but we don’t have to pay attention to these accusations.
What, if any, responsibility does the accuser have in this travesty? By making what appear to be false allegations, is there any reasonable way to make her pay for her role in all of this? Can they sue her for punitive damages that she can’t get out of in future by declaring bankruptcy?
She has done this at least twice before, and nobody called her on it. Now many more lives are being affected.
If she had been stopped at the start (when she accused three black men of dragging her inside a house and gang-raping her), the current scandal would never have happened.
She has nothing to sue for and most likely in NC
making a false charge is probably only a misdemeanor. Thanks to our modern PC world,
anyone who wants to cry rape must be protected
in order not to discourage real victims from coming forward. (This, however, will only make people disbelieve real victims.)
she’ll be able to make a decent living, so can her future earnings be attached in a way she can’t weasel out of?.
She may be already making a decent living; there’s some discussion on the NET about whether maybe she’s working in Charlotte, under the name “Pleasure Ryde”, at $200 per hour, complete with website (that was just closed down, with reference to the Duke boys as “homos”.). If it’s her, I doubt she pays the IRS for any of this.
And last but not least, why, oh why didn’t the DA’s office even check her story SUPERFICIALLY before Nifong started pandering
Anybody notice it was the wealthiest players who got charged? Anybody want to check into Nifong and Hardin’s past cases? Some strange things happened earlier, too. Wonder why. . .
A man could be surrounded by the most desirable, chaste, and cleanest women in the world, but sometimes he may just want to be “nasty,” know what I mean?
La Shawn:
One would have to find some motivation to believe 3 la crosse players raped the “victim”.
A great part of my sex education was about “social diseases”.
What self respecting college man would have ANY sex with a complete stranger who was a professional “dancer”?
how it came to pass that these college kids, in their spare time, sought the services of strippers for their pleasure and recreation
If it was a team event, then most likely they all would have attended just because they are part of the team. Apparently Seligman didn’t even want to go to the party at all, but went because he thought it would be rude not to.
Apparently both Seligman and Finnerty left as soon as the strip show started, as did a large number of other players. Some of those who remained were in another room, watching Letterman on a big screen TV. Evans had to stay as he lived there and was a team captain.
Bad judgment to hire them? Sure. Bad judgment to leave when the show started? No–but that evidently didn’t do anyone any good.
If we are going to condemn strip shows, though, then let’s go ahead and condemn every batchelor party, office party, and retirement party that every had strippers, and every person who remained around to watch–even those who left and didn’t stay to watch.
Then we’ll have equal justice.
“There’s also been an “alleged†assault on a cook at a restaurant in Raleigh that “allegedly†was perpetrated by Durham police officers who have “allegedly†been involved in the Duke rape investigation. Seems those “alleged†officers “allegedly†hurled racial slurs at the “alleged†cook before “allegedly†knocking him down and kicking him in the head.”
It was covered in the local Durham news from the Internet reports. Search on Google news.
Was spun like six white guys just picked a black guy at random to beat up.
But from reports and admissions the black cook admitted to using a racial slur (cracker) and not backing down. “Misunderstanding” of what he said may have started it.
Little if any damage. Even that black radical newspaper reported that a foot “burshed” his head.
White guys in Durham must have no street rep if one black will take on six white guys – probabaly because it’s not worth the trouble to arrest or beat up one idiot.
And if white guys beat you up, you can always sue them, say they started it, and say they called you N——.
also, since OJ / Mark Furhman, even the dumbest cop knows there is NO upside to using the N word -
and every street negro knows that the N word can sometimes be used as a “get-out-of-jail” card.
“The man called me a N, I had the right to beat him up….”
I am going to be banned for multiple, quick posts, but then again, sometimes people, such as Mel Gibson, say the dumbest things when drunk and a n word could have been used.
I have no idea why your posts are getting caught in the spam filter, UNK.
– Admin
It was covered in the local Durham news from the Internet reports. Search on Google news.
This was witnessed by a lot of other cops from both Raleigh and Durham. Names are being withheld.
Only two of the cops are charged, and only with “assault” (which is verbal abuse only, although there is testimony that much more than that took place).
Finnerty in DC should have attacked a black man in Durham and kicked him and called him a “N____”; he’d have gotten off better.
The two officers involved in the lacrosse scandal investigation, who were at first relieved of duty and have hired lawyers, are now not the ones charged. There’s enough oddity here to warrant an outside investigation both of what went on,
and of whether or not there is an attempt at cover-up to protect the lacrosse investigation
Mike Nifong has made a joke out of North Carolina. I live in the Midwest and I don’t know anyone that would live there now. Someone out there needs to come forward and remove him from office IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!! He is a joke to his profession.
No.6
Judge Titus also seems to be a scheming, corrupt political hack. The Durham Legal System seems a bit inbred and corrupt. CAN the Players get a fair Trial before an Impartial Jury of their peers?
It was obvious to me that Nifong’s press conference was his way to save face. Now he’s trying to back-peddle out of past mistakes. He’s worried about losing the election… Folks, if Cheek wins in absenteeism, what a slap in the face it will be for Nifong! His ego would crumble, which brings me to this:
He was likely briefed on what to say – perhaps by a PR firm – to “win back” the confidence of Durham voters. Be humble Mikie, admit that you made some mistakes.
The more he speaks, the more foolish he looks. What a varmint… Let’s pray that Durham gets a “NEW BOSS.â€
Pander on, Nifong. You may have fooled us once, but as Rodger Daltrey sang…
We’ll be fighting in the streets
With our children at our feet
And the morals that they worship will be gone
And the men who spurred us on
Sit in judgement of all wrong
They decide and the shotgun sings the song
I’ll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I’ll get on my knees and pray
We don’t get fooled again
The change, it had to come
We knew it all along
We were liberated from the fold, that’s all
And the world looks just the same
And history ain’t changed
‘Cause the banners, they are flown in the next war
I’ll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I’ll get on my knees and pray
We don’t get fooled again
No, no!
I’ll move myself and my family aside
If we happen to be left half alive
I’ll get all my papers and smile at the sky
Though I know that the hypnotized never lie
Do ya?
There’s nothing in the streets
Looks any different to me
And the slogans are replaced, by-the-bye
And the parting on the left
Are now parting on the right
And the beards have all grown longer overnight
I’ll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I’ll get on my knees and pray
We don’t get fooled again
Don’t get fooled again
No, no!
“A great part of my sex education was about “social diseasesâ€.
What self respecting college man would have ANY sex with a complete stranger who was a professional “dancerâ€? ”
I think you answered your own question. A great deal of (medical?) education is on social diseases because 20%-40% of men (maybe not self respecting men) will sleep with any woman.
The real question in my mind is what self-respecting rapist decides on a brutal 5-minute group rape with his buddies all around?
“Mike Nifong has made a joke out of North Carolina. I live in the Midwest and I don’t know anyone that would live there now.” — #20, by Ann Jandl
Aw, c’mon, Ann. You’re tarring all of us Tar Heels with the same broad brush. This is a damn good state and a damn good place to live. You’d have to pay most of us North Staters far more than we’re worth to get us to move away to live and work someplace else.
We’re not liking the black eye these proceedings are giving us, either. We’re grateful to the number of “Corner readers and posters” who are giving critical analysis to all of the developments as they become known. Fact is, though, we can’t push the defense attorneys to move any faster, we can’t “make a judge step in” (judges hear cases as they are scheduled to come before them, by defense attorneys calendaring motions, or by DA’s scheduling stages in the prosecutions) and it’s apparent we can’t “make” a district attorney drop a case just by our hue and cry.
Geez, if things had moved quicker, these three kids and 43 others would have been strung up or run out town before the mid-April DNA results were in. Give us time for our Rules of Criminal Procedure to work — distasteful as the time it’ll take to get to a conclusion might be, where, such as here, the avalanche of exculpatory evidence is apparent, there’s still a need to let the court calendaring process work. At some point, a defense attorney may feel the time is right for a pre-trial dispositive motion, but it may well be the time still hasn’t arrived — one shouldn’t waste a single bite of the apple if the bite won’t be a sure thing.
Hell, by the time this thing gets to trial next spring (and let’s say “if”, too), no telling how much more exculpatory evidence Joe Cheshire, Wade Smith and the other defense attorneys will have.
Sheer speculation here, but can we wonder if “Precious” has gone away to “live with an aunt” for several months, and might have her boyfriend’s 3 month old child sitting on her lap at the time of “calendar call”?
Nah, that’d make all this appear too much like a sordid best sellin’ work of fiction. And that might makes us look bad down this way, in the Old North State.
This is an appeal to readers here who are residents of Durham County and who are outraged (as I am) at the behavior of Mike Nifong as Durham’s District Attorney. The events of last week turned November’s election from an uncontested election for Nifong into a recall election for Mr. Nifong.
Lewis Cheek, and our own signatures on the petitions which got his name on the ballot, have given us an opportunity to vote for Cheek and Elect Anybody But Nifong. The Cheek campaign committee and doubtless many others in the county are looking to see how the public reacts to the two press conferences last week.
I ask that you join me as Durham residents to seize the day to better our justice system by writing letters to the editors of the HeraldSun and the News & Observer, giving all the good reasons why you are voting for Lewis Cheek to elect Anybody But Nifong. Be sure to identify yourself as a Durham resident. If you would like help composing your letter, please email letgovernordecide@yahoo.com
HeraldSun:
Letters are limited to 250 words. You can email or use the form provided at the link below. If you email, be sure to visit the website listed to see what information the H/S requires in an email submission.
email: letters@heraldsun.com
You can also use the H/S form at: http://www.heraldsun.com/tools/letterstoed…dLetter=letters
News & Observer:
Letters are limited to 200 words. A form is provided at:
http://www.newsobserver.com/484/story/433256.html
Mr. Nifong has asked for a Durham solution. Please help get this campaign off the ground to ensure a solution that is good for Durham.
Stay tuned for updates, and thanks to all of you for considering my request.
“Mike Nifong has made a joke out of North Carolina. I live in the Midwest and I don’t know anyone that would live there now.â€
There are Nifongs in every state.
Most serious criminal cases are more or less human trash collection, and it does not take any legal skill to take a plea or prosecute an obviously guilty case – 95 percent of the time.
And of the 5% of the time where a Nifong is wrong, the “defendant†is usually such a criminal/creep that no one really cares. “OK, maybe you didn’t molest this kid this time. To bad we prosecuted you. See you again next time“
“And that might makes us look bad down this way, in the Old North State.”
Assuming that you NC boys haven’t lynched anyone in the past 50 years ( I guess you could have secret lynchings as some conspiracy theorists claim) you need to find several men to throw gasoline on their girlfriends and light them on fire if you want to look worse than a northern city.
I can understand, not condone split second crimes of anger such as OJ, but to burn someone you have to think to get the gasoline, pour it on a person and light a match and throw a match.
Wasn’t that one Black Muslim, forgot his screen name, going on about 100 years ago in Texas, one black man was burned as he was lynched for an alleged murder. Maybe he should care more about innocent black women being burned alive in 2006.
we can’t “make a judge step inâ€
Well, Judge Stephens was given false information (not just wrong–false; he was lied to) as the basis for his warrants; he had the ability to quash those warrants and therefore end the case,
but he chose not to. And so the suffering of all continues.
Judge Bushfan chose to deliberately convict Evans on a noise violation (in line with other intimidation tactics in this case), on the exact same facts that another player was aquitted on.
Judge Titus had the discretion to quash the line-up, and thus end the case. But he wouldn’t do it, either. And so the suffering goes on.
So far the judges don’t seem to be in the Judge Horton mode, but they seem to have read up on Pontius Pilate’s rules for judges–don’t let the mob be disappointed,
and above all fear a negative public reaction ending in a riot and/or the end of your career.
This case should never have gotten even this far.
That it continues is a disgrace; everyone knows it’s a fraud but everyone in the judicial system wants to avoid being the one who says so.
Meanwhile the innocent suffer.
Oh boy! Nifong has a hot one, now. Apparently semen from one of the players was found on a towel in the house where he lived. Can you imagine that???? It seems you would have a better chance at having a case against the “suspects” for the rape of a towel, than for the rape of the accuser. I live in the area and all I can say is this area live, eats and breathes racism. No matter what happens here, someone blames it on racism. I guess all this racism stuff gives a lot of people their fifteen minutes of fame, that they would otherwise not have. Too bad for many of the people that live here. I can not wait to move away.
Semen from Evans and an unindicted player were found in their own house. So why wasn’t the unindicted player charged?
Why were two people whose semen was not found, charged?
Why wasn’t semen from anyone but the alleged victim’s boyfriend found in her?
(Of course, Durham is part of the Twilight Zone…)
“Apparently semen from one of the players was found on a towel in the house where he lived.”
Not exactly new information, but for some reason the newspaper thinks it is worthy of a current story?
From April 11, 2006
http://www.newsobserver.com/1185/story/427550.html
They also found no DNA on the woman’s clothing or belongings, players’ attorneys said. The tests found DNA matches to two players, from a towel outside the bathroom and on another object, Cheshire said.
One sample was from a player’s semen and another was a different type of DNA, Cheshire said. He said that was to be expected in a bathroom shared by the three men who lived in the house.
Seahawk #12: What info do you have on Nifong and Hardin’s past cases? Can you give me a Cliff notes version?
Thanks. I very much appreciate the local perspective.
#32
What info do you have on Nifong and Hardin’s past cases?
I’m not local, but this much is public info :
When Hardin was District Attorney in 2002 (with Nifong as his deputy), a white man was charged with rape. A deal was made whereby he was given immunity after he charged an unrelated black man with helping him. The black man (Leon Watson) was then held in jail for a year before trial, despite the fact that his DNA didn’t match the DNA samples taken from inside the victim.
At the trial Watson was found innocent. The jury foreman then critized the DA, saying :
“We all wondered what we were doing there. The evidence was nonexistent. . . I can’t understand why that man spent a year in jail when there was no evidence whatsoever against him. It made no sense to us. Where’s the justice?”
Nevertheless, the white man walked free. The arrangement had been to give him immunity. So he got off, scot free. (Some ungenerous souls who read too much pulp fiction might wonder if there
could have been a payoff involved; but that would be ridiculous, wouldn’t it?)
Again while Hardin was DA, the Durham PD had blank subpoenas given to them by the DA’s office so they could subpoena anyone at anytime. When the subpoenas were deemed illegal, Hardin attempted to not give them up to the court by saying that because they were obtained illegally he shouldn’t have to comply with the legal court order because he felt it should not pertain to illegally obtained information. (Hardin is now a judge.)
Nifong unsuccessfully prosecuted another earlier rape case. The alleged victim made two calls the night of the incident to a friend and the messages left had “accidentally” been voiced over by a female ADA and a DPD detective. The prosecution initially tried to argue that they could be trusted to vouch for whose voice was on the tape but the judge agreed with the defense that an expert needed to be called in. Needless to say the suspect was acquitted.
By the way, the alleged victim happened to work at a naked bar and Duke Hospital found no injuries consistent with rape, no signs of anal penetration as was alleged nor any physical signs of a beating. (Plot sound familiar?)
“No matter what happens here, someone blames it on racism. I guess all this racism stuff gives a lot of people their fifteen minutes of fame, that they would otherwise not have. ”
It’s too bad that some people are not treated like Mel Gibson when he tried to play the race card.
I am not black, but I feel slightly outraged when some street thug compares his arrest (for mostly crimes against blacks) to the arrest of MLK.
Seahawk, nice facts but you are stringing them together to support a conspiracy theory.
While it’s true that this AND MANY OTHER CASES are badly handled, this a real world system and there will always be a number of false convictions/positives.
It’s like saying car accidents should never happen, but unless you have some better system to prevent car accidents just saying car accidents should not happen does not help much – and saying an accident is intentional needs additional evidence.
UNK- What did Mel ever do to blacks?
As far as I know, Mel did nothing to blacks.
Writing fast, my point may have been unclear, but thousands of times every day, when being arrested, one group makes Mel like comments against another group, and it only makes the news if you are a congresswoman and hit the officer.
At least Mel had a fast apology.
Oh boy! Nifong has a hot one, now. Apparently semen from one of the players was found on a towel in the house where he lived. Can you imagine that???? — Belle, at 29
Gee, Belle, back when we were all younger it wasn’t called raping a towel. Could this be evidence of youthful “hand jive”? A little solo sex? In the privacy of his own home?
‘Course, if I recall correctly, former Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders got run out of her job for calling it “a good idea.”
not to mention the tree that was murdered to become a paper towel to be raped, so sad
Here’s a question that needs answering, and maybe Tatercon can dig around with his fellow, unc-ch alums, like Nifungo and find the answer.
Why did Gov Easley appoint this second rate,50 something, traffic tkt proscuting lawyer as the DA in Durham Co. Not the a small county in NC, if you count counties by the Democrat votes. Why didn’t he appoint a Black Democrat? There has to be some “Down East” connection here(Nifungo did go to HS in Wilmington) that is not coming out, or is it that Easley, a fromer DA from a county outside Wilmington who couldn’t get into any law school but NC Central, just loves losers like himself? Enquiring minds what to know.
Kemp, back from China
Damn, Kemp, that multi-faceted question is more complicated than Chinese arithmetic.
Welcome back, though. We’ve been missin’ ya.
Oh, the Watford’s sauce was a big hit on the chicken thighs cooked over charcoal with hickory chips….
You’re a good man. And I don’t care what everyone else says…. So welcome back.
TaterCon
All right, here’s another one to support my belief that no matter what happens in this part of N.C., there is always somebody who plays the race card and gets their fifteen minutes of fame. In Carborro, just west of Chapel Hill, there is a man who dances on a regular basis on the privately owned property of Carr Mill Mall. He does some sort of Marshall arts, yoga like, self expression, type dance and has been doing so for a while. The management asked him to stop dancing on their private property. Right away, some woman tells the newspaper that she thinks it is racism, as the man is Black. She also says she has a white woman friend who has done tai chi on the Mall lawn and no one ever told the “scary white woman” not to dance (I must admit that in my opinion there are many, many scary white women who frequent that area). This is private property, mind you. Maybe this self righteous woman should let the “dancing man” come over to her private property and dance there. You should see what this community did for Memorial Day, the National Holiday that has been set aside to honor and remember those that have given their lives in OUR nation’s service. Anyway, I think this type of mentality really did contribute to what happened with the Duke case.
#29
Apparently semen from one of the players was found on a towel in the house where he lived
From a discussion on another board, apparently Evans’ semen was found on a towel in a hallway outside ANOTHER bathroom; and some DNA not belonging to either the AV or any lacrosse player was also found on that towel.
Semen belonging to Matt Zash was found on the floor (or rug) of THE bathroom. Zash lives in the house. He was not indicted, and was apparently ruled out early on.
Strong evidence–NOT!
“there is always somebody who plays the race card and gets their fifteen minutes of fame. ”
Yesterday on both the Daily Kos and Huffington Post on their main pages were stories (conspiracy theories) on:
Black Capitol Hill police officers say Cynthia McKinney may have been set up
http://www.dailykos.com/user/blksista
with over 700 comments, mostly positive
Those terrible Yankee racists. . .
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/gaynor/060803
Why people might find out how anti-racist the Finnerty family really is. They might learn about all those family charitable contributions that primarily benefit blacks. Worse, they might not only appreciate that the “hired priest” libel is shameless Catholic bashing (that priest being a friend of your father since childhood and someone you’ve known all your life), but that the priest was called to build a hospital in AFRICA and lots of the money for that noble purpose came from the Finnerty family. It would be very hard to have Durham’s blacks hate you if they saw you and learned how you were raised and what you and your family believe. Why, it would be impossible to brainwash the bulk of Durham’s blacks under those circumstances.
“What self respecting college man would have ANY sex with a complete stranger who was a professional “dancerâ€? â€
UNK sez – I think you answered your own question. A great deal of (medical?) education is on social diseases because 20%-40% of men (maybe not self respecting men) will sleep with any woman.
The real question in my mind is what self-respecting rapist decides on a brutal 5-minute group rape with his buddies all around?
Are you a man, UNK? I think you have seized on another bogus feminist statistic as “factual”. Meaning a question likely asked: “If you were single, not in a satisfying relationship, would you sleep with a total stranger if she looked like Pamela Anderson?” Many would say no, no strangers, many would say – “who’s she?” many would say her fake body doesn’t attract them, many would say no, her lifestyle turns them off. But you would still have 20-40% say yes, if I was single…if I wasn’t 14 or 73, if I wasn’t married…
Feminists distill this down to 20-40% of all men would sleep with any woman who offered sex.
Which is entirely untrue once you factor in realistic factors of age, relationship status committments, specific preferences of attraction – weight, race, age, socioeconomic status, fear of disease, personality, peer judgement, etc. etc. If just “womanhood” mattered in 20-40% of the population, then any 250-lb granny could walk into a bar, a shopping Mall assured that 20-40% of all men want sex with her….If this was a country where prostitution was legal – the stats would show that less than 3% of the male population regularly went to prostitutes, and the prostitutes say normally get little business unless they are sober and “presentatable”. And the legal whores say their “Johns” are more often than not, outside high class call girls clientle, society’s losers, loners, and detrius. Not student athletes at a premiere university regularly tapping similarly advantanged and attractive coeds and girlfriends at work or from their hometowns.
With the Duke stripper, you had a flabby, drunk, possibly diseased and drug-using, skanky woman who provoked a reaction of “get her out of her” instead of lust.
Odds any person at the Party “wanted her badly
? Almost nil. Why did they hire her? They wouldn’t have if they had seen or talked with her prior to the Party…but hiring “a stripper” was mainly about having a little “visual spice” to a nights entertainment. Same as watching fireworks, going and watching a band play, cranking up a football game, doing college or block party games as part of the festivities. Strippers, on the other hand, have more than a few in their ranks that WANT to make extra by selling sexual services, and part of the ritual is turning the stripper or her driver down…
And yes, UNK, the idea that 3 “prize male catches” would somehow decide a brutal gang rape rape of a skank while 43 others + a second stripper were witnesses is singularly stupid.
DA Candidate Says He’d Rethink Duke Lacrosse Rape Case
— From Wral.com —
DURHAM, N.C. — A Durham lawyer says he would rethink the Duke University lacrosse rape case if he is elected district attorney as a write-in candidate in the November election.
Steve Monks, who failed in June to gather enough signatures to get his name on the ballot, said he will run if he can raise at least $50,000 in campaign money. He said it would take him about a month to decide whether to keep the high-profile rape case alive.
“I would re-discuss the matter with the person who reported it,” said Monks, referring to the exotic dancer who has claimed three Duke lacrosse players sexually assaulted her in March at an off-campus team party.
“I’m not a racist,” he said during a news conference Wednesday. “Whatever decision I make will be colorblind and just.”
The accuser is black. The three players are white.
Incumbent Mike Nifong had no comment on Monks’ remarks.
Monks, the chairman of the Durham County Republican Party, would be an unaffiliated candidate if he chose to run on a write-in basis.
County Commissioner Lewis Cheek did collect enough signatures to make the ballot but announced last week he would not campaign for district attorney because he wanted to focus on his law firm. Cheek’s name will appear on the November ballot anyway, though he said he would not serve if elected.
Nifong was appointed district attorney last year after nearly three decades as an assistant.
He became a focal point of the Duke lacrosse investigation shortly after the accuser, a 27-year-old student at North Carolina Central University, reported the alleged rape.
A grand jury has indicted three Duke lacrosse players with rape, kidnapping and sexual offense. Attorneys for all three have strongly proclaimed their clients’ innocence. A trial isn’t expected before spring 2007.
“And yes, UNK, the idea that 3 “prize male catches†would somehow decide a brutal gang rape rape of a skank while 43 others + a second stripper were witnesses is singularly stupid. ”
I am not assuming they are three prize males.
It’s stupid and meets no known profile even if they are not 3 “prize males” but 3 males who are into rape. Even if I wanted to, I doubt I could talk three convicted rapists into committing such a short rape in front of others – and they would most likely want a different victim.
If you care, somewhere on a previous thread, I explained briefly how feminist surveys inflate the number of sex crimes.
JMOO, have there been any polls to figure how close the DA’s race will be between Nifong and Anyone But? It’s funny that Anyone (who is really No One) can go negative but Nifong can’t. Afterall, it’s hard to attack No One I wish Anyone luck. Hopefully Anyone can unseat Nifong. Nifong deserves humiliation and few things could be more humiliating for Nifong than losing to absolutely No One (a/k/a Anyone).
For some compelling analysis and hilarious satire of the Duke case…check out http://liestoppers.blogspot.com.
Ask for “Tillie.”
#50 – Ms. Joan…
Thanks for the “liestoppers” link. That was great reading, and it was very well written.
Funny satire, indeed! Please let us know when the bumper stickers are available. I would like to buy one…
Re: Greg’s at 49 –
Sounds to me like No One’s on first, But Anyone can play third. Abbott and Costello would have had fun…..
and Re: Joan’s at 50 –
I agree with Tate. Good satire. I especially liked the “police line up” with McGruff the Crime Dog included.
My morning two cents.
La Shawn, you have to check this out. I went to Nifong’s website based on your discussion above and, for whatever reason, I decided to check out who in the world would endorse him. Would you believe he’s being endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police? Of course. That makes total sense. But is it merely a coincidence that one of those FOP reps who offered a blurb on the website shares a last name with the Duke Lacrosse AV? Who knows, maybe it’s just coincidence. It would be interesting to find out.
Here’s the quote:
“I personally and professionally support Mike Nifong for District Attorney. I have known Mike my entire law enforcement career and know him to be an honest individual with impeccable integrity. His lengthy career with the District Attorney’s Office demonstrates his commitment and dedication to the citizens of Durham. As a lifelong resident of Durham I want the best for our citizens and Mike Nifong is the best candidate for District Attorney.
~ Terry Mangum
2nd Vice President, Durham Co. Lodge 2, Fraternal Order of Police
Retired Police Captain, Durham Police Department”
Do you have a link, Greg?
La Shawn, try
http://www.mikenifong.com/#
Just click on “endorsements” in the left-hand column and a window will pop up and then click on the FOP logo and the second endorsement down is Mangum.
I found it. I didn’t realize it was a pop-up window, which I hate. I found the page with the URL. I just e-mailed the FOP to find out. – Admin
From what I have read, that is a very common name in that part of NC, for both whites and blacks (many of whom are in fact distantly related).
What’s unusual is not that the FOP would endorse the DA; but that the FBI, which send three agents to investigate some cross-burnings in Durham one night in 2005 (never solved, AFAIK), will not send one agent to investigate a group of six off-duty Durham police officers beating a black cook, while a good many other Durham and Raleigh cops looked on without interfering (i.e., “Rodney King South”).
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