They are violating that policy (or rather, making an exception would be more accurate) most likely because most felony cases aren't major news cases that drag on for months and months and months.

Also, most people involved in felony cases aren't so obviously innocent of the charges.

1/4/2007 11:34:21 AM

^and where in the hell was the obvious guilt of the charges almost a year ago?

I have a hard time believing that all the PR stunts by Duke in order to restore its reputation did not include suspending those players (even the one not charged with a single crime).

This whole case is a disgusting example of the stupidity mass groups of people display when they do not think and following the crowd.

1/4/2007 11:56:26 AM

1/4/2007 3:02:52 PM

wtf

1/4/2007 3:34:44 PM

in the WRAL article about the birth, it says she worked for an escort service

Quote :

"At the time of the alleged incident, the woman, a divorced mother of two, had worked for an escort service to help support her children and to pay for classes at North Carolina Central University."

is that true? I thought she was just an "exotic dancer", i.e. getting paid to strip. If she was an escort, though, then she was quite literally a whore, getting paid to have sex.

1/4/2007 4:33:35 PM

Quote :

"i'm just relaying what the university said when they suspended the students to begin with."

sarijoul

Duke University has "said" many things concerning the case in question. Unfortunately, most of it has been a bunch of politically correct bullshit.

1/4/2007 10:08:58 PM

Bottom line:

Quote :

"DNA testing in the Duke lacrosse rape case found genetic material from several males [emphasis added] in the accuser’s body and her underwear--but none from any team member, defense attorneys said in court papers Wednesday."

Time to end this circus--drop ALL charges.

1/5/2007 5:51:59 AM

First Lawsuit against DUKE

Quote :

"A former Duke Lacrosse player has filed a lawsuit against the University saying he was failed by an professor because of his membership on the lacrosse team. Kyle Dowd filed the lawsuit Thursday against against Duke University and visiting associate professor Kim Curtis. Dowd, who graduated with David Evans in May 2006, was not indicted in the rape case but says that Professor Curtis gave him and another lacrosse player in class a failing grade in class as a form of retaliation after the Duke Lacrosse scandal broke. The two players were apparently receiving passing grades until the scandal, and Duke University revised their grades upward months after graduation. This does not affect the pending sexual offense and kidnapping case against David Evans, Reade Seligmann, and Collin Finnerty. But it is significant in being the first of likely to be many legal and moral hits against Duke University - critics say that Duke failed to stand by its own students as they came under attack by members of the faculty and community. It is also noteworthy for its timing, coming one day after Seligmann and Finnerty are reinstated and weeks after a turnaround statement by Duke University President Brodhead, calling for DA Mike Nifong to step off the case. Duke is being sued for breach of contract and unjust enrichment. Curtis and Duke are being sued for fraud, negligent misrepresentation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and punitive damages. For all but one of those claims the lawsuit states that the plaintiffs were damaged in excess of $10,000. Professor Curtis was among the "Group of 88" professors who published an advertisement in the Duke Chronicle calling the rape scandal a "social disaster." The Group of 88, perceived by critics as attacking the Lacrosse team, at one point thanked protesters who posted "wanted" fliers containing photos of all or nearly all of the Lacrosse players. "

so any bets how many lawsuits there will be?

1/5/2007 7:57:15 AM

He graduated anyway, who cares... You think employers would notice the minute difference that class made in that kid's academic record from DOOK?

1/5/2007 9:12:11 AM

Quote :

"Professor Curtis was among the "Group of 88" professors who published an advertisement in the Duke Chronicle calling the rape scandal a "social disaster." The Group of 88, perceived by critics as attacking the Lacrosse team, at one point thanked protesters who posted "wanted" fliers containing photos of all or nearly all of the Lacrosse players."

that was stupid

1/5/2007 9:16:15 AM

and it's going to cost them

1/5/2007 11:33:56 AM

Quote :

"He graduated anyway, who cares... You think employers would notice the minute difference that class made in that kid's academic record from DOOK?"

Its not about the grade.

Its all about principle. This, as previously stated, will be the first of many lawsuits in regards to unjust and preemptive character judgments towards the lacrosse players.

1/5/2007 12:12:56 PM

If I'm not mistaken, my coworker read this somewhere, that he almost didn't graduate because of the F, which was moved up to a D later, and that he had to use hours from another school to graduate, which Duke allowed him to do.

1/5/2007 12:31:34 PM

Quote :

"is that true? I thought she was just an "exotic dancer", i.e. getting paid to strip. If she was an escort, though, then she was quite literally a whore, getting paid to have sex."

well she had DNA from 5 different men on/in her...draw your own conclusions.

1/5/2007 12:37:17 PM

If they were yelling the racial slurs, then I can see how assault charges were warranted.

And assuming those leaked emails from some of the Lacrosse players, then the character judgments weren't really that preemptive (but the guilt/innocent judgments were).

1/6/2007 12:28:33 AM

so yelling racial slurs now equals assault?

1/6/2007 12:53:16 AM

it's something illegal isn't it?

1/6/2007 12:56:45 AM

unless i'm mistaken, calling someone a name is not illegal yet.

1/6/2007 1:01:50 AM

If a professor failed me and I was not really failing, and I figured out a way to sue them in the future, I certainly would.

1/6/2007 1:06:57 AM

^ Hell yeah! Professors who give unfair grades--you're on notice.

1/6/2007 1:40:39 AM

Quote :

"If they were yelling the racial slurs, then I can see how assault charges were warranted."

Wow, moron your name says it all.

1/6/2007 11:09:47 AM

Oh yeah - never stopped to think bout fulfilling graduation requirements, I was just thinking GPA. Oops!

1/6/2007 5:30:07 PM

Quote :

"Accuser changes story in lacrosse case By Joseph Neff, Staff Writer In her latest statement to investigators, the accuser in the Duke lacrosse rape case changed her account again about when the alleged gang rape occurred, who attacked her and how. Defense attorneys filed the statement in court today, arguing that it was more evidence that the woman is an unreliable witness. The woman adjusted the timing of the assault to earlier in the evening, a time point preceding the well-documented alibi of one accused player, Reade Seligmann. The defense, however, introduced yet more alibi evidence for Seligmann: he was on the cell phone with his girlfriend during the height of the attack as the accuser now times it. The new version of the events comes from a Dec. 21 interview by Linwood Wilson, chief investigator for Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong. The statement marked the first time anyone from the District Attorney's office discussed the case with the woman since charges were filed in April. The interview came less than a week after a private laboratory director testified that he and Nifong agreed not to report DNA evidence favorable to the three accused players. It was the Dec. 21 interview that prompted Nifong to drop rape charges the following day against the three players after the woman said she was no longer certain that the men had vaginally assaulted her with their penises. The three players, Seligmann, David Evans and Collin Finnerty, have called the accusations lies and said they are innocent. The statement layers new and contradictory accounts over the woman's previous statements: * In her latest statement she said the attack ended at midnight. In previous accounts, the woman said the gang-rape ended shortly before she left in the car driven by Kim Roberts, the second dancer. Roberts called 911 as she was driving away at 12:53 a.m., according to police records. This new account leaves 50 minutes unaccounted between the end of the rape and the departure from the party. The new statement runs contrary to time stamped photos of the party, which show the two women dancing between 12:00 and 12:04 a.m. in the living room of the house at 610 N. Buchanan Blvd. * In the latest statement, the woman says she arrived at the party at 11:10 p.m. on March 13 and that the rape began at 11:40 p.m. Her cell phone records show that she was on phone with her father and others up to one minute before the rape allegedly started. * The woman now said her alleged assailants used multiple names. In previous accounts, she said she was assaulted by three men named "Adam", "Brett" and "Matt." She has given conflicting descriptions of the three men and contradictory accounts of how they assaulted her. In the Dec. 21 interview, she said for the first time that the players used multiple names. "Dan, Adam and Brett was used by Dave Evans," Wilson wrote. "Adam and Matt was also used by Reade Seligmann. She does not remember a name being used for Collin Finnerty or if he was called by a name." * The accuser has changed her description of Evans. On April 4, she viewed a photograph of Evans and said it looked like one of her assailants, except that the assailant had a moustache. In the Dec. 21 statement, the woman said the assailant had a five o'clock shadow, not a moustache. Evans has a visible five o'clock shadow in the photograph. * In her recent statement, the woman said that Evans stood in front of her and made her perform sex on him. In past statements, she said that Seligmann did this. Nifong could not be reached immediately for comment today."

http://www.newsobserver.com/100/story/531253.html

1/11/2007 11:34:42 AM

With enough witness tampering coaching by Nifong, maybe Crystal Mangum can point to the right people in court.

1/11/2007 11:38:36 AM

Quote :

"The accuser in the Duke lacrosse sexual assault case told prosecutors in December that one of the three players charged did not commit any sex act on her during the alleged attack. That's according to court papers filed Thursday by the defense. The accuser told an investigator that the attacker identified as Reade Seligmann only watched. "

http://www.wtkr.com/Global/story.asp?S=5925340

[Edited on January 11, 2007 at 11:51 AM. Reason : ]

1/11/2007 11:51:16 AM

this is just getting better and better by the minute

great to see how great the good ole american justice system works

1/11/2007 3:40:58 PM

And now the WRAL story:

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1133573/

"Lacrosse Defense Claims Duke Accuser Changed Story Again"

Heh.

[Edited on January 11, 2007 at 5:00 PM. Reason : x]

1/11/2007 4:59:38 PM

for fucks sake when will this circus sideshow end?

1/11/2007 5:06:38 PM

http://www.allinfoaboutcrime.com/index.php?page=011207_duke_accuser_clears_one_defendant

Quote :

"On December 21, according to court papers filed yesterday by the defense, the accuser in the Duke University sexual assault case told prosecutors that Reade Seligmann -- one of the three men charged with kidnap and sexual assault -- never sexually assaulted her at all: He just watched co-defendants Collin Finnerty and David Evans assaulting her, refusing their invitations to join in because he said he was about to get married. (Though he did have a girlfriend at the time, he did not in fact have any wedding plans). This was the same session in which she told prosecutors she was no longer certain she was raped at all (article), which led to rape charges against the three defendants being dropped (while sexual assault and kidnapping charges remained in place). Also according to yesterday's filing, she changed her timeline of the alleged assault (to between 11:35pm and midnight on the night of March 13, 2006), which on one hand makes some of the defendants' alibis useless, but on the other hand conflicts with records that both she and Seligmann used their cell phones during that period of time. Not clear at this time is why her statement about Seligmann's non-involvement was not made public along with the fact that she was no longer claiming to have been raped, why sexual assault charges against Seligmann weren't immediately dropped, or whether Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong will seek to charge Seligmann with "conspiracy to commit sexual assault" or some related charge related to the accuser's claim that he watched the alleged attack. "We have indications from the families that they don't intend to come back until their legal cases are resolved" -spokesperson for Duke University commenting on the fact that althought Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann were invited to return to the school for the spring semester (see article), which began yesterday, they have not done so. Given the resounding lack of support Finnerty and Seligmann received from Duke University during the months they've been under suspicion, I imagine their reaction would be "Thanks for the offer, but you've got to be kidding." "

1/12/2007 8:50:27 AM

PHASE ONE: I DEMAND THAT ALL CHARGES BE DROPPED IMMEDIATELY, GODDAMMIT!

PHASE TWO: I DEMAND THAT THE "ACCUSER" BE PROSECUTED.

PHASE THREE: I DEMAND THAT NIFUCK BE TAR AND FEATHERED OR RUN OUT OF OFFICE--WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.

Mission accomplished.

1/12/2007 11:15:03 AM

A Duke professor has reportedly resigned from some committee because Duke invited the evidently innocent students back. Good riddance and big deal.

http://www.diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_6857.shtml

1/12/2007 3:13:17 PM

pussy. if he really believed he would quit his job.

1/12/2007 3:14:57 PM

So for our resident TWW lawyers, how many times is she allowed to change her story before they just throw the whole case out?

1/12/2007 3:25:30 PM

^^ The professor is a black she--but yeah.

[Edited on January 12, 2007 at 3:43 PM. Reason : .]

1/12/2007 3:29:51 PM

^ she's probably just another attention whore

1/12/2007 3:34:16 PM

^^^ I'm not any kind of lawyer, but ONCE should be enough when the change/s is/are of such magnitude. I mean, we are talking about the heart of the "case": ever-changing timelines; who allegedly forced sex on whom--or not; and so on. Durham is a national laughing stock because of Nifuck. ^

[Edited on January 12, 2007 at 3:35 PM. Reason : ^]

[Edited on January 12, 2007 at 3:35 PM. Reason : ^]

1/12/2007 3:35:07 PM

^^ In a case of sexual assault, I'm generally inclined to give a woman a heavy benefit of the doubt--but for God's sake, this "case" is just bullshit! And with the "genetic material" (protein spill?) of allegedly as many as five guys in/on her, she is certainly something akin to a whore.

1/12/2007 3:42:14 PM

We're waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay beyond reaonable doubt by now.

1/12/2007 3:48:30 PM

ABC news is reporting that Nifong has asked to be removed from the case

1/12/2007 5:41:41 PM

ESPN just reported the same thing

1/12/2007 6:11:43 PM

1/12/2007 7:11:41 PM

Quote :

"RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Facing ethics charges that could lead to his disbarment, the embattled district attorney in the Duke lacrosse sexual assault case has asked the state attorney general to appoint a special prosecutor to take over the case. Noelle Talley, a spokeswoman for the attorney general, said Friday in an e-mail that District Attorney Mike Nifong sent a letter requesting the special prosecutor. Nifong's attorney insisted the veteran prosecutor was not running from a weak case and said Nifong was disappointed he would not take it to trial. "He feels, as a result of the accusations against him, that he would be a distraction and he wants to make sure the accuser receives a fair trial," attorney David Freedman told The Associated Press. "He still believes in the case. He just believes his continued presence would hurt her." Nifong met with the accuser this week to tell her of his decision, Freedman said. Attorney General Roy Cooper's office declined to comment on whether it would take the case. Officials planned to speak with reporters Saturday. Last month, the North Carolina State Bar charged Nifong with violating four rules of professional conduct for making misleading and inflammatory comments about the athletes under suspicion. The ethics charges carry penalties ranging from admonishment to removal from the bar. It was not immediately clear what impact Nifong's decision would have on the troubled prosecution of Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty and David Evans. If the attorney general accepts the case, "then they would transfer the files over, and they would probably have a lot of interviews to do," said Peg Dorer, director of the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys. "It would probably stop things for a while, I imagine." Under North Carolina law, only a district attorney can formally request a special prosecutor. The request can be made when there are potential conflicts of interest, when a case is particularly complex or when there are other unusual circumstances. Once the ethics charges were filed, Nifong "had a conflict of interest with respect with the case," said Ron Sullivan, a criminal law professor at Yale University. "It's probably safe to say that Nifong felt that he couldn't be completely objective." Legal experts and observers have railed against Nifong in recent weeks, calling his case pitfully weak and casting doubt on his chance of winning. "I think we're all delighted that we're going to have objective and competent prosecutors reviewing this case," said James P. Cooney III, an attorney for Seligmann. "We look forward to cooperating with those prosecutors fully and completely in bringing this prosecution to an end." Wade Smith, an attorney for Finnerty, was also pleased and pledged to meet with any new prosecutors. "We will assist them in every way we can," he said. From the case's earliest days, Nifong has led the investigation into allegations that a 28-year-old student at North Carolina Central University -- hired as to perform as a stripper -- was gang-raped and beaten at a March 13 party thrown by Duke's highly ranked lacrosse team. Experts have said it appears Nifong's case is based only on the testimony of an accuser who has told wildly different versions of the alleged assault. Her shifting account of that night led him to drop rape charges on Dec. 22. The three players remain charged with sexual offense and kidnapping."

[Edited on January 12, 2007 at 9:00 PM. Reason : ]

1/12/2007 8:57:40 PM

http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/01/13/duke.lacrosse.ap/index.html

State taking over the case.

1/13/2007 4:17:28 PM

anyone think they'll completely drop the charges and make nifong look even worse?

1/17/2007 2:01:39 PM

I think Nifong is fucked, as in being driven from Durham.

Quote :

"Nifong Faces More Serious Ethics Charges Posted: Today at 9:46 a.m. Updated: Today at 7:18 p.m. Raleigh — The North Carolina State Bar Wednesday filed new and more serious ethics charges against Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong, accusing him of withholding DNA evidence and misrepresenting the truth to the judge in the Duke lacrosse case. "It almost doesn't get any worse than lying to the judge in terms of ethical violations, but lying to the judge about information that suggests the defendant is innocent is even worse," University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill law professor Joe Kennedy said. The State Bar revised the ethics complaint it filed in December, adding that Nifong allegedly withheld exculpatory evidence from defense attorneys and lied about it. Exculpatory evidence is evidence that can negate a defendant's guilt. Nifong was already scheduled to appear in a hearing for the first charge, which alleges he violated ethics codes for pretrial comments he made early in the case, when he received the amended complaint, The State Bar cites findings from April 2006 that a second set of DNA tests found excluded all of the Duke University lacrosse players as potential contributors. It also states that Nifong and Dr. Brian Meehan, the director of DNA Security, which conducted the tests, agreed only to report to defense attorneys positive DNA matches to certain pieces of evidence. The complaint also states that they agreed to knowingly omit DNA matches to other men found on the accuser. The defense requested at least four different times for Nifong to hand over all the testing. In court hearings, Nifong told defense attorneys and the judge presiding over the case that he had released all of the evidence that would potentially benefit the defense. "According to the state bar, they concluded he lied to the court -- not made a mistake," Kennedy said. "Not said something that wasn't a reasonable interpretation of the facts -- the state bar concluded that Mike Nifong lied to the judge in this case." Nifong did not hand over the evidence until October even though state law requires a prosecutor to hand over exculpatory information as quickly as possible. "He had an obligation to turn over the information as soon as he had it," Kennedy said. "He also had an obligation not to engineer a report that excluded information." Nifong, had no comment on the latest charges against him. "I'll do what I've been doing. Whatever I'll say, I'll say in the courtroom," he said leaving Wednesday's hearing at the State Bar headquarters in Raleigh. During that hearing, the district attorney was granted an extension to make his official response to the State Bar's complaint. (Read the hearing transcript or watch the hearing.) The new deadline is Feb. 21 but could be extended, if needed. Nifong's attorney, David Freedman, has said it is common for such extensions to be granted. "I'll say anytime any charges are filed with the State Bar, they are all serious, so we want to make sure we handle them all properly," he said. Nifong's May trial date was also postponed until June. If found guilty, he could be disbarred. Legal observers, however, say Nifong could face other troubles. Judge Osmond Smith, who is presiding over the lacrosse case, could find Nifong in contempt. The district attorney could also be removed from office if someone were to file a complaint with the senior resident Superior Court judge and he finds the complaint violent. That judge, Orlando Hudson, told WRAL on Wednesday, however, that he has not received any complaints against Nifong. Several defense attorneys in the lacrosse sexual assault case said that since Nifong has recused himself from the case, they have no comment about his legal issues. Their clients, Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty and David Evans, face first-degree sexual assault and kidnapping charges stemming from the accuser's allegations that she was assaulted by them at an off-campus party in March. Last month, Nifong dropped rape charges against them after the accuser wavered in her account of key details in the case. The three defendants have strongly proclaimed their innocence. Two weeks ago, Nifong asked Attorney General Roy Cooper for a special prosecutor in the case. According to Freedman, Nifong stepped down from the case because the pending ethics charges created a conflict of interest. The state Attorney General's office is now reviewing the case. Reporter: Julia Lewis Photographer: John Cox Web Editor: Kelly Gardner "

If he does not resign soon he is an idiot. This case will probably open the door for appeals from all kinds of cases he has prosecuted.

http://wral.com/news/local/story/1177453/

1/24/2007 8:50:53 PM

Nifuck FUCKWAD!

1/24/2007 11:54:34 PM

he is muy screwed

1/24/2007 11:59:56 PM

take him down

1/25/2007 12:56:38 AM

This guy is such a lawyer-esque, lying sack of shit. Why was he allowed to do this for so long???

1/25/2007 6:23:48 AM

because up until now he was only pulling this shit on poor black men


and we's be serious about this here war on drugs, son

[Edited on January 25, 2007 at 6:30 AM. Reason : s]

1/25/2007 6:30:10 AM