All charges dropped in the Duke Lacrosse matter

[jdcnow]

This is Breaking News from Raleigh's NBC 17

The Attorney General's office has dropped all remaining charges in the Duke lacrosse investigation.

Attorney General Roy Cooper, whose office took over the case in January after the local district attorney was accused of ethics violations in his handling of it, announced Wednesday afternoon that case shows "clearly insufficient evidence."


"The result is these cases are over," Cooper said.

 

[B_Think_Kink]

link doesn't work dude...

 

[jdcnow]

link doesn't work dude...

Link fixed now, my apologies. :biggrin1:

 

[B_Think_Kink]

hrm... I'd have to understand the case before I understood the trial.. oh well later readings.

 

[jdcnow]

Just my $0.02: I agree with some of the legal eagles on the cable news channels and talk radio this morning: each one of these 3 guys need to sue whoever they can. After all, how do you REALLY hurt someone in this day and age: $$$ ka-CHING!

Mike Nifong needs to be stripped of his Bar Card/law license. Duke U needs to be taken to the cleaners for how they kicked 2 of the 3 out of school (1 of the 3 did graduate), when the Golden Rule in the judicial system is "Innocent UNTIL Proven Guilty In A Court Of Law". Then Duke had the nerve to "invite" one of the 2 kicked out back on campus, and he rightfully declined, and went to another college.

Word on the street is that they may also have a case against Durham County and The State of North Carolina, because Nifong was the government's district attorney.

I hope these 3 boys get to laugh all the way to the bank. $$$
They finally have their good names back.

 

[Countryguy63]

I agree with jdc. What they did to those boys was a crime in itself.

 

[Shelby]

This is hardly news compared to the other heart wrenching injustice.
​

 

[YourAvgGuy]

Shelby, you are indeed right. There are many other injustices, both known and unknown, that are more significant than what has been imposed here. However, these 3 young men have suffered an ordeal that does plead for a call to justice, regardless of their status (athlete, priviledged, affluent, etc.). Their names, their face and their history will forever be taunted and tainted by what did occur.

Granted, by the nature of their status and the visibility of Duke University, the correlation of their plight has been brought more visible than many others who've suffered similar situations, but regardless, theirs could be more risky simply because of the publicity. Who is to say that potential jobs, opportunities, etc. might be withdrawn from them because of the national attention brought by this horrific trial? Who is to say they will ever recover, rightfully, their reputations back? There are many elements to consider that have been wrecked by what the DA allowed and did.

Now, with that said, as a North Carolinian and an academic who lives in the said area, I can say that I will be happy when all of the coverage dies down and things "somewhat" return to normalcy here - especially in the Triangle area! It has been a long ordeal and one that hopefully will be resolved quickly - although I have a feeling it will not (legal suit will ensue I am sure!).

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

On its very face, the case had no merits at all.
I'm glad that it's been so decisively dismissed.
Mike Nifong and the university deserve the paddle of the civil law.
Nifong, for the crassest personal advantage, appealed to the lowest instincts of the public -- and, unless he's suffered a stroke, must have more or less known he was doing so. The evidence didn't merely not support the charges, but actually refuted them, as any school boy could see.
He should be removed from his position, and soon.

 

[jdcnow]

On its very face, the case had no merits at all.
I'm glad that it's been so decisively dismissed.
Mike Nifong and the university deserve the paddle of the civil law.
Nifong, for the crassest personal advantage, appealed to the lowest instincts of the public -- and, unless he's suffered a stroke, must have more or less known he was doing so. The evidence didn't merely not support the charges, but actually refuted them, as any school boy could see.
He should be removed from his position, and soon.

Couldn't have said it better myself, Rubi :biggrin1:

 

[FrenumFellow]

It seems to me that the lacrosse team in general set themselves up to some extent by hiring strippers for what may have been an out-of-control party, and then probably having treated the women badly and maybe even really harassing them, even assuming no actual physical assaults occurred. The young men are not quite innocents here, and if they had a real sense of integrity about how to treat women they would have not been in this situation at all, or at least would have left early.

So I have a bit of trouble seeing the lacrosse players as complete victims here. To what extent do they have some responsibility for having been part of something wrong, that then really spun out of control for the three of them?


FF

 

[Pecker]

It seems to me that the lacrosse team in general set themselves up to some extent by hiring strippers for what may have been an out-of-control party, and then probably having treated the women badly and maybe even really harassing them, even assuming no actual physical assaults occurred. The young men are not quite innocents here, and if they had a real sense of integrity about how to treat women they would have not been in this situation at all, or at least would have left early.

So I have a bit of trouble seeing the lacrosse players as complete victims here. To what extent do they have some responsibility for having been part of something wrong, that then really spun out of control for the three of them?


FF

I didn't see any arrests or indictments for partying, Frenum.

 

[jdcnow]

It seems to me that the lacrosse team in general set themselves up to some extent by hiring strippers for what may have been an out-of-control party, and then probably having treated the women badly and maybe even really harassing them, even assuming no actual physical assaults occurred. The young men are not quite innocents here, and if they had a real sense of integrity about how to treat women they would have not been in this situation at all, or at least would have left early.

So I have a bit of trouble seeing the lacrosse players as complete victims here. To what extent do they have some responsibility for having been part of something wrong, that then really spun out of control for the three of them?


FF

Now that's a fair point and a good one. That if these strippers were never hired or this particular party never thrown, then this would never have happened. But it did happen. Events did play out the way that they played out, resulting in these 3 boys accused.

However, my central arguement is that Nifong willfully screwed up here. In the American justice system, EVERYONE is entitled to 1) the presumtion of innocence until proven guilty, and 2) a speedy trial. For Nifong to have evidence that could get these 3 cleared, then to willfully sit on that evidence for months on end and drag this matter out for as long as possible is a violation of the basic legal protections the Constitution affords every one of us. For that, Mike Nifong ought to be ran out of town and shamed out of the legal profession.

 

[B_big dirigible]

It seems to me that the lacrosse team in general set themselves up to some extent by hiring strippers for what may have been an out-of-control party, and then probably having treated the women badly and maybe even really harassing them, even assuming no actual physical assaults occurred. The young men are not quite innocents here, and if they had a real sense of integrity about how to treat women they would have not been in this situation at all, or at least would have left early.

You're not one of the infamous Duke "Group of 88" by any chance, are you? They were also convinced that the accused were guilty, no matter what.

No coherent charges, no credible witness, no evidence, no case. And no ifs, and, or buts.

 

[fortiesfun]

The young men are not quite innocents here, and if they had a real sense of integrity about how to treat women they would have not been in this situation at all, or at least would have left early.

Don't I recall that one of the three, Evans, actually did produce evidence that he left the party early in the form of an ATM withdrawal? That was one of the indications early on that all was not right in this matter...

(Nifong allegedly dismissed it as unimportant because it did not positively prove that he didn't return to the party later...)

 

[FrenumFellow]

I didn't see any arrests or indictments for partying, Frenum.

Actually, if the stripper hadn't apparently muddied the waters by making an exaggerated allegation as her retaliation for some lesser misbehavior, she might have gotten the cops to issue something along the lines of some drunk and disorderly citations, and I think that would have been appropriate and probably a better outcome. Part of what may be unfortunate is that the stripper's allegations, combined with the district attorney's mis-handling of the case, distracted from bringing whatever charges might have been appropriate.

It turns out that the lacrosse team were in the habit of behaving in a way that got them in trouble with the law. In doing some quick research on this matter, I discovered that team members turned out to have quite a history of run-ins with the law for misdemeanor drunk and disorderly type offenses, at about ten times the rate of other university sports teams.

I certainly think that the district attorney inexcusably mis-handled the situation in several ways. And it's a good point that the one young man did have evidence that he may have left early, which certainly would have resolved him of responsibility or involvement in the worst of whatever did go on, and would make it extra unfair in his case that he in particular got caught up in the ramifications of whatever did actually happen.

I think it's an interesting and troubling question as to whether they're exactly innocents, excepting the one and possibly any others who really weren't there at the time. Personally, I'm glad the apparently improperly justified charges were dismissed, but I can't exactly cheer for most of these guys, either.


FF

 

[Dave NoCal]

The young may not be innocent in this matter but the DA has a civic and moral obligation to do his job within the Constitution. The University had a moral obligation to show some backbone. I too hope these kids get the meanest junkyard dog lawyers they can find. Large payouts tend to have a deterrent effect.
Dave

 

[transformer_99]

This is hardly news compared to the other heart wrenching injustice.

Maybe so, but at least one "nappy headed hoe" has been properly identified and classified ? :biggrin1:

 

[DC_DEEP]

It seems to me that the lacrosse team in general set themselves up to some extent by hiring strippers for what may have been an out-of-control party, and then probably having treated the women badly and maybe even really harassing them, even assuming no actual physical assaults occurred. The young men are not quite innocents here, and if they had a real sense of integrity about how to treat women they would have not been in this situation at all, or at least would have left early.

So I have a bit of trouble seeing the lacrosse players as complete victims here. To what extent do they have some responsibility for having been part of something wrong, that then really spun out of control for the three of them?

People hire strippers all the time, and it usually is not for a church ice cream social. And "probably having treated them badly" has no place in a legal proceeding.

Whether or not they may have treated her badly is not what is at issue. Of course, the fact that she's a stripper does not entitle anyone to treat her badly, but when you are a stripper-for-hire, being objectified is part of the job.

What is at issue is that she made false accusations, the prostituting attorney knew that, and went forward with a trial. The accuser should have her name and photo published in the media, and both she and the DA should be tried for false accusation; if found guilty, they should suffer the same penalties as would have been given to any of the 3 accused, had they been found guilty. Prison time and fines. The county, the state, and the university should have very heavy penalties assessed against them.

I am all in favor of dire consequences for rapists and abusers, but I am also in favor of exactly the same consequences for false accusations.

 

[Lex]

Maybe so, but at least one "nappy headed hoe" has been properly identified and classified ? :biggrin1:

So you think it's okay to make these types of racist and sexist remarks?

Lot's of things went wrong with this case--on all sides.