On March 31 ESPN reported on an interview Durham DA Mike Nifong granted its George Smith the previous day.
During the interview Nifong asked:
"If it's not the way it's been reported, then why are they so unwilling to tell us what, in their words, did take place that night?" Nifong told Smith on Thursday. "And one would wonder why one needs an attorney if one was not charged and had not done anything wrong."Answer:
Because they're facing a rogue DA named Mike Nifong;
A Durham Police Department whose Chief hasn’t been seen in public for months and some of whose officers have done things that are questionable, if not worse;
A newspaper like the Raleigh News & Observer which repeatedly reports the accuser is “the victim” and tells readers it granted her anonymity for an interview because it doesn't indentify "the victims of sex crimes."
And because on the very day Nifong was speaking, people were circulating “vigilante posters” in Durham while others, including members of Duke's faculty, were engaging in lynch-mob talk.
Those college students better have all the defense lawyers they can get.
Now, here's a question for people in Durham who voted for Mike Nifong: Why?
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Post URL:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2390981
7 comments:
Terrific work by John in Carolina. Questions: Are the city of Durham, the Durham police department, the city manager, the police investigators, the Raleigh newspaper, et al possibly headed for civil and libel action? Do at least the other 43 Duke lacrosse players in the infamous poster have a libel case against the newspaper, the police department and the local CrimeStoppers group? Are there attorneys preparing such court actions? Why has the state attorney general left Nifong on the case?
I signed the "Cheek for DA" petition today.....
-AC
I wrote the NC AG asking for some oversight of Mike Nifong. Here's the reply I received:
IN NORTH CAROLINA, DISTRICT ATTORNEYS ARE INDEPENDENT, CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THEIR DISTRICT, AND NOT A PART OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE. IN ADDITION, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE DOES NOT HAVE SUPERVISORY AUTHORITY OVER DISTRICT ATTORNEYS.
Thus spake Pontius Pilate
So, Loco, your next question to the AG might be "When does your investigation begin of Nifong's criminal activity?" ?
Anon. "Terrific work be..."
Thank you.
Re your questions: Look for a post tomorrow. Some won't be answer but you'll get some information you may not have now.
Anon. "I signed the "Cheek ..."
If I don't post tomorrow reminding people about signing ,,,
Thanks for signing and giving me the nudge to post.
Loco Breath, Joe, and Straightarrow,
You are all in the same "area" so to speak, so I hope you won't mind if I do a three in one response.
I've had no luck getting a NC law prof to blog and answer our questions.
But I'll keep trying, including a post in a few days: "Where are the law professors?"
Very good news: I've had back-and-forth with a first-rate scholar (not an attorney) who's researching NC law relevent to the AG replacing Nifong. So far it looks to this person that the law is very narrow as to what Cooper can do but there are grounds for him to make a replacement for a DA in certain circumstances and this person thinks the circumstances fit the Nifong situation.
Also there is the matter of Cooper making a public statement. I think at the least he should be presured to do that.
I'm not going to put that front and center at JinC because I already have more than I can handle.
I'm not proofing this because the hours late, I'm tired and your regulars who'll understand and forgive errors.
Thank you all,
John
Anon. "Terrific work by..."
Thank you.
Re your questions: Look for a post tomorrow. Some won't be answered but you'll get some information you may not have now.
Anon. "I signed the 'Cheek for DA.." ..."
If I don't post tomorrow reminding people about signing tomorrow, please remind me.
Thanks for signing and giving me the nudge to post.
Loco Breath, Joe, and Straightarrow,
You are all in the same "area" so to speak, so I hope you won't mind if I do a three in one response.
I've had no luck getting a NC law prof to blog and answer our questions.
But I'll keep trying, including a post in a few days: "Where are the law professors?"
Very good news: I've had back-and-forth with a first-rate scholar (not an attorney) who's researching NC law relevant to the AG replacing Nifong. So far it looks to this person that the law is very narrow as to what Cooper can do but there are grounds for him to make a replacement for a DA in certain circumstances and this person thinks the circumstances fit the Nifong situation.
Also there is the matter of Cooper making a public statement. I think at the least he should be pressured to do that.
I'm not going to put that front and center at JinC because I already have more than I can handle.
I'm not proofing this because the hours late, I'm tired and your regulars who'll understand and forgive errors.
Thank you all,
John
Cooper brags about how his office protects residents of North Calolina from scams.
Does he not recognize that The Duke lacrosse case may be one of the largest attempted scams in NC history?
Maybe he should have said that his office represents voters not four year residents.
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