Thursday, December 28, 2006

Wilmington Star Demands Resignation

The Wilmington Star has become the first North Carolina newspaper to demand Mike Nifong’s resignation as district attorney.

The Star editorializes,
Mike Nifong has demonstrated that he is not ethically or professionally fit to prosecute a littering case, much less the sexual assault case involving three Duke lacrosse players . . .

Hiding behind paper hung over the windows of his office, Nifong issues written statements and refuses to talk with North Carolina reporters. Yet Thursday he gave a three-hour interview to The New York Times.

Nifong doesn’t owe an explanation to the readers of a national newspaper. He owes an explanation to the people who elected him. He owes it to the people of this state.

But he owes them more: his resignation.

53 comments:

Anonymous said...

A simple resignation would be such an anticlimax at this point. I favor an angry mob with torches, a pickup truck, and a length of chain.

On the other hand, I learned long ago that the kindest thing you can do to a miserable person is to put him out of his misery. By that dictum, may Nifong live to a ripe old age indeed.

Anonymous said...

Demanding Nifong's resignation is great, but even the Wilmington Star needs to be called to account for calling the accused players "lacrosse louts" in this editorial. No reason exists for such nonsense. Is there any evidense that each of these players is a "lout," i.e., an awkward and stupid person? If the accused were black basketball players, would the Wilmington Star call them "basketball louts"?

Unknown said...

KC,

fyi Wilmington is Nifong's hometown.

I'm a Carolina grad & normally anything bad at dook is good for me. The trouble is, to my everlasting embarrassment, Nifong went to Carolina too, class of '71. '67 to '71 were troubled times on many campuses. Perhaps he still has some latent, pent up dook hostility.

These 3 young men and the lax team need to see him punished. He might step aside; but that won't shield him from accounting for his perfidy.

Anonymous said...

Nifong enablers are all going to get tough with him. They are now trying to save their own reputations. Like rats on a sinking ship.

Anonymous said...

The title of the editorial says it all

Disgraceful Nifong should depart

Anonymous said...

1:02 PM

perfidy \PUR-fuh-dee\, noun:
The act of violating faith or allegiance; violation of a promise or vow; faithlessness; treachery.

Had to look that one up.

Anonymous said...

Kemper said...
Friends,

I talked with my Bar Counselor friend tonight, he made it clear Nifungu knows about the Oct Bar meeting and that Nifungu has been interviewed by Bar Attorneys, note he did not say in the NY Times article if the Bar had talked to him. Remember the Jan 16th meeting of Bar Disciplinary committee is coming up that's when the shit will hit the fan. He WILL be disbarred, after a long process, by June for sure. Put that in the bank. It will take time, but he is a dead man walking. Federal indictments will follow. He is going to be an example to others, he has no life line, and the Republican US Attorneys are going to kill him. Just the facts, Book'em Dan'O.
Kemp

10:52 PM

Anonymous said...

Moral of story: If you merely prosecute obviously-innocent Dukies, the Wilmington Star will look the other way for a while. But if you give an interview to the NYT while blowing off the Star, you'll be shown no mercy.

Anonymous said...

1:40 I love your moral. LOL.

Anonymous said...

Wonder why Nifong did not give the interview to the HS? Trouble in paradise?

Anonymous said...

from a non-lawyer: correct me if I am wrong, but if he resigned at this moment, wouldn't the case have to be assigned to possibly a special prosecutor, and might this even further delay the conclusion of the case beyond the February 5 hearing? So let him drop the charges first and then resign.

Anonymous said...

Thanks KC!

It is good to see that article made it out.

I would have put explanations to the three defendants at the top of the list though.

Anonymous said...

Nifong is just trying to get the word out to the intelectuals that read sophisticated papers like the New York Times that he is a good person doing his job.

Anonymous said...

12:58 and 1:40 make great points. This "louses" business simply is not true, and I agree that by snubbing the NC papers, Liefong has made even more trouble for himself.

I suppose that Mikey figured that since the Herald-Sun was in his hip pocket, he didn't need to do anything but throw them yesterday's garbage, and Bob Ashley would scarf it down like filet mignon. You see, when the NY Times last summer bought into Gottlieb's creative writing project (no doubt, illegally leaked to them by the Durham Minister of Justice), Liefong figured he had hit the big time.

As you know, Big Time Prosecutors don't need the little people. Unfortunately, the romance with the Big Time Media is over, and all of those signal trucks that appear at the courtroom for the next hearing (if there IS a next hearing) will be beaming bad news for Mike to their respective stations.

Anonymous said...

Woody defendinfg Nifong in a AP (Bread) story this afternoon, in Washington Post. Most sources are wondering why there is staill a case.

Anonymous said...

Many papers are carrying the story with the following headline

"Hardly anyone is left to defend DA in the Duke lacrosse case."

The headline speaks for itself.

Anonymous said...

Nifong is a lawfully elected DA of Durham county NC, if no one likes that say out of Durham and our business

Anonymous said...

Grace, Wendy, Ted, and Woody... Who will be the last person on Earth to defend Nifong? They should start a "Dumbest person in the World" pool.

Anonymous said...

Who will be the last person on Earth to defend Nifong?

The guy who commented right above you, methinks.

Anonymous said...

I've got news for all of you that think Nifong is going to go to jail or be disbarred. He is here to stay for at least 4 more years as the Distirct attorney. You people don't know Durham. He is our man.

Anonymous said...

Yes, yes, yes! The day of reckoning draws closer. It seemed things HAD to turn eventually, but it sure felt like a long time and a lot of effort. Thank you to the bloggers especially because they have toiled most intensively and tirelessly. Surely we will all be much more sensitive to prosecutorial abuse in the future. And once the justice system has sorted through Mr. Nifong's misdeeds and appropriate consequences, surely prosecutors and the supporting culture will be more sensitive, too.

Observer

Joel Rosenberg said...

Amen. After the rush to (metaphorical, thankfully) lynching, the local-to-them press owes the falsely accused lacrosse players decent treatment, and unless and until they're willing to start denouncing everybody who has upon occasion been part of a group where one or more people have had a bit too much to drink, they ought to treat the Duke lacrosse players by the same standard that they treat others.

Anonymous said...

To be honest, I prefer my Nifong to be well-done.

Anonymous said...

Nifong's last gift to Durham, Take Oath Jan 2, Disbarment process begins Mid January, Pension a lifetime.

Anonymous said...

at least he will have to buy a personal vehicle when he is dis-barred. They guy owns nothing

Anonymous said...

Just to ask, if he is disbarred, could he still remain as theman's DA?

Anonymous said...

Harry Truman said "all politics is
local." Mike should not have angered the local press with his non interviews. 1:30PM - you got that right and the beat goes on.
Therman - He is your man and Durhams. I have no faith in the NC bar,but something should be done before swearing this guy in office. Although, watching Mike being perped out of the 6th floor accompanied by police is tempting I think Durham has had enough drama.

Anonymous said...

Why would you pick on me, Nifong is a duly sworn District Attorney of the State of North Carolina. You people all sound like you want to commit treason, against the elected officials of Durham.

Anonymous said...

One cannot commit treason against a local official. However, if one violates his constitutional oath, that alone is reason to remove him from office.

Anonymous said...

Nifong must be going under if he is papering the windows of his office. Did he have crayons to>

Anonymous said...

I think what angers most people is Nifong planned and strategized this hoax from the beginning with the knowledge that the young men he was going to indict and the lives he was about to destroy, where completely innocent of the charges he brought against them. His knowledge and intent is what has angers and frightens most people. The fact he is in an office of such power is chilling.

Anonymous said...

Just because I support Nifong does not mean I don't support the Constitution. He was elected to his position and deserves the benefit of the doubt.

Anonymous said...

1:52 pm said: "Wonder why Nifong did not give the interview to the HS? Trouble in paradise?"

Perhaps. Or perhaps not worldly enough.

Here's a question to ponder...Did Nifong receive compensation for his NYT interview? And if so, are public officials allowed such?

Anonymous said...

theman said:

"I've got news for all of you that think Nifong is going to go to jail or be disbarred. He is here to stay for at least 4 more years as the Distirct attorney. You people don't know Durham. He is our man."

2:53 PM

We know Nifong is your man, that's the problem. We know Durham, that's another problem. Like it or not we're here to help and there is nothing Nifong, the NC bar, the Dutham news media, or you for that matter can do about it. The truth will set you free theman.

Anonymous said...

Nifong can do whatever he wants he is the DA of Durham County NC, so stuff it.

Anonymous said...

theman said: "Just because I support Nifong does not mean I don't support the Constitution."

We'd be most interested in hearing you explain how support of Nifong AND support of the Constitution can coexist.

Anonymous said...

theman said...

"You people don't know Durham. He is our man."

And deservedly so!

Anonymous said...

theman said:
"Nifong can do whatever he wants he is the DA of Durham County NC, so stuff it."

4:36 PM

LOL, yeah Nifong can do whatever he wants. That's exactly what he thought. He can lie to the Judge, conceal exculpatory evidence, make false arrests, set up an illegal line-up, fail to interview the accuser, and he can use a sham case and racial hatred to "finance"
his election. But the legal bill will come due and Nifong most likely will be the one getting stuffed. Suggest you start a blog defending Nifong once he is indicted. You can call your blog "Nifong can do whatever he Wants". I'm sure at this point you will have a lot of supporters. ;->

Anonymous said...

The NC Constitution is how Nifong got elected, so unless you change that I will continue to support Nifong and the NC Constitution. Are you trying to say the people of NC are stupid?

Anonymous said...

The long-term effects of the Nifong situation will be positive, in my opinion. Why? Durham's whites decided some time ago to abdicate control of local government to black criminals. For one thing, they figured it would shut the blacks up; i.e., you want it so badly, go ahead and run the thing. And for another, there's so little on the table to steal here locally that public office attracts only the lowest of bottom-feeders.

If the Department of Justice ever conducted a thorough investigation of Durham's city and county governments, a lot of people would go away for a very long time. Local government is in a financial shambles due to a mixture of incompetence and raw criminality. Durham's scumbag black politicos (pardon the redundancy) found a perfect puppet in Nifong: A dull-witted, time-serving bureaucrat who was willing to make a faustian bargain in an attempt to distinguish himself beyond having been former DA Jim Hardin's bitch.

The Nifong situation may generate enough outrage among Durham's whites that they take a more active interest in local affairs. Maybe they'll even wrest control from the blacks. Maybe then we'll get the streets paved. And monkeys might fly out of my butt. But I can hope, can't I?

Anonymous said...

"Are you trying to say the people of NC are stupid?"

No need for me to say it because 49% of those who voted in Durham have already demonstrated such.

Anonymous said...

Hey Guy in Durham, have you ever heard of Mayor John Street, the Mayor of Philadelphia, PA. He proclaimed when he won the Mayors job that the city is now run by the brothers and sisters. So if you are still a guy in Durham and don't like it, then move out, but not to Phila, PA.

Anonymous said...

Mike Nifong's demise is now in the hands of the media, the NC Bar and the U.S. DOJ. There is little that anyone here (with the exception of KC) can say or do that will change his well deserved fate.

That's why you should all turn your attention to the much more difficult task of going after the Gang of 88 at Duke. In many ways, they're much more culpable in all this than Nifong. For the last 30 years, they've shaped the climate of opinion in Durham that led to this mess. I hold them much more responsible for this travesty of justice than Nifong.

Let's turn our attention to Peter Wood, William Chafe et al.

Anonymous said...

Drudgereport.com headline:

North Carolina State Bar has filed an ethics complaint against the prosecutor in the Duke lacrosse case...

Now the DisgrAce will get what he deserves!

Anonymous said...

I don't know if any one else listened to 680am triangle radio this afternoon here in Raleigh?

I only managed to catch a small portion of it.

The station had Prof. Joe Kennedy from UNC law dept on around 3pm discussing the case.

In his learned opinion the USAG will NOT get involved and neither will NCAG or Governor!

Prof.Kennedy expressed that everyone who writes or emails these leaders is wasting there time!

Mr Kennedy explained that there is no laws for the intevention of the USAG, NCAG or Governor!

So are we really wasting our time on this stuff??????

Perhaps one of you more learned folk might like to contact him for clarification?

Anonymous said...

I'm listening to K.C. Johnson on WRKO in Boston (via Internet). Not surprisingly, he is doing a bang-up job. Look for the numbers of the anti-Fong to grow after this one.

Anonymous said...

Right now, it is just a Drudge headline. The N&O will have the best coverage when the story comes available.

Anonymous said...

There's a link to a Breitbart story at Drudge right now. But it's very short. It just refers to the statements in the spring.

Anonymous said...

5.25 post: Information


Discusssed case the Raleigh Triangle Radio today.

Joseph E. Kennedy
Title Associate Professor of Law
Education B.A., 1982, with honors, Stanford University; J.D., 1987, University of California at Los Angeles.

Curriculum Vitae

View Bibliography
Contact Information
Phone (919) 843-3505
Fax (919) 962-1277
Email kennedy4@email.unc.edu

Anonymous said...

Remember, this complaint deals ONLY with Nifong's statements to the press in the early days of the case. It will be interesting to see if the NC Bar deals with the Nifong-Meehan conspiracy.

Harry Eagar said...

Just like in the Moscow trials, eh, Anderson?

Anonymous said...

What Navy did she sleep with ?

Anonymous said...

The N&O has much to answer for and explain. Perhaps we'll hear the explanation in a court of law. As usual, Neff and Niolet are given exceptions for generally excellent coverage. The fundamentally misleading coverage in late March helped Nifong immensely in his fraudulent case.