Sunday, April 22, 2007

Abandoning the Sinking Ship

From today's Herald-Sun:
But [Mark] Edwards speculated that a heavy turnover on Nifong's staff might indicate an undercurrent of lacrosse-related stress.

At least six staffers have resigned in recent months, although all said they were leaving for personal reasons unrelated to the Duke case.

"They have been graceful in talking about it," said Edwards. "But I personally think it's a sign that the stress level is high. I've never before seen that kind of turnover in my 17 years here."
The paper also reveals that the DA accused by the state bar of violating multiple ethics rules, three North Carolina laws, and the U.S. Constitution is still the lead prosecutor in a quadruple-murder case. Frightening.

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not surprisingly, the article was an overwhelmingly pro-Nifong propaganda piece about how, like a comic book super hero, he can still run his office in spite of the Duke case.

Anonymous said...

What about the new ADA in Durham? Nifong's soon-to-be replacement?

Anonymous said...

No matter what the circumstances of leaving the job, the mandatory letter must read "Invaluable learing and the like." This is no place to spew discontent,

Anonymous said...

I have to assume that remaining in that office would be career suicide, so I can certainly undertand why people would leave. Imagine if someone asks you, "What do you do?" "Oh, I work in the Durham DA's office!" DOH!

Anonymous said...

OT, but what a difference a year makes. Or not.

http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-841379.cfm

A 23-year-old Duke University medical student from Lebanon was arrested by Durham police on a second-degree rape charge Saturday, officials said

Anonymous said...

In my view H-S is attempting to obtain ip addresses of bloggers. I suggest you not assist them.

GaryB said...

If I were a young lawyer trying to build a career and somehow found myself working for Nifong -- I'd develop "personal reasons" to leave post-haste! Example personal reason: "Want to continue working in my chosen career." :-)

Anonymous said...

Not a sinking ship, a SUNK ship. It went down some time ago. But for some reason in North Carolina, they keep the captain at the helm. No wonder we call it Durham-in-Wonderland.

Anonymous said...

A bit off topic...

The Harvard Crimson - the student newspaper of that mostly splendidly liberal insitution of higher learning - just wrote a great opinion piece on Duke LAX issue. The part I particularly though apropos...

"Even if we could make valid inferences about these men’s character, it would be none of our business. They are public figures only because of the actions of a corrupt District Attorney and his police, media and faculty enablers."

http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=518386

*************

No Grounds To Question Duke Lacrosse Players’ Character

Published On Friday, April 20, 2007 1:54 AM

By JOSHUA A. BARRO

Crimson Staff Writer

See Appended Correction

To the editors:

In her column about Duke rape case (“Rushing to Rape,” Apr. 18) Lucy M. Caldwell ’09 describes the injustice that the now-exonerated indictees have faced. Unfortunately, she also chooses to offer unwarranted inferences about their moral character. She says they are “probably not the most respectable college students on the planet” and are “not likely” her kind of dating material.

Of course, statistically, they probably are not the most respectable college students on the planet. And Caldwell is correct to conclude that she cannot, from available data, ascertain their moral character. But that would be true of any people unknown to Caldwell. Why, in the case of Dave Evans, Reade Seligman, and Collin Finnerty, is it appropriate to speculate that they might be “sketchy”?

Such innuendo is not limited to columns in The Crimson. In the days since the charges have been dropped, the Boston Globe opened an editorial on the matter by noting that the once-charged players “may have been louts,” and the Washington Post wrote that they “were not paragons of virtue.” Why? Because they drank before they were 21 and attended a party with a stripper? Tens of millions of American people meet this description and do not have their moral worth called into question by newspaper editorial boards.

Even if we could make valid inferences about these men’s character, it would be none of our business. They are public figures only because of the actions of a corrupt District Attorney and his police, media and faculty enablers. North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper has declared them to be “innocent,” and they deserve to return to normal, private life as much as possible. That includes having their private morality free from public scrutiny.

CORRECTION
In this Friday's Crimson, the names of two letter writers were accidentally switched due to a production error. The letter "No Grounds to Question Duke Lacrosse Players' Character" attributed to Leah M. Littman and Tracy E. Nowski was actually written by Joshua A. Barro and the letter "Portrayal of Rape Ignores Statistics and Misses Nuance" attributed to Joshua A. Barro was actually written by Leah M. Litman and Tracy E. Nowski. The Crimson apologizes to the letter writers and its readers for this serious mistake.

Anonymous said...

John Stevenson at the Herald-Sun still worships Nifong like a faithful, half-witted hound. In dogs it's cute -- in a newspaperman, it is appalling. What a revolting display.

The article clearly invites us to marvel in rapture at all the many cases still "processed" by Nifong's office. Instead it is, as KC notes, frightening.

As long as Nifong holds onto this job by his dirty fingernails, we will never know how many convictions, and plea-bargains, were obtained with tainted procedures, perjured testimony, witness tampering, suppression of evidence, arrogant lies, bullying, fraud, and all other forms of police and prosecutorial misconduct.

Nifong needs to be GONE from public office, as of not just yesterday but, at least a year ago.

Anonymous said...

Why can't we all hold hands, and just love one another?

Is that so difficult, Kyle?

Mr Hankie

Anonymous said...

Hopefully Mr. Cooper and members of the NC Bar are conducting the exist interviews of those leaving the DA's office. Wouldn't you just love being a flower on the wall. Is this the same Nifong who identified Durham's problems and wanted to be a part of the healing process? Inquiring minds want to know.

Anonymous said...

Resounding attapersons to the staff who departed.

(PCness practice)

Anonymous said...

Ms Caldwell can only wish that one of these young men would want to date her. Making judgements on other people is risky business."Judge not that you be not judged."

Anonymous said...

I support Obama 100%, and I'm glad KC does, too.

God bless, KC Johnson.

Alberto Coitus

Anonymous said...

Just mere vermin trying to keep from getting slimed even more by belatedly bailing out. Too little, too late, at least for those who were within spitting distance of the Fongster and this Hoax/case. The collateral damage extends. This fiasco is far, far from over.

Anonymous said...

KC wrote: "... the DA accused by the state bar of violating multiple ethics rules, three North Carolina laws, and the U.S. Constitution is still the lead prosecutor in a quadruple-murder case. Frightening."

Can you say: Reversible error?

Anonymous said...

Sad to note that last week Obama was sucking up to Al "Tawana" Sharpton. That should be enough to make any rational person think twice about Obama's qualitifications to be POTUS.

Anonymous said...

The Nifongonistas are still running Durham and the DA's office. How is this man still the Durham DA? It is not Nifong's "efficiency" that is being criticized, it is his "INTEGRITY".

Nifong has none. He should resign.

Anonymous said...

Carolyn says:

I must rely on KC and all the rest of you to report on what the Herald Sun publishes since I no longer can access their articles without first giving them my email address, etc.

I mean, what if they found out I was white, had money and graduated from college?

Anonymous said...

Carolyn -

Standard Practice in this digital age is to set up a 'throw-away' email account on yahoo, hotmail, etc. Besides the black-helicopter issues, you will DEFINITELY get Mega-Spammed when signing up for almost anything 'free'. So, unless you want 250 emails a day on Cheap Viagra or whatever, sign up using your throw-away email. Be equally circumspect with your personal info (name, address.... )

Don't bother reading any emails to this account - just erase or ignore them. Yahoo is more convenient to throw out junk emails than hotmail. Both are free services.

Anonymous said...

I believe most of the staff are trying to get far enough away that it will be too inconvenient to bring them back to answer the classic questions; What did you know, and when did you know it?

If asked, many would likely have to perjure themselves or admit to things that might get them disbarred as well.

As officers of the court, they never did have the ability to see this going on and just look they other way.

Time to pay the piper....

Anonymous said...

So the Washington Post and the Boston Globe are now inpugning the character of these three young men AFTER Cooper has cleared them?

Perhaps we should all start a rumor campaign that the editorials are written by people who are THEMSELVES guilty.

After all, there was more than adequate DNA discovered on, about, and in, the accuser. We KNOW it wasn't the DNA of either the three accused or the other Lacrosse players. The same can't be said of the Boston Globe and Washington Post editorial writers.

Likewise the three young men the editorial pages quasi-slander have been CLEARED and proclaimed INNOCENT by the State AG.

Cooper has made NO such claim for these editorial writers.......

Anonymous said...

Is it a SINKING or a STINKING ship these rats are abandoning? My guess is that it's both.

I hope this blot on their resumes poisons their whole careers, for just looking the other way and letting this happen.

Even Nifong's CAMPAIGN MANAGER at least tried to make amends.

Anonymous said...

KC,

I am in NYC Monday night. Can I take you out for a BIG dinner.

Kemp

You know the email address! Let me know I am at the NYAC, would love to treat you.

Try my name it was on the card!! ha ha

Mark Holt said...

fwiw, if you don't want to give the h-s your email, there's always bugmenot.com

Anonymous said...

I'm thinking that the H-S's John Stevenson and Mike Nifong just need to get a room at this point. Never have I seen this kind of ongoing bizarre reporting in light of what everyone knows about Nifong.
It is unbelievable that he has covered and supported this awful injustice brought about by a corrupt DA, but he still tries to smooth things over as if things can get back to normal.
Like Nifong's "mistakes" have been brought to everyone's attention and now we should move on.
I wonder what kind of insane boob John Stevenson is. If he's not screwing Nifong or otherwise getting something out of his support of a criminal DA, then he must be a mental case like Mangum.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm. Mikey does look awfully purty in a bathrobe.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Mikey will look even better in an orange jumpsuit.

Anonymous said...

It is AMAZING how North Carolina can allow this criminal framer Nifong to still be able to practice anything after the NCAG's statements!

Can you imagine any defence attorney now rubbing his hands as he goes up against a Durham DA with more holes in his credibility than a chain link fence?

Nifong should be stood down forthwith if not sooner?

Anonymous said...

Considering that the NC Supreme Court has somehow set aside the United States' Constitution guarantee of a speedy trial, you might find that the lack of an active DA, and the departure of the ADAs, is irrelevant. Nothing much gets done in the Durham court system anyway.

IIRC, there was only one rape conviction last year - out of hundreds of indictments.

It could be that Nifong was selected as a temporary appointed DA because he was the only ADA getting anything accomplished - trying traffic violations.

Gary Packwood said...

Anonymous 10:55 said...
...Nothing much gets done in the Durham court system anyway.
...It could be that Nifong was selected as a temporary appointed DA because he was the only ADA getting anything accomplished - trying traffic violations.
::
Anyone have any information about this phenomenon? Apparently Nifong does move the cases through the system.
How many of these cases involve Duke students?
Is the Durham system attempting to force Duke to allocate resources to their court or enforcement system?
Or has their been a large spike in arrests of Duke students that is something that is not talked about?
::
GP

Anonymous said...

Carolyn says:

M said at 8:42: Your 'bugmenot.com' worked perfectly! Thanks so much!

Anonymous said...

Carolyn says:

Anonymous at 1:19 wrote:

"John Stevenson at the Herald-Sun still worships Nifong like a faithful, half-witted hound. In dogs it's cute -- in a newspaperman, it is appalling."

ROTFLMAO! Damn, I wish I'd come up with that one!

Anonymous said...

Ruth Sheehan apologized in the N&O this morning. I'm glad she did. It was long overdue. However, this is not sufficient, but its a good first step. The next move is for her to resign.

When you cannot uphold the most basic element of our criminal justice system, innocent until proven guilty, because you are too overcome with emotion at the thought that a woman might have been raped, I believe that you are unfit to have a column.

Ruth, that for the apology. It was time. Now finish the act.

WINDBAG

Anonymous said...

And the walls come tumbling down, everyone involved should feel the pain. I never want to leave the east coast. How can Mr.Nifong be the attorney for a such a serious trial? I would think any work he does will questioned once the ethics board does it's work. I'm assuming they will disbar him though, that might not be the case.
KC> stay with this to the end, you are our only hope for justice for Nifong, the police department, the judges and any other staffe members left who won't get sued but knew the truth and did nothing to stop it. Can you help Malveaux at Bennet College? She isn't living on this planet.

Anonymous said...

Endless banality:
Sheehan's apology

Debrah