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S. Smith Moderator
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What do you think about this case, and has the latest information about how the DA put only lacrosse team members in the lineup changed your perception of the case any? |
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DOGGETTJA Member 
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I can't imagine what Nyfong is doing except trying to keep Durham from exploding over this case. There is tremendous tension between the Durham population and Duke. Maybe he over reacted. The colleges are known for their partying, distructiveness and disregard for the law. Sounds like the Lacrosse players were even worse than most. They made some really bad choices and now here we are. I heard today, I think it was, that Duke had not had its usual number of applications and this case was being blamed for it. In my case it would be the $40,000 a year would be the reason that my kids weren't applying. |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 11:29 am by Jim Flynt |
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S. Smith Moderator
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Think Nyfong's actions would have been the same had this not been an election year? |
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macca Member 
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Looking back on the reporting of this incident as it unfolded, the Duke community (university, not Durham) evidently had strong suspicions about this team. There were reports of other questionable activities they had engaged in, etc., so much so that the rest of their season was cut short by the coach (with pressure from his superiors, for sure). Anyway, it seems this was a group that was easy to prey upon.... Maybe this young woman knew that, or maybe someone put her up to it..... However, it does seem that these many months out, these particular charges seem less and less credible and that the DA's office should cut its losses. Since they're not doing that, does that mean there's more to it than we know? Seems hard to believe, with all the attention it's gotten. Although Nifong has just been re-elected, aren't there some sanctions that could be placed against him if it can be proven that he was overly zealous in pursuing this case? |
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Steve Adkins Member 
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Jim Flynt wrote: This whole thing started out as an effort on the part of the accuser to extory money from the Duke Lacrosse team members, and then once this case took on a life of it's own under an unscrupulous district attorney, the two of them (DA and accuser) have now painted themselves into a corner where there is no graceful exit. And now I understand there are paternity tests going on, the accuser is pregnant, and despite having taken the "morning after" pill after the shenanigans at Duke, having tested negative at the time for pregnancy, they are still testing if any of the Duke Lacrosse players are the father. Talk about justice run amok. I am starting to wonder if Nyfong and Kenneth Starr were trained together ???? Last edited on Dec 17th, 2006 12:57 pm by Steve Adkins |
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SaltyDog Member 
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The Duke Lacrosse case is a classic example of a rush to judgement where groups of people with pre-determined agendas seek to take advantage of a situation that at first glance appears to feed directly into their biases. Athletes are boorish hooligans. The rich Duke students get away criminal behavior because their Daddies get them the best lawyers money can buy. The white man is still using black women for their pleasure and the authorities look the other way. There is a significant minority of faculty and students at Duke who are anti-athletics who attempted to take advantage with a well publicized petition that accused Duke of having "A culture of rape." and speculated that athletes playing sports that use helmets are inclined to violence. Durham DA Mike Nifong gave more than 70 interviews, many of them to national media, in the first few weeks after the rape alligations became public. In these interviews he made statements such as "I definitely believ a rape occurred" and "the DNA evidence will prove it". Soon every black rights, civil rights and womens rights group in the country seemed to jump on the bandwagon. These groups became so invested in the case that the actual facts of the case became irrelevant. Some individuals even stated that they didn't care if the accused lacrosse players were guilty or not because of the historical record of black men being falsly accused of raping white women. For anyone interested in a good summary of the case try this link: http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060904fa_fact Last edited on Dec 17th, 2006 07:18 pm by SaltyDog |
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S. Smith Moderator
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Isn't this "mob mentality" what used to get people lynched? |
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rasin Guest
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Kind of the same mob/fox news mentality that has everyone thinking every Muslim is a terrorist. |
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mstone Member
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That's a pretty broad brush you're painting with there, rasin.... mob mentality and fox news. I watch Fox News but don't think every Muslim is a terrorist. I also watch CNN, but I don't believe people that blow themselves and innocent people up are "freedom fighters" like they report. That being said, I am also conscious enough to understand that when you have a group that at its core believes that I ought to die only because I'm a Christian and an American - they are terrorist. They require me to change my beliefs to match theirs either by choice or by force. Just because they don't fly a plane into a building doesn't mean that they are willing to accept my right to believe as I do or even exist. Some people get upset when we look suspiciously at a Muslim in an airport or crowded mall. While overtly that's wrong, we can't simply stick our collective heads in the sand and hope that the "good" Muslims will rally to condem the violent acts of the "bad" Muslims. We all know that ain't happening. Terrorist are from all nations and religions. However, to ignore history, current events, and the obvious will only empower these terrorists and lead to more attacks. rasin wrote: Kind of the same mob/fox news mentality that has everyone thinking every Muslim is a terrorist. |
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rasin Guest
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Using history to identify a terrorist is a very dangerous one. Just as the 9/11 terrorists changed the highjack paradigm from one of taking the plane to get political attention to using the plane as a weapon; they will change the stereotype of who is a terrorist. In the Vietnam War a little child or old women could just as likely be carrying a hand grenade. I don't mind that Fox News has an agenda; I just wish they would stop telling people that they are "fair and balanced". Anyone that has to remind you that they are "fair and balanced" several times an hour is probably not. Their slant on the news is pretty obvious; one example is long after even the President admitted that there weren’t weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, a significant percentage of Fox New viewers still thought there were. And the way they pumped the Imams/US Airways story for days clearly stoked the stereotyping of Muslims. It was a story that should be covered; but clearly didn’t command the beating a dead horse they applied to it. |
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mstone Member
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Agree with your first point. The definition of a terrorist has less to do with religion and nationality and more to do with motivation and actions. A child wanting to blow up servicemen with a hand grenade is a terrorist. In the 70's, we called hijackers... err.. well, hijackers. The reality was they were terrorist. We're slowly learning. Let's see... Fox News - Fair and Balanced, CBS News - A Name You Can Trust, CNN - The Most Trusted Name in News, NBC - America's News Leader. I could go on, but you get the picture. There's not a business, product, or network that doesn't beat you over the head with thier slogan. I agree their slant on the new is obvious, but at least they aren't trying to hide it. ABC, CBS, and the others want you to believe they are the model of unbiased and balanced. They ain't. What offends me is that they portray themselves one way and report another. Like I said, at least Fox doesn't hide their slant. As for specifics, how about Dan Rather falling all over himself for Sadam Hussien or lying about the Bush service records fiasco? How about Barbara Walters making excuses for Clinton lying to the public and to a court - Lewinski fiasco? As for the Imams/US Airways story, I'm sorry, but that is the world that the Muslim terrorist created. I won't apologize for that. If I would have been on that plane, I would have raised "heck" too - or likely taken actions. Be honest, wouldn't you? Exactly what do you think these guys were doing? I personally believe they are trying to see what sort of resistance their co-conspiritors will face when they make their next airline terrorist attempt. Yes, it is a story that should be covered; but until we find a way to eliminate such threats, that horse ain't dead. |
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SaltyDog Member
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Rape charges against Duke lacrosse players dropped.... http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1115698/ Accuser says she can't remember if she was raped or not. |
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mstone Member
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I don't want to be offensive to anyone here, but can someone explain how you can't remember if you were raped or not? Either you were raped by 3 men or you were lying. I'm pretty sure I know where that one falls. The other troubling thing is that Nifong isn't dropping all of the charges - just the rape charges. They are still charged with kidnapping and sexual offense. That's gonna be hard to prove as well. Since it's been discovered that Nifong knew the DNA evidence didn't link the players, but hid it from the defense and public during his election campaign, the wheels are falling off this bus very rapidly. His credibility is GONE, and anyone in Durham hoping for any justice had better hope that they don't have to depend on the DA to prosecute a real crime. |
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FatPappy Member 
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mstone wrote:As for specifics, how about Dan Rather falling all over himself for Sadam Hussien or lying about the Bush service records fiasco? How about Barbara Walters making excuses for Clinton lying to the public and to a court - Lewinski fiasco? How about Fox "News" payin' a man who butchered his wife to tell all those inquirin' minds how he did it if he did it, wink, wink? Yeah, I know they didn't go through with it. I miss Walter Cronkite an' Eric Sevareid myself. |
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SaltyDog Member
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It is frightening to me that a DA can bring such serious charges against citizens without a shred of credible evidence. What happened to the checks and balances in the legal system that should protect us from this kind of abuse of power? The only thing DA Nifong has that incriminates any lacrosse players is the woman's allegations. On the flip side there is a mountain of evidence that contradicts those allegations, much of it from the accuser herself. She has given multiple contradictory accounts of what happened at that party. There is simply no dispute that she is a liar. The only question is which, if any, of her statements are true. There is no forensic evidence that supports her story. All the evidence - DNA, Cab Driver, ATM Records, Photographs, Eyewitness testimony either does not support or directly contradicts the accuser's story. Rape is a horrible crime. False accusations of rape is an equivalently horrible crime. I'm confident that eventually all the charges related to sexual assault and kidnapping will be dropped as well but what I fear is that this DA and this false accuser will not be held accountable. |
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S. Smith Moderator
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mstone wrote: I don't want to be offensive to anyone here, but can someone explain how you can't remember if you were raped or not? Either you were raped by 3 men or you were lying. I'm pretty sure I know where that one falls. Well, unless someone was on drugs or extremely drunk or had some other circumstances that would explain it, I can't imagine anyone "not remembering." This is something that, as a woman, I can tell you would be incredibly disturbing and something you wouldn't just forget. Why is he not dropping all the charges? The election is over, for goodness sake. What is he trying to prove at this point? Is he still trying to play the race card or the "rich, white, privileged kids" vs. the "poor, minority, impoverished victim"? Is he trying to impress or save face with the NAACP, ACLU and other groups? I just don't know what he's trying to prove, and the citizens are stuck with him for another 4 years. |
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S. Smith Moderator
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I just saw on TV that an ethics complaint has been filed against Nifong by the N.C. Bar Association. Do you think he should be censured by the Bar Association? What kind of punishment does he deserve? |
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Waytago Member 
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Waytago to the NC Bar, holding this DA accountable. He has abused the legal system badly, the same system that is supposed to seek "justice". I hope he gets disbarred, and County has to reimburse the families for their legal fees plus some more. |
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S. Smith Moderator
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Now I see Duke has offered to let the charged players (other than the one who already graduated) come back to school there. How magnanimous of them! Besides Nifong's atrocious behavior and obvious political posturing (and pitting the "have nots" against the "haves" in Durham County), I'm also really disappointed in Duke's response to this whole thing. I know they were trying to cover their butts, but this seemed to be more a case of "guilty until proven innocent" instead of the other way around. If I were these young men, I'd tell Duke to forget it and find some other university (if they haven't already) to attend. Then, if I had the money (as the families of these students may), I'd probably sue. |
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mstone Member
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Let the lawsuits begin! Report tonight states that a Duke lacrosse player not implicated in the legal mess was given an "F" by a professor. The student claims that he has always made a "C", but the professor stated his displeasure about the Duke lacrosse players, the rape case, and their bad behavior. The family is suing the university and professor for $60,000. Isn't that about enough to cover a semester? I think this is just the first crack in the dam. Nifong doesn't have enough fingers to plug the holes and prevent the upcoming flood. |
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Starcatchr Member 
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Hopefully a lesson can be learned here. It seems that we are all too ready to point the finger of guilt before we know all the facts. The sad thing is that the defendants lives are forever tarnished even though they are proven not guilty. There are always those who turn a blind eye to the truth. |
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ff12 Member 
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The end result of all of this is the lives of 5 people have been changed forever. This will follow them wherever they go from now on. Everything cannot be blamed on Nifong though, if the players had not had a party and hired the dancers , and if she had found a different line of work....................this could go on forever.(not really forever) |
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SaltyDog Member
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I think that the vast majority of the blame does go to Nifong. He made this a national news story early on by giving more than 70 interviews with local and national media in the first 3 weeks after the charges became public. He made inflamatrory statements that were based on nothing more than the accuser's statements and he chose to ignore the inconsistencies of her statements. At that time (and still today) he had not one shred of physical evidence to support the accuser's claims. He stated categorically that rape was committed and that the DNA evidence would prove it. When DNA tests only proved that the accuser had had multiple partners, none of which were lacrosse players, he chose to downplay the tests and suppress evidence. He made completely unfounded statements accusing the entire lacrosse team of "a wall of silence". He injected race and priviledge into the equation that was pure speculation. He reduced the sentences of witnesses that he thought would bolster his case (see Kim Roberts, the second dancer, probation for embezzlement) and trumped up charges against witnesses who could hurt his case (see Reid Seligman's cab driver and a 5 year old shoplifting charge). I'm not claiming that the Duke Lacrosse team is as pure as the driven snow but think about what would happen if every college student who participated in underage drinking or hired a stripper was charged with rape. Nifong's gross abuse of power in a transparent attempt to get re-elected is the only reason that any of us has ever heard of this incident. |
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macca Member
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Interesting that Nifong finally asked for a special prosecutor in this case. Did he have to initiate this, or could the state have stepped in earlier? |
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Steve Adkins Member
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Did anybody see 60 Minutes Sunday night? Had an interview with the parents of these students, needless to say they were not happy campers. They didn't use the word "revenge", but it was fairly apparent Nifong won't get a Christmas card from them anytime soon. |
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macca Member
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I did catch that, Steve-o. I thought it was really well done, and thought the parents contained/controlled themselves very well. Speaking as a parent, I know they are seething. I think you are right.... As one of them put it, Nifong will be dealing with this for the rest of his life, just as these families and their sons will.... These parents are going to make sure they aren't the only ones who are forever linked to this infamous case. |
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SaltyDog Member
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In the "60 Minutes" piece one of the Moms brought up the point that all parents with sons should be concerned about this case - all it takes is a rape accusation with no other supporting evidence and your son could be arrested, indicted, threatened and dragged thru the muck for a year or so. I am amazed at the lack of checks and balances in the legal system. I naively thought that grand juries were supposed to stop DAs from obtaining indictments on such flimsy evidence - but I guess it's true as the defense attorneys said "you could indict a ham sandwich" This certainly makes me want to take a closer look at who I vote for DA next time around. |
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mstone Member
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Did this case go to a grand jury? I can't remember. If it did, all they heard was the Nifong version. Does this mean he suppressed evidence from them as well? Your final point is the one we should all take to heart. I think folks too often simply skip over the DA and judges up for election, or they vote for the one they saw on the TV ad. These positions are critically important to our civilized society. Judges and DAs that don't reflect high morals, values, and standards of law have no place in our justice system. Voters MUST become informed about those seeking office and vote accordingly. |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 11:29 am by Jim Flynt |
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Steve Adkins Member
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Wall Street Journal, 16 January, page B10, Letters to the Editor (I edited out alot of stuff to hit the high points) THE MOST DANGEROUS PEOPLE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT - OVERZEALOUS PROSECUTORS It would be a mistake to .............conclude the problem of prosecutorial zeal is a recent phenomenon or one borne from political correctness. What was the "divine right of kings" has now passed from barbarians, emperors, monarchs, dictators to politicians, social advocacy groups, and prosecutors who not only believe they are above the law, but are the law. The most dangerous people in law enforcement are not police officers who mistakenly shoot innocent people in volatile situations...............it is the prosecutors who flout procedure, ignoring exculpatory evidence for the sake of their own personal conviction rates. If anybody should be doing time in prison, it should be prosecutors who ignore "due process".................and the undermining / mockery of the law. Last edited on Jan 17th, 2007 12:52 am by Steve Adkins |
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Steve Adkins Member
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Same WSJ as above, the next letter to editor was equally well written: I am aglow with anticipation awaiting the letter of apology to the Duke Lacrosse Team. so much time time has passed since the innocence of the accused became obvious, I can only surmise the 88 Duke faculty members must be pondering and editing until the wording is perfected. A humble and eloque piece it surely will be. How comforting to parents of Duke students to be reassured they have placed their children in the care of open minded, thinking adults whose reason for rising each morning is to help ensure that each of their students has a bright and successful future. It must be hard to work at Duke right now, ie Where do you work? Sneeze, bring out handkerchief, AAAAAChoooooo...uke |
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Steve Adkins Member
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Looks like Nifong is in big trouble in little China. Ethics, with-holding evidence, he better hope Walmart is hiring greeters in Durham. |
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S. Smith Moderator
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Steve Adkins wrote: Looks like Nifong is in big trouble in little China. Truthfully, I wonder what will happen to Nifong. I wonder if the system will do anything more than publicly slap his wrist. If what he did isn't considered criminal, I don't think he'll be disbarred. I just hope the voters will pay attention. But don't you think Nifong could still seize on this opportunity and start his own private law firm or join an existing firm? With that bulldog attitude (no offense meant to your avatar, SaltyDog), some people would probably love to hire him as a defense attorney. (Can you picture him as another Johnny Cochran????) |
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mstone Member
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If I saw Nifong as a defense attorney, my first thought would be "Man, I'll bet his client is guilty!" - and then there goes the whole judicial system out the window! S. Smith wrote: some people would probably love to hire him as a defense attorney. |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 11:30 am by Jim Flynt |
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Starcatchr Member
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Is anyone else curious about the amount of news coverage the death of Anna Nicole Smith has received? Reports of war and threats of war have paled in comparison. Global warming has entered the realm of non-importance. World hunger has become a thing of the past What is this hunger for celebrity news? If the media is to be believed, while this death is indeed an unfortunate event, the real tragedy lies in how her life was lived. Last edited on Feb 11th, 2007 04:50 pm by Starcatchr |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 11:30 am by Jim Flynt |
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Steve Adkins Member
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Jim Flynt wrote:
He wants folks to give him the benefit of the doubt that he was unwilling to give the students??????? Do as I say, Not as I do? |
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S. Smith Moderator
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Looks like the charges against the Duke lacrosse players have been dropped. |
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macca Member
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Yeah, CBS actually did their national broadcast from "Raleigh/Durham." They tried to ask Nifong questions but he just yelled over his shoulder at the reporter to leave him alone.... |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 11:31 am by Jim Flynt |
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SaltyDog Member
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After 395 days, dropping the charges is about 365 days later than it should have been. Yes, presumption of innocence for the accused is a valuable legal tradition. Unfortunately in this case the presumption that District Attorneys are competent and ethical was dead wrong. What good is the grand jury system? Grand juries are supposed to be a check on prosecutorial malfeasance but this one was just a rubber stamp for the DA. On what basis did the Durham grand jury indict these 3 lacrosse players? There is and never was any evidence against the accused other than the ever changing stories of an obviously mentally ill accuser. Any of us could find ourselves in the same position as these lacrosse players and that is frightening. |
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rasin Guest
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This case highlights the importance of a judicial system with checks and balances. While this case dragged on way too long it at least benefited from checks and balances. This gives me pause on how many wrongly charged people our government may have down in Guantanamo Bay and are not afforded much in the way of checks and balances. |
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S. Smith Moderator
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rasin wrote: This case highlights the importance of a judicial system with checks and balances. While this case dragged on way too long it at least benefited from checks and balances. This gives me pause on how many wrongly charged people our government may have down in Guantanamo Bay and are not afforded much in the way of checks and balances. What about the people (which would probably be most) without the resources to fight back? Somebody on CBS news estimated the parents of these kids had spent a combined amount of $3-5 million (yes, million) on their defense. Last edited on Apr 12th, 2007 04:13 pm by S. Smith |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 11:31 am by Jim Flynt |
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Gestalt Member 
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S. Smith wrote: What about the people (which would probably be most) without the resources to fight back? Somebody on CBS news estimated the parents of these kids had spent a combined amount of $3-5 million (yes, million) on their defense. Incredible Yes, the outcome was probably different since these kids were part of "haves" family vs if they had been part of "have nots". |
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SaltyDog Member
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As I have watched the evolution of this case since it first became public knowledge in late March 2006 I have often asked myself - "Can Nifong really be that stupid?" and the answer has always been a resounding "Yes!" Last edited on Apr 13th, 2007 02:42 pm by SaltyDog |
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mstone Member
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I'm going to type this very slowly so I can choose my words very carefully..... A lot of debate ensued at the outset of this case that centered around the immediate reaction when the rape charges were first announced. "Hang 'em all" was the often heard battle cry. No facts were in, just accusations and charges of "rich white boys" gang raping a "poor black girl" at some drunken party that employed strippers for entertainment. The Duke lacrosse players' planned activities at their party were certainly poor judgment. However, stupidity and a lack of moral ethics is not a crime. Then some of the stories, and information, and rumors, and inuendo started to come out. While this was happening, the defense attorneys, the players, and their families started talking to the press. The university passed judgment on the team and called off the season. They also passed judgment on the players (accused, tried, and convicted without a trial). Then stories changed, characters were attacked, sorted past sins exposed. Nifong went on the offensive and (in the words of A.G. Roy Cooper) became a "rouge" prosecutor, ignoring facts and hiding evidence. OK - fine. So the story goes from those dastardly rapists to those poor innocent boys. It goes from that poor girl to that troubled liar. And all of this happens outside a court of law. This is playing out in the court of public opinion. And we were quick to judge based on what the media fed us. Now here's where I'm going to get hammered...... Mike Nifong is under investigation by the state bar association for possible violations of ethics and perhaps violations of laws. Once again, stupidity is not a crime, and I don't think there's an "anti-rouge" law on the NC books. Who are we to judge and convict Mr. Nifong in the public court? Do we know he's guilty of a crime, or is it that we perceive that he's guilty based on what's reported in the news media? Is it even remotely possible that there is some scrap of evidence that has not been disclosed or reported that may explain or exhonorate his actions? Perhaps, but then again, perhaps not. I don't know. But then again, I'm not sure that any of us know. Am I offended at his actions? YES! But that is not the American system of justice's test for proving guilt or innocence. Is Mr. Nifong innocent? Yep - innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Being charged with an offense does not make one guilty of an offense. We should have learned this from what the Duke players went through. I'm just a little suprised that folks climbed on this roller coaster only to find out the very real difference between perception and fact are now the same folks lining up to ride again. I have my own opinions about Nifongs antics, but that's another post for a later time. God Bless America. Now let the verbal tongue lashings begin. |
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Gestalt Member
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mstone wrote: Who are we to judge and convict Mr. Nifong in the public court? Well, since it's physically impossible to convict anyone in a public court, it's kind of a null point, but still interesting to discuss. My take is the public expects officials to be held accountable. Public opinion does not wait on the snail paced legal system we have, our opinions are now & today. So my lowly opinion is........I am disappointed at the REPORTED behavior of Mr Nifong, I hope the legal system THOROUGHLY investigates his behavior, and if it turns out to be as irresponsible as the news media is reporting, I hope he is punished to the max. but if his behavior isn't found to be so bad...........then why in the heck is he feeling compelled to publicly apologize to the lads? Last edited on Apr 14th, 2007 02:14 am by Gestalt |
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mstone Member
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Gestalt wrote: mstone wrote:Who are we to judge and convict Mr. Nifong in the public court? Try telling those lacrosse players that they weren't convicted in the "public court". I'll bet they'll disagree. The difference here is that you don't go to jail, but you can lose your job, your position, your livelihood, an educational opportunity, and have your good name and character assassinated. I do agree with you though - Public officials are to be held accountable for very high standards, and "behavior" whether legal or not IS an important aspect of the job. It is very odd that Nifong would apologize. Either he was doing his job properly as a public servant, or he was an inept rouge prosecutor. My opinion is that his apology is the opening actions of his defense. To little, too late if you ask me. |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 11:32 am by Jim Flynt |
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Gestalt Member
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mstone wrote: Try telling those lacrosse players that they weren't convicted in the "public court". I'll bet they'll disagree. The difference here is that you don't go to jail, but you can lose your job, your position, your livelihood, an educational opportunity, and have your good name and character assassinated. Yes, I certainly agree, and it follows you around forever thanks to Google searches |
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Gestalt Member
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mstone wrote: Try telling those lacrosse players that they weren't convicted in the "public court". I'll bet they'll disagree. I just got thru watching the 60 minutes segment for tonight, thanks to the wonders of DVR technology. You know mstone..........after watching what happened to those boys, I have to eat my words above about the court of public opinion, and side with your comments. Holy Cow !!! I was not aware until this evening about the crowds staging the protest rallies outside the boys homes, beating on the pots & pans, holding up the signs.......in general being judge, juries, and executioners (j, j, & e's). Saw the clips about the boys walking thru the crowds with the j, j, & e's following them, almost expected to see a grim reaper with a cicle (sp?) in the crowd. The saddest comment (in my eyes) was the boy who said when he died, people would still say "here's one of the rapists from Duke university". Agree with Jim Flynt.......history won't be kind to Nifong. Lest I fall into the trap of being a j, j, & e, (which is really tempting after hearing Ray Cooper's comments tonight).....but I hope Nifong gets appropriate "justice". And I hope North Carolina takes a serious look at it's legal machine to ensure situations like this don't happen again. |
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mstone Member
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Be very careful when agreeing with me ... on anything. Nothing good can come of that!  The interviews showed the power of the media to influence public opinion. One has to wonder if any of the new media are willing to step up and admit that they also rushed to judgment and passed sentence on these young men. Not likely. I can only assume that the Nifong will not have to endure the same treatment as these young men. He's not going to be targeted by college students with pots and pans, visits to his home, or protest signs as he walks down the street. His political and legal connections will keep some of this harrassment at bay. I do believe Nifong over-stepped all boundaries of proper ethical actions and common decency. I hope that we will learn why he did this and how to prevent it from happening again. If the answers aren't delivered in front of the sate bar, I'm confident he'll have to come up with a response during the civil trials that will surely follow. This thing ain't over by a long shot. |
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S. Smith Moderator
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Anybody keeping up with Nifong's trial? |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 11:32 am by Jim Flynt |
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smileyfaces Member
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As I'm not a Summerfield resident, reading the going ons with the council is sometimes very entertaining. It's amazing the lack of respect that some members have for each other and the residents. As for Nifong, what goes around comes around. The Brad and Britt Show had it right this morning in that Nifong should just come into court one day with his license ready to turn in. If he manages his way out of all this, what will it say about our legal system. And...what about Paris Hilton? |
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macca Member
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Well, as I've said before, EVERYBODY reads our forum.... so, of course, Nifong followed your advice and announced his resignation today... |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 11:33 am by Jim Flynt |
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S. Smith Moderator
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Jim Flynt wrote: macca wrote:Well, as I've said before, EVERYBODY reads our forum.... so, of course, Nifong followed your advice and announced his resignation today... Thanks for the update, guys. It's tough sometimes on those of us who are working and don't have access to a TV. I'll have to check it out online. |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 11:33 am by Jim Flynt |
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Steve Adkins Member
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Jim Flynt wrote: both sad and touching, especially for the Nifong family. I have felt and did really feel sorry for both his wife and son. It is indeed unfortunate when family members have to suffer over circumstances which they have no control. No doubt this is one of those cases, probably contributing to Nifong's humility, knowing the pain his family was feeling. How sad for them. |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 11:34 am by Jim Flynt |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 11:34 am by Jim Flynt |
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jwg Member
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CNN: Duke lacrosse prosecutor disbarred http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/06/16/duke.lacrosse/ RALEIGH, North Carolina (CNN) -- The prosecutor in the Duke University lacrosse team rape case was disbarred Saturday for unethical conduct, and the chairman of the disciplinary committee blamed "political ambition" for his downfall. Earlier Saturday, the panel of the North Carolina State Bar concluded that Durham County, North Carolina, District Attorney Mike Nifong violated more than a dozen ethics rules in prosecuting the case against the now-exonerated players. . . |
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mstone Member
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I'm just wondering if it's now time for NC to consider if we want politically elected judges and DAs. Would justice be better served if these individuals were appointed by the govenor, county commissioners, or other elected person's? Quite honestly, I wonder how much the average voter knows about the judges and DAs running for office. Do we want to have our justice system clouded by fund raising, political one-upmanship, and news-making? Appointments have their own drawbacks and issues with "connections" within the system. I'm not sure I know which way is best. Just a thought. |
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macca Member
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Wasn't Nifong appointed by Gov. Easley? |
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mstone Member
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macca wrote: Wasn't Nifong appointed by Gov. Easley? Yep. Nifong was appointed by Easly to replace Jim Hardin, who was appointed Superior Court judge by Easley in 2005. However, Nifong was appointed to fill the remainder of Hardin's term. Then, he had to run for election for the position. Did politics play a role in Nifong's actions as an election tool? One has to wonder. |
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smileyfaces Member
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In some ways you have to feel sorry for Nifong. Not only has he ruined his career but the impact will also affect his family. He may not be able to practice law again, however, there may be a chance that he may end up being some kind of legal consultant in the future. Then again, nobody may want to get involved with him since he will surely be up against more legal battles to come. It appears that the families of the lacrosse players plan to make an example of him. I believe he let his own ambitions get the best of him, without any regard for his family or those that he targetted. What about the woman involved in this fiasco? What happens to her? At one point, I thought Jesse Jackson or somebody was going to help her with finishing her education. Is that true? Seems like she has gotten off, at least for now. |
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mstone Member
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I too feel saddened for the Nifong family. However, I'm not so worried about Nifong's ability to land on his feet. Remember Mark Furman of OJ Simpson "fame"? His stupidity didn't seem to hurt him too much. Also, this tid-bit from the state of NC.... "Dick Ellis, a spokesman for the state Administrative Office of the Courts, said Nifong will still be eligible for his full retirement benefits — a pension and health care — that he accrued while working a state employee for nearly 30 years. " Finally, did everyone see where the 3 accused players and their families have settled with Duke University for an undisclosed amount? I'd love to know what this public university had to pay to avoid a very ugly public lawsuit. The families stated that they racked up 3 million in legal fees. I can't imagine they'd settle for anything less that that amount. |
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macca Member
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mstone wrote:I too feel saddened for the Nifong family. However, I'm not so worried about Nifong's ability to land on his feet. Remember Mark Furman of OJ Simpson "fame"? His stupidity didn't seem to hurt him too much. Also, this tid-bit from the state of NC.... I thought Duke was a private university..... Also, regarding Nifong running for election last fall.... I believe I remember Easley being upset about that b/c Nifong had told him when he was appointed to fill the position that he would not run for election. Maybe he just caught up in the notoriety he had gotten from this case and couldn't resist cashing in on it? |
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mstone Member
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macca wrote: mstone wrote:You're right. I meant to say a private university and a public lawsuit. And you're also right that Nifong agreed not to run for the position if appointed. However, I really wonder if Easley would have raised the issue if this whole mess had never happened and Nifong had simply remained a DA doing the work for the public outside the glare of the media and inside the law. |
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Jim Flynt Member
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Edited by Poster. Last edited on Aug 5th, 2007 11:35 am by Jim Flynt |
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