“Rather than attempt to identify her attackers as Matt, Brett and Adam, the accuser used the names of the Defendants in her most recent telling of her story. Specifically, the investigator noted that ‘Inv. Wilson asked Crystal Mangum to tell him whose names the guys were using on March 13, 2006 since she knows their real names.’ The State has repeatedly represented to this Court that no substantive discussions of this case took place with the accuser from April 6, 2006 until this last interview. The fact that the accuser now “knows their real names” indicates that she has learned their names from the extensive publicity that this case has received, publicity that has necessarily included the Defendants’ faces as well as their names. It cannot be known at this time with any reliability what else she has learned from this publicity. This, in turn, means that the accuser’s present recollection of who allegedly attacked her and how, has been irreparably tainted by this publicity and weighs strongly against any in-court identification by her of the Defendants.”

In it the author compares it to the abusive prosecutions of a number of daycare providers on false charges of child abuse, but she seems to see Nifong as an overzealous prosecutor motivated by being “a product of the political times, a prosecutor who has absorbed all the clues about the sanctified status now accorded charges involving rape, child sex-abuse and accusations of racism.”

I think that gives Nifong far too much benefit of the doubt.

He was motivated, according to Jackie Brown (his campaign manager) by money – seeking three more years to qualify for his pension and lacking the funds needed to turn around a flagging campaign.

I don’t believee Mike Nifong merely misguided, but deliberately malicious.

http://www.newsobserver.com/1185/story/531253.html

The woman adjusted the timing of the assault to earlier in the evening, a time point preceding the well-documented alibi of one accused player, Reade Seligmann. The defense, however, introduced yet more alibi evidence for Seligmann: he was on the cell phone with his girlfriend during the height of the attack as the accuser now times it.

Nifong could not be reached immediately for comment today.
Joseph Neff can be reached at 829-4516 or jneff@newsobserver.com

The one firefighter I felt some sympathy for was the one who was fired for simply refusing to cooperate with investigators (he wouldn’t turn over his co-workers to investigators, the others did) – he was fired for, among other things, “obstructing an investigation.”

While neither the strippers, nor the players did anything illegal that evening (just as neither that woman nor those firefighters did anything illegal), there were was a lot of reckless, irresponsible and embarrassing behavior on both sides.

The argument in both cases that “There’d have been no embarrassment to Duke/the FDNY,” is inane and specious.

Stripping and hiring strippers are equally immoral, indecent acts, though NEITHER is illegal. Trying to argue “which one is worse,” is like debating which is worse a prostitute or a “john?” There is no “worse,” both are equally reprehensible acts and if anything, the “john” (if Married) is more reckless and irresponsible for subjecting his wife to the possibility of a disease via that prostitute. There was little or no decency on either side that night, indecency is not “criminal.”

I don’t see either the strippers nor the players as “criminals” in this case (though the accuser should probably ultimately be charged with filing a false report), ONLY Mike Nifong is a true villain.

His deliberate evil far overwhelms any of the recklessness and indecency engaged in by either side in the actual dispute.

If Nifong had even a shred of decency, this case would’ve been immediately dropped and the monetary dispute mediated.

Obviously he didn’t and he should have to pay for his deliberate mangling of the law for his own personal gain.

The hypocrisy of it all is astounding. Note that of those on the left criticizing the players for hiring strippers, not a single soul has criticized the accuser for apparently being a crack whore and welfare mom. Moreover, they’re the same people who sing the praises of nude cocktail parties at Yale, and form lesbian “knitting” cirlces at campuses nationwide. Fornication and sodomy are among the sacraments of the High Church of Leftist Orthodoxy, yet the parishoners faint at the thought of a stripper. Ridiculous! It’s just another stick with which to beat heterosexual caucasian males.

He ran with a charge he almost certainly knew was false, because he saw it as a way to resuscitate his flagging electoral campaign.

That’s why he should be disbarred, removed from office and criminally prosecuted for his deliberate mangling of the law.

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=18875

Well, that was one of the several versions of events the accuser has offered police to date, although my personal favorite was the one in which Elvis came back from the dead and sexually assaulted her.

If poor black women are constantly being raped by rich white men, then how about they produce one case?

The woman who made the false charge should eventually be charged with filing a false report, Nifong should be disbarred and removed from office, and the falsely accused should be able to move forward with Civil Suits against Nifong’s office.

I believe Mr Evans said “…and she’s destroyed two other families and brought shame to a great University,” I hope they all rethink that last phrase, because that’s exactly what the falsely accused firefighters said in 2004 – that a woman’s “false charges brought shame on the Department not us.”

They were, of course wrong and so is Mr Evans, in that it was that party (with the underaged drinking, the strippers and other poor behavior)that brought the shame to Duke, the false charge merely brought all that to light.

Actions have consequences. If Mr Seligman wasn’t at the party then he share’s none of the burden of the shame it’s coming to light brought to that team and the school, but those who were at that party do share some culpability for the embarrassment it brought to Duke, just as McFadyen’s email was the reason that Mike Pressler resigned.

Nifong is the sole villain here.

The accuser is a woman with a history of emotional and psychological problems, who was used by Nifong. The fact that he didn’t interview her for months shows that he saw her as not only unreliable, but perhaps looking to rescind her charges early on, which would’ve ended his free publicity meal-ticket.

There was bad judgment and poor behavior all around, but only Nifong has actually mangled the law here…and for that he should pay.

From what I understand, you can add Finnerty to that, since his alibi is supposedly much stronger than Seligmann’s. That would make for two of the accused not present for the three-man half-hour violent struggle (with choke holds) and gang rape (now reduced to a one-man five second sexual assault?)

Whatever. Nifong can just make it up as he goes along. . .

Without question, Reade Seligman’s plight is the most odious of any of the Duke players accused because, as he has shown, he wasn’t at the house at the time the accuser puts him there.

The fact that despite proofs (ATM receipts) and a witness (the cab driver who drove him there), Mike Nifong wouldn’t consider his a case of “mistaken identity,” adds to the evidence that this was a malicious prosecution conducted by Nifong.

http://www.xanga.com/DukeEgr93

The evil of rape is of such an immense magnitude that I would think people who have sworn themselves to support rape victims would also recognize the enormity of a false accusation.

these men are NOT those forces – these men are individuals deserving of our ear for their story and our pens for their rights.

Maybe I’m missing the point, but to those who say the boys should learn a lesson about lying down with fleas and who you associate with–it seems to me, when a boy has ATM receipts and photos showing he wasn’t at the house, he was already doing the right thing by not associating with this behavior. What more could he do to avoid contact other than NOT be at the house?

(I’m not sure if this is the right one of the 3 who wasn’t at the house during the alleged rape.)

Louise B

Clearly they are serious about these charges. Bar Associations are notoriously dainty when commenting on ethics and disciplinary matters. I live in hope!

Thanks, Gayle. Feel free to include links to posts in your comments. I don’t mind. - Admin