Saturday, December 23, 2006

Only in Durham

From today's Herald-Sun:
Chief Steve Chalmers, saying he was just back from vacation, first learned of Nifong's decision to dismiss rape charges against David Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann from a Herald-Sun reporter.
The highest-profile case in the city's history; and police officials were caught unawares that Nifong dropped the rape charge?

And is Chalmers perpetually on vacation? This is the same man who was absent for months at a time as Nifong improperly assumed control of an ongoing investigation.

As a DBR column this morning points out, this case has shown a disturbing spotlight on a city that seems to be dysfunctional.

78 comments:

Anonymous said...

Stephens and Titus need scrutiny.

Anonymous said...

KC have a Merry Christmas. I think that Chief Chambeers and Nifong are both smoking the same stuff. All of the rats are going to start looking for a new leader and a fresh piece of cheese.

Anonymous said...

Chicago writes:

Just for the record. Chalmers is a lame duck. I do agree that he is on permanent vacation though.

I will share one experience I had with him that I felt was handled extremely well. I copied him on an e-mail I sent to several other members of Durham City Hall after getting two ridiculous tickets on the Durham Freeway by an over zealous Durham Cop in the summer of 2004. One was for going too fast, the other was for going too slow (only in Durham right). I sent the e-mail Sunday afternoon and Chalmers called me first thing Monday morning, apologized and ordered a full investigation. In the end, one of the tickets (for going too slow) was thrown out and the officers action was investigated and cited in her permamnent police file.

One ironic note to this story, a guy in traffic court named Mike Nifong offered to reduce both tickets down to one ticket of "illegal equipment." I had my attorney decline the offer because I knew the ticket for going too slow was BS as was revealed.

Anonymous said...

Chicago writes:

Everyone is talking about the Nifong interview with the NY Times. I can't find it anywhere. Anyone have a link or a copy of it?

Anonymous said...

to chicago at 140: We need KC's comments also as a link. When KC commented on the NYT article, I don't believe there were any comments posted since things were breaking so fast

Anonymous said...

to chicago: scroll down to KC's earlier posting on "Nifong's sinking ship" and scroll down to the highlited words "three hour interview". I don't know to link it, but this should you find it.

Anonymous said...

*not from around here and should've known better to get involved in that crazy place*
from Reason.com

Hannah Arendt's coinage about the 'banality of evil' finds expression in Nifong's sociopathy. "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." I doubt from experience that even his opponents will ty to nail him to the floorboards. It would undercut their entire fallacy.

Anonymous said...

chicago: go to liestoppers. they just posted an article on the NYT article.

Anonymous said...

Question for a lawyer:
Nifong filed court papers saying that without "scientific or other evidence independent of the victim's testimony" to corroborate that aspect of the case, "the state is unable to meet its burden of proof with respect to this offense."
Well without "scientific or other evidence independent of the victim's testimony" which also does not exist, how will he prosecute the rest of the case?

Anonymous said...

As I posted in the NC Media section, the "interview" with Nifong and the NY Times was not really an "interview," but rather a strategy session. This was a "three-hour" interview, and I can assure you that in normal situations, no interview would last this long.

No, both the Times and Nifong are in all-out damage control.

Anonymous said...

Chicago writes:

Thanks for the info everyone on the NY Times story.

By the way, I just got off the phone with my dad who has been a City Manager for over 33 years. He started in a small suburb of Chicago and has worked his way up to being City Manager of the second biggest suburb of Chicago, a position he has now held with that city for 13 years. Does anyone have any idea how HUGE of a deal the other info Durham reported yesterday is about the report that Durham officials lied about the results of lead in drinking water? That is a devastating and dangerous piece of news that while unrelated to this case, fully supports the only in Durham theory.

DBR's story reported that.

My dad is a calm and peaceful man and he was absolutely floored by that information. Interesting that the drinking water information was also released the day before Christmas break.

Anonymous said...

from a non-lawyer: Why should the police be involved now? After all, "inspector DA" took over the case, and they indicted with at best a superficial investigation. I am sure that in the future that when Durham trains and orients their new members of the police, they will emphasize that the Duke case taught us that indictments come only after the investigation.

Anonymous said...

Chicago writes:

I just read the NY Times story. That story has "damage control" and "CYA" written all over it.

I also agree with Bill Anderson who stated that this was a meeting to get the stories straight and ease into the charges being dismissed.

By the way Bill, I listened to you on WBAL yesterday, great job. I wish they would have given you more time. I can't belive that caller was mentioning the "behavior" of these boys.

Anonymous said...

Since this accuser is no longer an alleged rape victim,
shouldn't the media now have the go ahead to reveal her name publicly?

Anonymous said...

Chicago writes:

The NY Times story makes it clear, that after using the false accuser to win the election, Nifong is now using her to take the fall for his own lies, which she no doubt helped out with initially. It would be great if she turned on Nifong on the stand and then did a tell all with the media and said that all she wanted to do was stay out of the drunk tank that night.

She would then reveal that Cousin Jakki is actually just a friend and the father of her latest child, because we all know that while no penis was used in the so called attack, that Cousin Jakki has one.

Only in Durham.

;)

Anonymous said...

For at least fifty years, the New York Times has been nothing more than the New York Bureau of 'Pravda.' Only now, though, is the public at large finally beginning to catch on, due to the rise of the blogosphere and other alternative media. The NYT, in fact, was never more accurate in its reporting years ago than it is today, nor did it adhere to any higher standards of journalistic integrity or ethics. It only seems that way because up until very recently almost no one had the means to independently verify the paper's accuracy. It is my fervent hope that people everywhere will now come to recognize the true definition of JOURNALIST -- noun, any idiot with a printing press.

-- SteveDinMD

Anonymous said...

I kind of have this theory about Nifong. By proceeding with this case. even knowing he can not likely win any conviction against anyone charged, I suspect that as long as he proceeds and claims his actions were “for the victim,” then he can probably not be sued afterwards by any of the defense members. I wonder if he were to totally drop all the charges against all three suspects, then Nifong might be susceptible to both possible civil lawsuits and possible criminal charges against Nifong. His “strategy” might be to proceed to avoid the potential negative sanctions against himself, and it really may be nothing about actually attempting to provide “justice“ to the alleged “victim.“ Anyone thinking the same???????

Anonymous said...

Durham= Liberia in middle of North Carolina.

Once again ....the Silence from Cooper and Company is DEAFENING !

When is someone in authority going to pull this DA in for a short talk and ban the guy from ever going into a court again ?

The only exception is for his own D** trial.

Is there no way this man can be halted??

Where is the USAG,Mr Gonzalaz?????????????

The frustration,the hopeless feeling and disgust I feel for the NC Justice System sets me adrift on a sea of melancholy.

Is`this where we have progressed to in the 21st century ?

Nifong is one Vindictive and Spiteful individual that is reducing my state to that of a third world dictatorship.

Where has Justice gone to this Christmas?

Anonymous said...

From the H-S article:

"Baker said it is up to prosecutors, judges and grand juries to screen allegations."

A job, one might add, that all three of the above failed at. Miserably.

""I'm not sure society wants police officers deciding they'll play judge and jury out there," [City Manager Baker] said. "

How 'bout we settle for them just being police officers, and doing what they're supposed to do - investigate?

Anonymous said...

Michelle in Madison,

I fully agree with your theory. Nifong is letting the false accuser slowly dig her own grave and making her his sacrifice. This after he used her to win an election.

Anonymous said...

well, i think the reason is pretty obvious why chalmers wasn't informed of the decision to drop the charge. All of the bad actors are going to start pointing fingers at each other. DA will point to cops and cops will point back at DA. The "civil rights groups" will point at the DA (because he's white).

oh, this is the classic prisoner's dilemma theory from you poli sci 101. So, we have a lesson in poli sci and diversity here.

Thanks, Durham.

WINDBAG

Anonymous said...

I wish mass media would arrive in Durham Wednesday morning, when state employees go back to work, and camp out at the courthouse until Nifong talks. I think the guy is capable of cracking up mentally, as illustrated in NO MEDIA PLEASE sign and taping paper to cover the windows of his office.

Anonymous said...

The Times tonight has finally turned against Nifong...

Anonymous said...

to 653: from non-lawyer: Barstow and Wilson have another article in NYT titled "DNA witness jolted dynamics of Duke case".

Anonymous said...

From the NY Times. I love it, Nifong just keeps on cutting his own throat. Quite clearly then if he didn't intend to conspire as we all know he did. At the very least he needs to step down as DA because he's either too incompetant or too stupid to handle the job. I'm guessing it's pretty important to these three men whose life was put on hold for false charges.


More broadly, Mr. Nifong said, trying to explain his failure to disclose the DNA tests sooner, he had other work to attend to.

“You know, it’s not the only case I have right now,” he said. “I have two. The other one’s a quadruple homicide. If you ask me, to everybody but a reporter for an out-of-town newspaper, the quadruple homicide is probably the more significant case. But because we have some of these other sexy issues here, you all are flipping out over this particular case, which is not the most significant case in our office. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t get attention. What I’m saying is in the overall pecking order of things, it’s not the most important thing that we’re doing.”

Anonymous said...

to 728 from a non-lawyer: I too read the article. If he is too busy to deal with the details of this case, maybe it is time that he step aside and ask that a special prosecutor be appointed. How much time, effort, and dollars has the defense expended because Mikey is too busy?

Anonymous said...

Which case got you elected Liefong?
Link to NYT

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/24/us/24duke.html?hp&ex=1166936400&en=6856a2f799205bc7&ei=5094&partner=homepage

Anonymous said...

To 7:31, this is 7:28. Exactly, I have never heard a more flippant response with total disregard towards anyone like that one in the NY Times. I am a Durham resident now unfortunately after moving here 3 years ago. I guess he has not realized that as a public servant his job is too get it right for the entire members of this community not how he sees fit. That quadruple murder was something that the whole police department and DAs office sat on their hands about while Nifong was giving his 70 interviews 9 months ago. And the members of the community were outraged at that time because he was ignoring that case over the Duke Case. Then finally 2 months ago they decide to do something about it, and now he is using that as an excuse. Amazing. I know all about that murder case, it happened two houses down from one of the people I work with. It is dispicable that he would use that as an excuse.

Anonymous said...

I just read the Times' story, and I have never seen such self-serving nonsense in my life. Nifong can claim that this was an innocent omission, but when one includes this actions with:

1. His previous statements,
2. His lineup procedures,
3. His ploy to avoid a preliminary hearing,
4. The changing of the timelines,
5. His refusal to look at exculpatory evidence,

then we see a pattern of lies, deceit, and outright lawlessness. This guy knew EXACTLY what he was doing, and all of the "dog ate my homework" excuses do not qualify here.

If the judge and if the State of North Carolina continues this hoax in the fact of all of this evidence, then all I can say is that the people of North Carolina deserve the government that they have. Granted, there are good people in that state, but apparently not enough good people.

Anonymous said...

In addition I forgot to add, the murder happened a year or more ago, and nothing was done until about 2 - 4 months ago when they found the potential suspects. Just atrocious.

Anonymous said...

The earth is moving. The North Carolina justice system will never be the same. Powerful newspapers have been exposed

Anonymous said...

to 748 from 731: The context you give is useful to somebody like me near Chicago. Thanks. Another thought that I have is that if Nifong was replaced right now, it might delay the outcome for these young men.

Anonymous said...

To 7:31 / 7:53, couldn't agree with you more that removing him would delay, it needs thrown out and I want him dismantled for his incompetant actions. I just want to make sure that some of the trolls we see show up here once in awhile are not bamboozled or use this as some sort of ammunition to support this scum of a DA. So I'm glad I could be of some use, ha.

Anonymous said...

I dont want nifong removed he is public servent. cash knows who raped precios. I bet the lacrosse players were the ones who committed the duble murder just so they culd rape precious.

Anonymous said...

the man mow you are streching baby. Go run along and go play with the rocks in your head.

Does anyone want to make a bet on when Nifong will drop the rest of the charges?

Anonymous said...

VIM:

I wonder if they are setting the odds in Vegas as we write! Hmmmm. Can someone make some money from this? Would Nifong try to do an "inside job" to make some cash to pay for his lawyers? Inquiring minds want to know!!!!

Anonymous said...

Chicago writes:

If Nifong is so busy maybe he could let one of his attorneys handle the case. Oh yeah, I forgot, if he did that, he couldn't manipulate and spin the entire process to appeal to the black community and get their vote.

Anonymous said...

Chicago writes:

7:53, where do you live? I am in Wheeling, IL.

Anonymous said...

4:05 I would not be suprised at all if Nifong had a serious break down. I think he is on the edge now. What is going on with Stephens and Titus? Did they get re-elected? Terrible Judges - I am sure they are still shocked that anyone critized the. I hope Oz can do better.

Anonymous said...

Victim in MA:

I fear he will not willinginly withdraw or drop the remaining charges absent complete recantation from the accuser. For any attorneys specializing in civil rights: Does Nifong enjoy absolute immunity for actions as DA? Does he waive any claim of immunity due to his involvement in the actual investigation? If he withdraws the charges without a recantation, is he opening himself to a stronger civil rights claim from the LAX players?

Anonymous said...

Chicago writes:

"Character assasination" huh Nifong?

What would you call what you put Duke Lacrosse, Duke University and specifically Collin, Reade and David and their families through over the last 9 months?

Anonymous said...

Michael Nifong and "character assassination are not terms that one can hook together. There first must be character to assassinate.

Nifong made these choices of his own free will. Let him now live with them.

Anonymous said...

to 857 from 731: Geneva, IL

Anonymous said...

BREAKING NEWS;
More from the NYT interview:
Mike Nifong in conjunction with Nancy Grace have determined that due to the lack of the Duke boys DNA on any female in the Western Hemisphere, it makes even a stronger case that the these three were also responsible for the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba. DA Nifong stated, "The fact that these boys have never been to Aruba, will not cause me to believe they were not involved in Natalee's disappearance. Beth Holloway says these boys are guilty and she deserves her day in court. After all we do not need evidence...we'll just convict them the old fashioned way: we'll lie like hell to the jury!"

Later on her show, Nancy also had Irving Joyner on and he supported the Nifong/Grace charges, "I new dem boys did dat too...I jes new it. An if you have a momma claimin its true then you have even a stronger case...damn..I jes new it."

Anonymous said...

To Bill Anderson:

A couple of pages back, you presented some of your own personal biased opinions about Brodhead as if they were incontrovertible facts, and when I asked you to provide us with some evidence to support your opinions, you just ducked out and moved on over to this page. I am absolutely appalled that a professor could be so intellectually dishonest. Your statements about Brodhead are nothing but a hatchet job, and you are basically just pandering to the LAX team supporters on this website by telling them the things you know they want to hear, whether those things are true or not.

Anonymous said...

To the Brodhead supporter;
We have been told by the families, that on the worst day of their lives, in confusion and fear for their sons, that they asked to see Brodhead. He sent back word that he refused to see them.

True or false?

Anonymous said...

to 9:50:

great post. i laughed out loud.

to broadhead supporter, cram it. he fired the lax coach, suspended the boys (and another who sent an email that was none of his business or ours) and called of the season.

What else do you need you f'ing clown. why does he state now, after 9 months, that the boys are entitled to the presumption of innocence? if he said that at the beginning, he'd have no need to repeat it. but since he took action he needs to resign too.

so F U.

Anonymous said...

To 10 02

I am a duke grad, my brother is a duke grad, my nephew is a duke grad and i know hundreds and hundreds of alums. Not one thinks Brodhead did the right thing. And no, I am not an athlete or former athlete and have no connection whatsoever to Duke lacrosse. The President of the University did not forcefully articulate the values of the university when it was apparent that a hoax was ocurring.

When was that moment? The DA said the the DNA would conclusively show innocene and then changed course. At that point, he needed to take a stand. Certainly, once the line up, which now it turns out is not a line up, he needed to step forward and protect the students from unlawful conduct. I find it disturbing that you would have another view.


People can reasonably disagree about the cancellation of the season. But, whether the lacrosse players were good or bad boys has nothing to do with this case, except that it established a political agenda for many.


Brodhead failed. Every single graduate I know thinks he failed. If you don't, you are in the minority.

Anonymous said...

brodhead is a cowardly bitch--fire him and the board of trustees

how to get even with the black mafia?

any suggestions?

jc

ps what's really sweet about the 88's predicament is that we can look at their "contributions to duke's prestige" and have a good laugh

Anonymous said...

Chicago writes:

10:28pm-

I completely agree with everyone who is bashng Broadhead. Broadhead is nothing but a bandwagon jumper at this point. Way too little, much too late. Broadhead clearly was out of line with many of his decisions.
His ridicule of and refusal to meet with the families is incomprehensible.

Anonymous said...

got one for ya:

what's the largest open area on duke's campus?

answer: the African American studies library.

Anonymous said...

Look, Mr. Anonymous Stalker,

I did not give you the answers that you wanted, so you say I am ducking you. Now, I am glad Dr. Brodhead is calling for Nifong's head on a platter, but, guess what, so is everyone else.

You see, Mr. Anonymous Stalker, it would have taken courage for Dr. Brodhead to have done what Kirsten Kimel did last spring. Remember her? She was the one vilified in the NY Times, and the Atlanta Constitution ripped her and her players.

But Kirsten stuck by the LAX players. By the way, you make it sound as though I get marching orders from the LAX families. I will say it again; they tell me very, very little. One of them was the source for my pointing out that the basketball team had strippers at a party. That is it, friend.

I am not a lackey of the LAX team, but you seem to be a lackey of Dr. Brodhead and Bob Steel. Do you work at Duke? Is that why you will not identify yourself?

Yes, Dr. Brodhead is jumping off the Bad Ship Nifong with everyone else, given that the Bad Ship is taking on water. Had he been willing to do that when it would have cost him, I would have undying respect for him.

It is one thing to do what everyone else (except the Evil Wendy Murphy) is doing. It is quite another to do it when such a move might be right, but not popular.

Dr. Brodhead chose popularity over doing what is right. We shall see what his future might be.

Yes, I said a while back I would not answer you, but I must admit that whenever someone attacks my credibility and integrity, I am going to defend myself. No, I don't know Dr. Brodhead, and I am sure I would like him if I met him. But that is not the situation at hand. Dr. Brodhead chose a course of action that helped to set a legal railroading job in motion. He gave NO help to those players who were wrongfully accused of what recently would have been a capital crime.

Yes, yes, yes, he now wants a "special prosecutor." Yes, yes, yes, he now questions the ethics of Michael Nifong. But he did not question those ethics last spring, last summer, and last fall.

Yeah, it is easy to follow the crowd. It is not easy to stand up against pot bangers and Marxists and ruthless and dishonest police and district attorneys. But, you know something, some people did just that, and some of them were employed at Duke University. Dr. Brodhead just happened not to be one of them.

I will not answer any more of your personal and unwarranted attacks. Good night, sir.

Anonymous said...

brodhead, precious and mike nifong should go into business together--

their company:

Shyster, Pettifogger and Felon

jc

Anonymous said...

http://justoneminute.typepad.com/
main/2006/12/bold_prediction.html

Anonymous said...

look, what makes broadhead so bad is that he tied the rope to hang the boys with. he didn't even have to take a stand. he could have simply stated that duke university students, like any other criminal defendant, is entitled to the presumption of innocence. that's all he had to say.

instead he went into this mish mash about "whatever they did it was bad enough". i guess it made him feel better that he was promoting diveristy and the great myth that all white men want to rape black women (though, statistically, a white woman is at much greater danger from black bucs, but that would be racist of course).

he thought that there would be at least a little evidence, because being so "enlightened", he knows that black people don't lie. and he would rely on that the same way that mike nifong planned to do. but broadhead has learned a valuable lesson. sterotypes exist for a reason. too bad he didn't learn earlier because now the only honorable thing to do is to resign his post.

WINDBAG

Anonymous said...

10:56 Windbag:

"he thought that there would be at least a little evidence, because being so "enlightened", he knows that black people don't lie.",

Windbag, lying while black is a construct of the white power establishment. As such, the parallelism inherent in this false paradigm of white 'truth' suggests, nay, demands that white lying means black truth.

Damn, I'm even starting to scare myself....

Anonymous said...

Tonight I am thinking of all these boys and their families endured this year. I would hope many Duke donors would redirect their donations this year to the Defense Fund at FODU... set up to help these families with the enormous expense of defending their innocent sons.

In the solicitation envelopes, you might enclose this , if you wish:

Dear Illustrious Grad and wife,
We pray your doing well in life

Once more we ask you... send us cash!
(though we despise the privileged class!)

We covet what your money buys
We want you in those old school ties.

Build us a building!.. better still
Put Alma Mater in your will!


Though we abhor all you've achieved
We sneer."How easy to deceive..."

Send us your athletes, (but between cohorts
We damn the violence of ALL sports)

We know that WE are a breed superior
And those rowdy louts are quite inferior

But we'd never ONCE articulate it.
How much your privileged sons are hated!

We hide our sneers, and sip your wine
Always praying for the time...

When evil may befall your fate
and facing malice, lies and hate...

YOU ask support, then turn aghast,

When we draw our knives and start to SLASH....!

Anonymous said...

11:07:

i like it. maybe you can communicate with nifong and his cohorts.

WINDBAG

AMac said...

pro-Brodhead Anonymous 10:02pm --

Regarding your attack on Bill Anderson: I and others have repeatedly asked that you choose and use a pseudonym. The reason is that you're in the habit of getting into lengthy back-and-forth exchanges, which other readers cannot readily follow. Nobody can tell if any given comment is from anonymous "you" or anonymous-somebody-else.

This behavior is within the bounds that our host here has set, so good on you. But in my opinion, it's sleazy debating tactics for you to criticize Anderson for his commenting record here. He's accountable for every word he's typed. You, by your design, are responsible for none.

That's why I think you should go back to repeating, once more, your claims about the nobility of Brodhead's conduct. Readers can judge those on their merits, without having to figure out whether you are correctly recounting your exchanges with other commenters.

Anonymous said...

Bill A - Please ignore the clown. Its Mike or the gang of 88. Merry
Xmas and Happy New Year. A job well done.

AMac said...

The 12/24/06 NYT article DNA Witness Jolted Dynamic of Duke Case was very carefully written by David Barstow and Duff Wilson. I don't see any errors of fact--just plenty of distortions and omissions. Surely the reporters and editors realize that this piece lacks the key details that would allow general readers to grasp the depth of the prosecution's misconduct.

The New York Times: still sympathetic, but rowing back just enough to avert complete humiliation when the end arrives.

The worst Newspaper Of Record in print today.

Anonymous said...

Chicago writes:

Why is Nifong waiting until February 5 for the false accuser to see the boys in court? All Precious has to do is turn on a tv and see their pictures and video images splashed all over the place.

Unlike herself who is being put up on the state's dime.

Anonymous said...

For New York readers and other who want to complain about The New York Times' pathetic performance in the hoax case, don't waste time complaining to the ombudsman or the editor or the publisher; instead, contact members of the board of directors.

Anonymous said...

An Important Message from Dick Brodhead: New Year's Resolutions

[My bidet is not working, so I was heartened that Jason T could come over and give my sphincter some loving.that's not a resolution, is it?]

I'ma, I'ma gonna make some decisions:

1. bullet-proof vests for collin, reade, and dave

2. black studies to departmental status (can't get enough honkie hatin' and hip-hop)

3. get Wahneema to suck my testicles every thursday

4. get some fantastico hookers at all roadshow engagements

5. offer Houston Baker $1M per to come back to duke

6. get bullet-proof vests for the chess club

7. transform physics department by making it less privileged

gotta go, i'm still conceptualizing, and, most important, acting as a swell leader

Yours truly,

Richard Brodhead

Anonymous said...

Consider this when evaluating
Brodhead's actions, for good or bad.

There are over 5,000 black employees
at Duke. No wonder he has to kiss
the Mayor's behind.

Old-timers will remember the squeeze
the blacks put on Nan Keohane when
she first took office in 1992.

This is an ongoing war and Duke ain't
winning.

Anonymous said...

12:26

I supose if enrollment takes a nosedive the board will give him a year of 2 before they dump him. On the other hand,it would have taken a fair amount of courage to stand up to 5000 black workers and 100 leftist proffessors.

But.. he would have survived their antipathy if the case resolved in the Lax players favor...Now, he's screwed.

Anonymous said...

Great one, Joan! And so true!!

As I have said before, a lot of (former) Nifong supporters do not want to be caught on the losing side. Obviously, the Times falls into that category.

The final blow will be when the Herald-Sun itself pulls an "Et tu, Brute?" on Mikey. Of course, by then no one will notice, since no one really notices what the Herald-Scum does, anyway.

Anonymous said...

Personally, I do not think there is anyway the DA is going to jail, or will even be charged in this crazy affair. In the end he will offer a plea deal - and the three will have to decide between a million dollar trial and another year of their life -or- pleading "no contest" and putting this behind them. Even though they are completely innocent - the risk of being found guilty and the million dollars a trial will cost will be more than enough to convince them to accept the deal. Most importantly for the DA and the accuser - by pleading "no contest" the defendants will not be able to pursue the them in court.

But fear not - we live in the land of the free and the MSM. You can bet there will be more than one "made for TV" movie on this entire thing and it will not present Durham, the DA, Duke or the Group of 88 in a kind light. Only then will we all be able to smile just a bit and know real American justice has been served.

Anonymous said...

1:21

you're mike nifong, aren't u?

lose some weight--you'll feel better about yourself when u can c your dick in the shower

you'll look good doggie-styling it in the hoosegow

i'll come and visit--i'll grab your nose and tell u what a great DA u r

Anonymous said...

There will be no plea deal in this case. Count on it.

Anonymous said...

Remember,folks,not everyone in durm is an idiot. What % of the vote did Cheeks get?
Anyway, Merry Christmas KC

The Durham, Wonderland Song

News is in, are you listnin'
All around, folks are wisnin'
Our TV's alight, we're happy tonight
Things are going well in wonderland

Gone away, is the rape charge
Maybe they, will escape charge
We sing a fight song, 'cause the fight's still on
But things are going well in wonderland

With the New York Times Nifong is planning
How to drop the case with dignity
February third we will be standing
In a long line the big show for to see

Later on we'll conspire, as we dream
Fong gets fired
And feel less afraid, that we will be made
A criminal in Durham, wonderland

Anonymous said...

To Bill Anderson:

Once again, you have yammered on and on but you have not answered the question. The question was would you please provide us with some evidence to support your statements that the negative fall out to Duke from the LAX case is due to what you refer to as the cowardice of Brodhead and not to the ugly racist behavior of the players. At this point, since I have asked this question several times and since you have repeatedly failed to provide an answer that was responsive to the question, it is clear that you do not have any evidence at all to support your statement. I conclude from this that you are not engaged in objective analysis of Brodhead and his actions but that you instead are basically just doing a hatchet job on him. In the future, I would suggest that you have some evidence to support your statements and not just put your own biased personal opinions out there as if they were facts.

Anonymous said...

Well, well. Brodhead's paid flack is still trying to harass Anderson.

Anonymous said...

11:44 Anon:

What "ugly racist behavior of the players"?

It's been established that the 1 racial epithet known to have been uttered by a LAX player was in response to an initial racial insult by Kim. She's admitted that.

Anonymous said...

To Windbag:

Your 10:56 PM post is one more great example of someone hurling accusations at Brodhead who does not know what he is talking about. Your statement that all he had to do was state that Duke students are entitled to the presumption of innocence but he failed to do so is just flat wrong and can easily be proven to be wrong. All you have to do is look at the videotape of his press conference of March 28, which is available on the Duke and WRAL websites. At the press conference, he stated several times that the facts of the case are not clear, the players have denied the charges, and they are innocent until proven guilty. If you doubt what I am saying, I invite you to take a look at the videotape of this press conference. For someone like you to come along and make negative statements about Brodhead which are clearly false and can easily be proven to be false just goes to show that most of the negative comments on this website are coming either from people like you who are ignorant of the facts or from people like Bill Anderson and others who just want to do a hatchet job on Brodhead.

Anonymous said...

1:22 pm Anon:

Are you a 'brown lipped Brodhead shill'? ;>)

Anonymous said...

To 1:22
First of all, why don't we just wait and see how the histories of this nightmare sort out?
Do you seriously think that one guy using the N word to Kim Roberts after she called him a "little-dicked white by" will be remembered as an example of anything significant? Or will Brodheads prolonged attempt to appear neutral when faced with a panorama of gross proscecutorial abuse aimed at some of his students?
In the second place, if you study Brodheads recent statements, while worthy enough in themselves, you cannot help but notice that he is saying no more than folks on this site (and others) have been shouting about since last Spring.
Sure, the fact that Nifong hid major DNA exculpatory evidence and got caught is a big thing. But close followers of this story were not surprised by any of it. There had already been a mountain of evidence of bad faith on Nifongs part.
Besides, the un-qualified, un-corrected comment "Whatever they did was bad enough" will serve forever as a stand-alone reason to put him into the list of actors branded with the word SHAME!

Anonymous said...

1:22 Brodhead's "what ever they did is bad enough" , without a shred of evidence - his own students denying the accusations, cancelling the season and refusal to meet with the parents is bad enough. What ever he says now is to little and to late. Hey, I have no committment to Duke - see of your explanation plays in Peoria.