Justice Prevails in Duke Case

Hey folks,


Finally justice prevails in the Duke case. Back on April 12, after North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper hadn't just dismissed all the remaining criminal charges against Evans, Reade Seligmann and Collin Finnerty. He took the extra step of declaring the players innocent, he called them the victims of a "tragic rush to accuse" by a rogue prosecutor who could be disbarred for his actions, I said this.

Yes folks, that whole mess, that everyone knew from the beginning was bogus, is over. So how do they get compensated for all that they went through? Does the accuser or the Prosecutor have to paid a price for what they put these boys through? They should. The accuser should also be facing charges.

Well just today it has happened. According to AP -N.C. panel disbars Duke prosecutor By AARON BEARD, Associated Press Writer 27 minutes ago

District Attorney Mike Nifong was disbarred Saturday for his "selfish" rape prosecution of three Duke University lacrosse players — a politically motivated act, his judges said, that he inexplicably allowed to fester for months after it was clear the defendants were innocent.

"This matter has been a fiasco. There's no doubt about it," said F. Lane Williamson, the chairman of the three-member disciplinary committee that stripped the veteran prosecutor of his state law license.

This is a good day for the Justice System. He should have known this was bogus. From withholding the DNA evidence, the “victim” changing her story three or four times, to the “victim’s “ own witness saying it was bogus. He should have never pursued this case.

Even Nifong and his attorneys supported the decision, though the veteran prosecutor refused to admit to the end that no crime occurred at a March 2006 lacrosse team party.

The committee said Nifong manipulated the investigation to boost his chances of winning his first election for Durham County district attorney. In doing so, he committed "a clear case of intentional prosecutorial misconduct" that involved "dishonesty, fraud, deceit and misrepresentation."

Williamson specifically cited Nifong's comments in the early days of the case, which included a confident proclamation at a candidate forum that he wouldn't allow Durham to become known for "a bunch of lacrosse players from Duke raping a black girl." He also called the lacrosse team "a bunch of hooligans" at one point.

Appointed district attorney in 2005, Nifong was in a tight race for the office when a stripper told police she was raped at the party.

"At the time he was facing a primary, and yes, he was politically naive," Williamson said. "But we can draw no other conclusion that those initial statements he made were to further his political ambitions."

During the ethics trial, Nifong acknowledged he knew there was no DNA evidence connecting Reade Seligmann and Collin Finnerty to the 28-year-old accuser when he indicted them on charges of rape, sexual offense and kidnapping. Nifong later charged Dave Evans with the same crimes. But months later, state prosecutors concluded the three players were "innocent" — a fact Williamson hammered home on Saturday.

"We acknowledge the actual innocence of the defendants, and there's nothing here that has done anything but support that assertion," Williamson said.

Williamson said it appeared that throughout his investigation, Nifong was looking for any evidence to link a lacrosse player to the accuser's story in order to support his initial comments that he was sure an attack occurred.

"He's already out there," Williamson said. "He's way out there by then. He looks foolish if he does not go forward."

Well let’s hope that this is a message to any other Prosecutors out there. Make sure you have FACTS before you make statements. It is also better to be humble and admit you made a mistake, then to attempt to destroy innocent lives for your own political gain.

Now this goes on to talk about the DNA, more details of the hearing, ETC. There is closer, but I do not think it’s over yet, nor should it be.

"I don't think any of us are done with Mr. Nifong yet," said Jim Cooney, Seligmann's attorney.

Good. I say these kids should get whatever they can. As insane as this whole thing is, the sad fact of reality is that there will STILL be some that find them guilty just because of the nature of the charge. I hope they get well compensated for this.
Peter