Yesterday, four weeks after a woman alleged she was gang raped by three members of the Duke lacrosse team, Durham DA Mike Nifong for the first time said she’s identified one of her attackers. Or did he?
Today's Raleigh News & Observer headlined: "Nifong cites attacker ID, says more tests pending in lacrosse case."
The N&O reported:
At a forum at N.C. Central University on violence against women, Nifong told more than 400 people that the woman who reported being raped, sodomized and choked by three men at 610 N. Buchanan Blvd. identified at least one of her attackers a week ago.The N&O didn’t quote Nifong.
Today’s Durham Herald Sun, reporting on the same forum, headlined: "Nifong hints victim ID'ed player."
The H-S reported:
At least one Duke lacrosse player has been identified as a suspect in the alleged gang rape of an exotic dancer last month, District Attorney Mike Nifong said Tuesday, and he suggested that the victim herself made the identification.The H-S went on to quote Nifong:
"Anytime that you have a victim who can identify her assailant, then what you have is a case that a judge would let go to the jury. Which means that in this situation I would expect that a jury would get to evaluate the evidence."The district attorney was serving as a forum panelist when he made his announcement as part of his response to a question from an audience member.
Did Nifong say the woman has identified one of her attackers, as The N&O reports, or is that uncertain, as The H-S reports, referring later in its story to a “purported identification?”
About 4 PM today I spoke with people at both papers connected with their paper’s stories. Both papers are standing by their stories as reported. An editor at The H-S added that journalists there have listened to a tape of the forum and are satisfied The H-S quoted Nifong accurately.
People at both papers said Nifong was not available for questions after the forum and has not responded to their calls and questions since.
Nifong could clear up any ambiguity regarding what he said with a brief press release.
He needs to do that, but it will still leave unanswered concerns and questions people have about what he said and did yesterday and his silence since.
I've talked with two attorneys who are not representing any of the Duke lacrosse players. Both were surprised Nifong didn’t do as is customary and inform the attorney representing the individual purportedly identified.
They were very critical of Nifong for making his announcement at a public forum on the campus of the historically black NCCU, which the woman attends. The woman, who is black, says her alleged attackers are white.
“Something this important you expect a DA to announce at a called press conference at his office,” one attorney said. "With Nifong involved in an election campaign, and the case having such a racial overtone, I think he showed very poor judgment."
The attorneys questioned why Nifong didn’t read his announcement from a prepared written statement that could then be distributed to media and others.
Nifong’s announcement and his silence since has raised questions in my mind. Here are a few of them:
The woman has alleged there were three attackers. Nifong refers to an ID of only one alleged attacker. What about the other two?
Can the woman only identify one attacker?
How and when was the ID made?
And why, after making his ID statement, has Nifong now thrown up a wall of silence?
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News story URLs:
http://www.newsobserver.com/1185/story/427860.html
http://www.herald-sun.com/durham/4-723445.html
5 comments:
Because after using the media to carry his message to the woman to lie, he needs some face time with her to refine the story. He won't be clarifying anything until after there are "interviews with alleged victim" and he is sure she knows what to say so they don't both go to jail.
That's my best guess. My record so far is pretty damn good.
NIfong is grabbing at ghosts. It's re election time and he's looking for votes. Its a shame he's ruining peoples lives for his own personal gain. Can he be sued for overly aggressive prosecution?. I believe you try the case in court not in the media. How could these guys ever get a fair trial with all the media attention and all the info comming from the DA's office. If this case falls apart he will lay all the blame on the girl.
WHAT A SHAME NIFONG JUMPED THE GUN! HIS WIFE WORKS FOR ABUSED PEOPLE GUESS SHE'S RUNNING THE SHOW AND HE LISTENEDTO HER. I JUST HOPEWHEN THESEBOYS ARE FOUND INNOCENT THE WHOLETEAMS SUES HIM AND THE STRIPPERFOR EVERYTHING THEVEGOTTTTTTTTTTTT. THIS IS A BLACK PERSON AGAINTWHITE BOYS AND TELL JESSE JACKSON,THERE AREALOT OF GOOD BLACK KIDS THAT COULD USE MONEY NOT WHORES.
The entire episode can be figured out by the simple explanation that the stripper lied. If one believes that a rape did occur, then one has to find various and many far-flung conspiracies to build the case. It is very similar to the OJ case. Simple- he murdered. But, if you say he is innocent, then you have to have an elaborate set of happenings, coincidences, and criminal behavior on the part of police etc. to explain the crime. Once the n-word is out there-- people , both black and white, throw away reason. Take away the n-word, and it is very simple to figure out. The black girls were angry at the white boys for their unhappimess with the "show" and their "griping" about the 800 dollar tab for a lack luster performance. Insults were hurled back and forth. The accuser got drunk as a skunk ( which she has done before); the other one ( the anonymous 911 caller) was afraid the drunk one was going to steal her car, ( where there is a precedent )and so reported her. The drunk did not want to get in trouble with the police so she yelled, "Rape" several hours later! It's like kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar-- they'll say anything to get out of trouble. Unfortunately, Nifong CHOSE to go with the hoax, and now that the black community has rallied behind her, she cannot back down and tell the truth! She is a celebrity in her victimhood! Sadly, she does not care that she could send these 20 year olds to jail for something they did not do. Maybe she feels justifed in their doing 36 years in jail for calling her the n-word. They didn't show her R-E-S-P-E-C-T! She'll show them!
First of all, a few inconsistencies do not a liar make.
Second, I am hardly excusing anything that Nifong has done. He's a complete asshole.
Third, let's not put halos over these boys heads by any means. As I point out in this post,
http://christopher-king.blogspot.com/2006/08/duke-rape-case-prosecutors-nifong.html
....the neighbor heard them dropping the nigger-bomb.
Oh, according to some of the posts I just read, that's her fault as well.
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