tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post5106160156221543373..comments2024-02-24T05:19:10.949-05:00Comments on Durham-in-Wonderland: Remembering Kirk Osbornkcjohnson9http://www.blogger.com/profile/09625813296986996867noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-13444097024015847412007-03-27T10:36:00.000-04:002007-03-27T10:36:00.000-04:00Compare what the history books will write about Ki...Compare what the history books will write about Kirk Osborn versus Mike Nifong. Here is what Nifong had to say about Kirk as quo0ted in the News & Observer 10/1/06. It is also in Beth Brewer's affidavit:<BR/><BR/>"The best comment I ever heard about Kirk is he was the best dressed public defender in North Carolina."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-54965392973062548652007-03-27T10:31:00.000-04:002007-03-27T10:31:00.000-04:00Before the Duke Lacrosse Case, I had never heard t...Before the Duke Lacrosse Case, I had never heard the name Kirk Osborn. Over the past 12 months of the case, Kirk Osborn was one of the bright lights. So many of us came to see a courageous, honorable, decent man, who cared passionately about the innocence of his client, Reade Seligmann.<BR/><BR/>Men like Kirk Osborn helped to restore my faith that the practice of law is a noble profession; that an attorney is foremost supposed to be a defender of the Constitution and an advocate of individual rights.<BR/><BR/>Perhaps if we ask what good could possibly come out of this case it is to know that men like Kirk Osborn exist and will never be forgotten. I hope that if my children even find themselves needing legal counsel, that someone like Kirk Osborn will be there to help them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-12935753400162137212007-03-27T09:42:00.000-04:002007-03-27T09:42:00.000-04:00Last week I asked for an awards listing (in keepin...Last week I asked for an awards listing (in keeping with the March Madness theme) of individuals who spoke out in defense of truth, due process and assumed innocence in the early days. Those people showed clear heads and courage in the face of the mob/ pot bangers. <BR/>Well, I got what I asked for. Even though he was involved as a defense attorney, Kirk Osborn showed tremendous courage walking into the courtroom past the protesters with Reade and in the courtroom itself. At a time when the judge did nothing to bring reason to the proceedings even as death threats were being hurled at the 3 boys, Osborn stood proudly with the confidence of someone who knows truth is on his side. Rest in peace, Kirk.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-90949335639363723142007-03-27T07:24:00.000-04:002007-03-27T07:24:00.000-04:00KC, a wonderful tribute to Kirk Osborn. Only if t...KC, a wonderful tribute to Kirk Osborn. Only if this world had more men of his character. Contrasting him with the likes of Mike Nifong is going from light to total darkness. Perhaps a chapter in your book will be devoted to contrasting the good and evil in this case. NC has lost a good and decent man and an honorable practitioner of the law.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-79658822905366519202007-03-27T07:23:00.000-04:002007-03-27T07:23:00.000-04:00K.C.,That was a wonderful and thoughtful tribute, ...K.C.,<BR/><BR/>That was a wonderful and thoughtful tribute, and I appreciate your putting my comments in there. One might contrast these comments with the ones that Nifong made during the May hearing when Kirk told me that Nifong "treated us like dogs."<BR/><BR/>At the end of his life, Kirk Osborn is praised for his passion, his integrity, and his care for his clients.<BR/><BR/>At the end of Michael B. Nifong's life, he will be remembered for trying to destroy every ounce of trust that anyone could have for "justice" in the government courts of North Carolina -- just so that he could have a bigger pension.<BR/><BR/>What a difference. Both men received their law degrees from UNC, and both practiced their profession in North Carolina. Yet, that is all -- all -- that they have in common. No court decision will ever say that a defendant has been "Osborned." That the court writes about "Nifonging" tells us everything we need to know about Osborn's opponent in the courtroom of Judge Ronald Stephens that day in May.<BR/><BR/>And that Stephens would have given Nifong even an ounce of credibility -- knowing what Stephens surely knew on that day -- also tells me that Ronald Stephens was no Kirk Osborn. I guess there is truth in the saying that "birds of a feather flock together." Stephens and Nifong.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-80750457858078609372007-03-27T06:36:00.000-04:002007-03-27T06:36:00.000-04:00Poor Kirk would be horrified to see that his legac...Poor Kirk would be horrified to see that his legacy is lacrosse and not the incredible work he did on capital cases in NC. Where is the outrage on the death penalty, KC?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-79386468544675493712007-03-27T06:32:00.000-04:002007-03-27T06:32:00.000-04:00So, KC -- "hate-fest" -- sounds interesting and ci...So, KC -- "hate-fest" -- sounds interesting and civilized to any truly objective person...<BR/><BR/>The Tiger Woods phenomenon<BR/><BR/>By Leslie Williams, The Herald-Sun<BR/>March 23, 2007 11:41 pm<BR/><BR/>It has been a decade since Tiger Woods exploded onto the golf scene, inserting himself forever into the American psyche.<BR/><BR/>A public conference at Duke University on Friday sought to examine his impact on the game and beyond, delving into the ways Woods has reached into every aspect of American culture as sports icon, multimillionaire and man of mixed racial heritage.<BR/><BR/>Conference co-organizer and Duke cultural anthropology professor Orin Starn said he and other professors organized the conference because Woods' position as a cultural icon warrants a lot of interesting discussions.<BR/><BR/>As a panelist, Starn spoke about the construction of race and how it bears on the public lives of Woods, presidential candidate Barack Obama and professional golfer Phil Mickelson.<BR/><BR/>Mickelson might have seemed out of place in the discussion, but Starn brought him up as a counterpoint to illustrate the way in which whiteness seems "invisible" in American society. As a result, he said, "people of color bear the burden of representing and talking about race."<BR/><BR/>Woods and Obama, who are both of mixed ancestry, are part of a new phenomenon of public figures who embrace their multiracial heritage, he argued. However, he said, both occupy a long-discussed niche.<BR/><BR/>"Tiger and Barack are really part of a long-running set of debates and conversations about multiracialism and about what it means to be black in America," Starn said.<BR/><BR/>Edward Wanambwa, the editor of African American Golfer's Digest magazine, credits Woods' 1997 Masters victory with changing the landscape of golf forever.<BR/><BR/>"It challenged the sensibilities of the game," Wanambwa said. "People were not used to seeing a young man of color pump his fists and show emotion in the stuffy game that everybody already perceived as being [stuffy]."<BR/><BR/>Wanambwa said Woods has done a lot to drum up interest in the game, but the sport still has a long way to go toward parity. One overarching theme of the conference was the complete lack of any additional African-American golfers on the PGA or LPGA tours.<BR/><BR/>He and other panel members decried the expenses involved in learning the game and entering tournaments. He said expense prevents potential players from ever discovering the game and stymies true prodigies on their way to success. According to Wanambwa, expenses for a golfer to go on tour run in the vicinity of $100,000 a year. Many golfers' expenses vastly exceed that.<BR/><BR/>"It's all about access," he said.<BR/><BR/>Discussion of the "Tiger Effect" turned to his influence on women in the game, particularly his actions when Annika Sorenstam accepted a controversial invitation to play in The Colonial golf tournament in 2003, making her the first woman to compete in a PGA event since 1945.<BR/><BR/>New York Times sports columnist Selena Roberts called Woods an "accidental feminist" for his behind-the-scenes encouragement of Sorenstam when a firestorm erupted over her decision to play. However, his influence on women in the sport lies in his visibility, she said.<BR/><BR/>"I would argue that Tiger Woods has brought more women to the game of golf than any other player in the history of the game simply because he was what everybody was watching," Roberts said.<BR/>URL for this article: http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-832553.cfmAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-2127136618962895462007-03-27T04:08:00.000-04:002007-03-27T04:08:00.000-04:00Baldo at Liestoppers wrote a moving tribute to Kir...Baldo at Liestoppers wrote a moving tribute to Kirk Osborn, with a picture of him as a University of Colorado football player (Division I). This tribute is, in part, a testament to the importance of sports in educating a young person. The letterman on the football field became a fair fighter and courageous defender in the courts of law.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-196798041051790802007-03-27T00:23:00.000-04:002007-03-27T00:23:00.000-04:00J. Kirk OsbornPractice Areas: Criminal; Drug Crime...J. Kirk Osborn<BR/><BR/>Practice Areas: Criminal; Drug Crimes; Driving While Intoxicated (DWI); White Collar Crimes; Homicide; Traffic Violations; Premises Liability; Personal Injury; Nursing Home Litigation; Wrongful Death; Civil Rights.<BR/><BR/>Admitted: 1974, North Carolina; 1980, U.S. District Court, Middle and Eastern Districts of North Carolina and U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit; 1994, U.S. Supreme Court<BR/><BR/>Law School: University of North Carolina, J.D., 1974<BR/><BR/>College: University of Colorado, B.S., 1965; Colorado State University, M.S., 1967<BR/><BR/>Member: Orange County, 15-B Judicial District, North Carolina (Chairman, Criminal Justice Section, 1990-1992; Member Board of Governors, 1992-1995) Bar Associations; The North Carolina State Bar; North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers; National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.<BR/><BR/>Biography: Three-Year Letterman, University of Colorado Football. Member of Board of the Fair Trial Initiative. (Board Certified Specialist in Criminal Law including Appellate Practice, North Carolina State Board of Legal Specialization)<BR/><BR/>Reported Cases: State v. Wilson (Little Rascals Defendant) 118 N.C. App.166, 456 SE 2d 870 (1995); State v. Marley 321 NC 415, 364 SE 2d 133 (1988); State v. Parker 315 NC 249, 337 SE 2d 497 (1985)<BR/><BR/>Born: Havre, Montana, July 4, 1942Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-85530989266207528822007-03-27T00:15:00.000-04:002007-03-27T00:15:00.000-04:00Anyone who missed the tail end of the last thread ...Anyone who missed the tail end of the last thread on Kirk Osborn should have a look, if only to see why it is that the truth so greatly needs to be broadcast as widely as all of the false allegations have been.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com