Duke lacrosse: Gottlieb questions for the Raleigh N&O

Readers’ Note: If you’re not familiar with the following two JinC posts:

"Duke lacrosse: The N&O finally tells about Gottlieb. So why now?,"

and

"Duke lacrosse: More Gottlieb info; Brodhead still silent; and the “94% question"

please read them. Otherwise, what follows below may not make much sense to you.

Below is a comment I’ve just left at the Raleigh News & Observer's Editors’ Blog post, "Duke lacrosse latest: Gottlieb profile."

The Editors’ Blog post author is Melanie Sill, the N&O's exec editor for news.

Sill often tells N&O readers how proud she is of the N&O’s Duke lacrosse coverage, which other people, including me, believe did so much to twist what should have been a fair, thorough police investigation into a witch hunt that’s greatly harmed many innocent people and our community.

John
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Dear Melanie:

The N&O’s Sept. 9 story reports on arrest records for the period May 2005 to Feb. 2006.

Those public records were available on Mar. 24 when you broke the story about the woman you seven times called “the victim” and the Duke students she was accusing of multiple crimes.

So why is the N&O only now telling us about Sgt. Gottlieb’s treatment of Duke students?

On Apr. 30 you ran an uncritical, even admiring story about Sgt. Gottlieb and Inv. Himan. But all you told trusting N&O readers about Sgt. Gottlieb’s treatment of Duke students was this:
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Gottlieb has taken on Duke students before, as much of the off-campus population lives in the district where he serves. One loud party led to an investigation that didn't stand up in court. Five students who lived at 203 Watts St. were charged with noise and open-container violations for an October party. Gottlieb testified that by the time officers arrived, everyone had left. One student was convicted.
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Why, Melanie, did you decide for that Apr. 30 story to tell us nothing more about Gottlieb’s treatment of Duke students?

Why is the N&O suddenly now telling us critical information about Gottlieb that it's known for months and withheld from us?

Your Sept. 9 story mentions only in passing Gottlieb’s cuffing of Duke students. Decent police officers, of whom there are very many in DPD, try to avoid cuffing for many reasons.

One has to do with this: as soon as an officer cuffs someone, the person is more vulnerable to serious injury even if the person is very cooperative. Just think of the situation either of us would be in if, while cuffed, we tripped on the sidewalk.

Why didn’t you tell us more about what records reveal about who Gottlieb cuffs; how often; and under what circumstances? Why didn’t you take a look at what other officers do in similar circumstances?

Your story provides no reaction by Duke’s President Richard H. Brodhead and other top administrators such as Assoc. Vice President for Campus Safety & Security Aaron Graves and Director of Police Robert Dean to your report of Gottlieb’s treatment of Duke students.

Why not? Didn’t you think to ask President Brodhead about your story? Are you planning to do so anytime in the future?

Tens of thousands of N&O readers - some Duke students and parents or otherwise affiliated with the university, some just decent citizens who want police work to be done fairly –want to know a lot more about this story.

Melanie, will it surprise you to know there are also thousands of decent police officers - in Durham and elsewhere – who want to know more about this story?

What are your follow-up reporting plans?

Will you seek an interview with DA Mike Nifong? Gottlieb’s his lead investigator on the Duke case. Are you planning to ask Nifong for a reaction to your story? Did Nifong already know some or all of what you reported on Sept. 9? Does he favor a more extensive look at Gottlieb’s record?

Gottlieb is a 15 year veteran of the Durham Police Department. The May 2005 to Feb. 2006 time period you report on represents less than 6% of his time as an officer. Are you planning to take a look at his arrest and other records for the other 94% of the time he’s been a DPD officer?

Your story made no mention of the alleged assault at Blinco’s. Gottlieb was there and by some accounts a principal in the alleged attack. The alleged victim has said a “fat bald cop” was one of the ringleaders of the alleged assault. Gottlieb is fat and bald.

Why no mention of the Blinco’s incident in your story?

There are more questions I want to ask, but I need to shop and cook now.

I’ll be back soon.

Thank you for your attention to my questions.

John
www.johnincarolina.com