Thursday, April 12 @ 3:56 p.m.: Rogue prosecutor Mike Nifong says HE’S SORRY. Exact wording: “To the extent that I made judgments that ultimately proved to be incorrect, I apologize to the three students that were wrongly accused.” (Source)
[Grammar pet peeve alert: "I apologize to the three students who were wrongly accused," not "that were wrongly accused." You're referring to people, man, not mere things. Generally, use who when referring to people and that when referring to objects.]
That’s a lawyer’s apology, alright. It should read:
“I apologize to the three students for race- and class-baiting their fellow students and for playing with their lives to win an election, knowing I had no evidence against them. I’m finished as Durham DA, and I deserve to lose my law license. I humble myself before you and hope you can find it within yourselves to forgive me.”
Thursday, April 12 @ early morning: It’s nice to be acknowledged by writers like Michael Barone (met him last year at CPAC). I haven’t done nearly as much as bloggers like KC Johnson (pre-order his book, Until Proven Innocent: Political Correctness and the Shameful Injustices of the Duke Lacrosse Rape Case) but I’m glad I did something. Instead of writing more about the case on the blog, I’ll put my commentary and research into a couple of op-eds I’m working on.
In the meantime, satiate your need for more Duke news at Google News. The former players will appear on “60 Minutes” this Sunday.
Triangle-area blogger Jon Ham has press conference photos and PDF copies of the dismissal orders.
Later…Tammy Bruce at 12:30 p.m. EDT.
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*** 2:36 p.m. EDT — NC AG Roy Cooper calls former players “innocent.” Drops all charges and says, “no more criminal proceedings will occur.” Scroll down for live-blogging and updates ***
Collin Finnerty, Reade Seligmann, and David Evans are no longer facing sexual offense and kidnapping charges. ABC News is reporting that North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper will announce today that he’s dropping all charges in a case that shouldn’t have existed in the first place. Is ABC News reliable? I believe it. It will be official once Cooper makes the announcement at a press conference today. The former players and their families have traveled to Raleigh for the announcement. More here.
For over a year, these three men lived under suspicion of heinous crimes. Lost time, scarred reputations, millions of dollars in legal fees…
I hope the stripper-accuser, the now-named stripper who lied/cried rape, pays (legally) for what she’s done. And gets some help. She’s pictured at the far right. Date, March 16, 2006, three days after she supposedly was brutally beaten, strangled, raped, and sodomized by Seligmann — who wasn’t even in the house during her fantasy sequence — Finnerty, and Evans. Last December Durham County DA Mike Nifong, who’s fighting for his career, dropped forcible rape charges against the men because the stripper-accuser couldn’t remember whether she was raped. What a farce this whole mess was.
I started blogging the case about a month after the night in question (April 2006), and I’ve written 44 posts and two op-eds worth of public comments on the stripper-accuser’s obviously-phony-from-the-beginning gang-rape fantasy. I’ll have much more to say later. While I get my thoughts together, check out the “Duke bloggers”:
Captain Ed says, “Next up: Disbarring Nifong.” I’ll drink to that! And thanks for acknowledging my early blogging of the case, Ed.
Update II (9:33 a.m.): FOX News is reporting that the AG’s office has reached a decision in the case and will announce it at 2:30 p.m. EDT today; defense’s press conference at 4 p.m. The Associated Press is also reporting all charges will be dropped.
Update II (2:06 p.m.): Although I seem to revel in it, I don’t enjoy blogging about this case. I used to love the stuff — chasing breaking news and scandals, getting trackbacks, comments, and big blogger links — but I don’t anymore. How I feel about this post proves what I’ve been thinking and occasionally blogging lately. As a rule, I don’t delete posts (though there have been one or two exceptions), so I’ll let this one stand. This likely will be my last “Duke case” post. I will “live-blog” the 2:30 news conference.
I made a judgment call to name the stripper. My conscience was bothering me, so I removed it. But as I said, I’ll let the post stand. I still believe she lied, and I still believe she has serious issues with gang-rape fantasies. I hope the stripper-accuser faces the legal consequences of her actions and gets the help I think she needs. I pray that this will be a turning point for her and that she seeks forgiveness from the people she wronged and from God.
2:36 p.m.: The press conference has started. NC AG Roy Cooper is speaking. “We carefully reviewed the evidence…conducted our own interviews…reviewed statements, photos and other evidence…shows clearly there is insufficient evidence.”
“…the result is that these cases are over and no more criminal proceedings will occur…”
Based on significance of stripper-accuser’s inconsistent stories “we believe these three individuals are innocent of these charges…”
Accuser’s “statements were so inconsistent,” the AG believes that no attack occurred at that house.
“No DNA confirms the accuser’s story. No witness statements confirm the accuser’s story…she contradicts herself.” The evidence Cooper’s office has contradicts her story.
Cooper gives a stinging indictment against Mike Nifong. Powerful statement. I’ll post the video as soon as it’s on YouTube. [Roy Cooper VIDEO at Hot Air]
Nifong has no hope of saving his career.
Cooper says his office has considered charging the stripper-accuser, but decided that it’s “in the best interest of justice” not to charge her. I suspect he’s alluding to her psychological problems. Hinted that she may believe all her wild stories. He mentioned sealed records.
FOX News names the stripper-accuser. I chose to remove her name from this post. I’m still watching FOX. Shep Smith is going to have a stroke if he doesn’t calm down. I’m just as indignant, but relax, man. You’ll live longer.
KC Johnson, of the wonderful Durham-in-Wonderland, is live-blogging from Raleigh.
3:53 p.m.: Lawyers for Seligmann, Finnerty, and Evans will hold a news conference at 4 p.m. EDT. Instead of trying to live-blog, I’ll just link to the statement and video afterward.
Joseph Cheshire, Evans’s attorney, is speaking for the players and their families, who will not take questions at the conference. He’s introducing the families and the attorneys. Reade Seligmann’s father and I communicated via e-mail, and it’s good to put a face to a name. Sighs of relief!
Evans is making a long, eloquent statement in defense of himself and his fellow former players. Says he, Seligmann, Finnerty, or any other lacrosse players ever put up a “blue wall of silence” or refused to speak to Nifong or the cops, contrary to Nifong’s assertions.
Evans is thanking his family for making the sacrifices necessary for him to have an excellent lawyer.
Finnerty just finished speaking, and Seligmann’s at the podium. The recurring theme in all the speeches is the love and support of family and sacrifices each member has made to support and stand by the accused. In order for that to happen, people need the social capital of strong, intact families. They help each other emotionally and financially through tragic, traumatic events like being falsely accused of a gang-rape. The connection between intact families, strong communities, and standing firm in the face of injustice may not seem apparent to some, but it’s quite obvious to me.
Broken homes and broken down communities leave children vulnerable, at risk for poverty, underachievement, and prison, and without social capital to help them through tough times in their lives.
