Justice was done today, finally. The three Duke lacrosse players falsely accused of rape by a seedy Durham stripper and soon-to-be-Ex DA Mike Nifong and have been cleared of all charges. Here is the link to the CBS interview with the players’ parents.
Now, where do they go to get their reputations back?
Where do the run to escape this when people meet them after graduation and desire to conduct business with them?
One of them, happily, will become a criminal justice student and dedicate his life to making sure this never happens to anyone on his watch. Good for you, Reade.
These kids are lucky, but we should all be more vigilant to make sure that unfettered prosecutorial discretion is not abused. As one of the parent’s says, “the most frightening thing is how easy this was to perpetrate…”
If Mike Nifong had his way, he would have walked into the DA’s plush office everyday while three innocent men spent 20-year terms and lived out the rest of their lives unfairly scarred as sexual predators, having to report their whereabouts at all times if they ever got out of jail, and being hounded, derided and branded by their chosen communities as sex fiends and rapists. Mike Nifong would have condemned them to hell on Earth all the while enjoying the niceties of a cushy, politically powerful job. Mike Nifong, hang your head in shame. Click here to see exactly how much terror, heartache, injustice and fear Mike Nifong inflicted in the life of a family of an innocent man accused of a sex felony.
Click here for a detailed analysis of the second round of more severe ethics charges against Nifong.
La Shawn Barber is also covering the story in depth at her website. Michelle Malkin also has extensive coverage, including the transcript of the press conference. Good work, Michelle!
Here is a terrific excerpt from the conference:
“Our investigation shows that:
The eyewitness identification procedures were faulty and unreliable. No DNA confirms the accuser’s story. No other witness confirms her story. Other evidence contradicts her story. She contradicts herself. Next week, we’ll be providing a written summary of the important factual findings and some of the specific contradictions that have led us to the conclusion that no attack occurred.
In this case, with the weight of the state behind him, the Durham district attorney pushed forward unchecked. There were many points in the case where caution would have served justice better than bravado. And in the rush to condemn, a community and a state lost the ability to see clearly. Regardless of the reasons this case was pushed forward, the result was wrong. Today, we need to learn from this and keep it from happening again to anybody.”
Meanwhile, an important open question remains- has Duke University learned their lesson about fawning to political correctness? This ESPN article about how one lacrosse player had to sue the school to get a failing grade in a class changed indicates not. Although Kyle Dowd had a C average in class work, Professor Kim Curtis from Duke’s “Gang of 88” professors (who’s half-assed statement weeks ago fell miles short of an apology for their prior race-baiting and rush to judgment) somehow found the courage in her heart to strike a blow for…well something only she can justify…and give Kyle an F. The school later changed it to a D. Thanks. These kids sure will come rushing back to school after that treatment. Hello? University of North Carolina admissions? Do you and Johns Hopkins take transfer students?
Why are we no longer talking about Ryan McFadyen? If this neanderthal hadn’t sent out that email about skinning and killing strippers after he learned about police involvement, perhaps the rush to accuse would have been mildly tempered. Remember, everyone latched onto this horrible and graphic threat as an indication of the Duke players’ guilt. Can anyone open up his “where are they now file?”
***UPDATE*** There is also outstanding coverage of this topic by Brooklyn College History professor KC Johnson at is blog Durham in Wonderland. Nifong Liestoppers also has all the video you could possibly want, from the NCCU pep rally burning the accused (have any of them apologized) to the ridiculous press conference Nifong gave at his “swearing in.” I love this quote: “There are ceremonial ceremonies and there are lets get back to work ceremonies. This was a lets get back to work ceremony.”
Yeah, that’s the guy I want repping me as a lawyer…NOT! Chump, lunkhead or dingbat – take your pick, which shall it be?
Leave a reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.