Monday, April 30, 2007

Baker: No Outside Inquiry

The following item just appeared on the city of Durham website:

Durham City Manager to Provide Report Next Week Regarding Duke Lacrosse Investigation

Durham, N.C. – Following the release of the North Carolina Attorney General's report regarding the Duke Lacrosse Case “Summary of Conclusions,” Durham City Manager Patrick Baker has asked the Police Department to review the steps it took to investigate the case. Baker plans to release a report based upon the review next week.

# # #

Good Things Are Happening In Durham

---------

Given Patrick Baker’s performance to date in this case, grave concerns exist about the fairness of having the police department that AG said violated its own procedures conduct its own investigation.

Baker previously had promised the report this week; his announcement provided no explanation for the delay.

And the irony of issuing such a press release over the heading of “Good Things Are Happening In Durham” is hard to avoid.

[Update, 8.03: Julia Lewis of WRAL notes that she has repeatedly attempted to interview Chief Steven Chalmers, but the chief--who appears to fall out of public view for months at a time--has refused each request. She quotes Durham City Council member Eugene Brown, who appears dubious about Baker's latest gambit: “I just think we have to be very careful and not have this report end up a word game or semantics, like was this really a lineup, a witness lineup, or what.”]

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35 comments:

  1. Anonymous4/30/07, 7:08 PM

    Here's a leaked early copy of the report:

    "We've been accused of doing some really stupid, mean, and possibly even criminal things. But we looked into them really, really carefully, and after a thorough investigation we were able to determine that nothing at all happened. In fact, no DPD personnel were even in the state of North Carolina on the date ranges in question. Therefore, the investigation of these allegations is now permanently closed."

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  2. Anonymous4/30/07, 7:15 PM

    Oh no, I'm not a Durham policeman. But I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.

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  3. Anonymous4/30/07, 7:16 PM

    The good things happening in Durham are going to happen because Greensboro's FBI and US AG office is only 50 miles away.

    Tick Tock they're on the clock.

    Kemp

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  4. Anonymous4/30/07, 7:16 PM

    JLS says....

    The first inquiry is always internal. The issue will is will enough pressure be brought to force Durham to seek an outside inquiry and with say an outside organization like NC or the US DOJ investigate Durham.

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  5. Anonymous4/30/07, 7:29 PM

    That's just pathetic. Internal Affairs (if the DPD has even heard of such) investigates individual officers and limited incidents. Who will investigate the entire Department from within the department?

    [odor of rotting fish]

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  6. GS4/30/07, 7:35 PM

    The report is expected to be released sometime next week. WRAL has made numerous requests for interviews with Chalmers concerning the lineup, Cooper’s report and the upcoming report from his department. Each request has been denied.

    No Kidding, Chalmers missing in action again?
    Durham Police to Release Report

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  7. Anonymous4/30/07, 8:05 PM

    Here's a leaked early copy of the report:

    This reminds me of AP reporting SC Democratic Party debate before the event:


    Why have a debate? AP has already written its lede: It's 3:15. The big South Carolina Democratic debate starts in 45 minutes. But you don't have to actually watch it. AP's Nedra Pickler has already filed her story, in the past tense.

    Democratic presidential candidates largely stood together Thursday in support of a U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq and then sought to separate themselves on the details in the first primary debate of the 2008 race.

    Now that's reporting! ... The depressing thing is the debate is so predictable she probably got it right. ... "    AP fabrication

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  8. Anonymous4/30/07, 8:23 PM

    Things like this only strengthen my conviction that criminal charges need to be brought against several police, in addition to Nifong. Conspiracy to obstruct justice?

    Criminal charges should go deep, against all who in any way participated in the conspiracy to frame the Duke 3. How can we make that happen?

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  9. Anonymous4/30/07, 8:23 PM

    news release to be expected soon:
    Karla Holloway and Kim Curtis to lead Duke internal investigation regarding alleged grade retaliation..

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  10. Anonymous4/30/07, 8:46 PM

    If this document is full of falsehoods and is meant to head off a federal investigation, then Mr. Baker is involved in possible obstruction of justice. My sense is that the DPD and the City of Durham will engage in as many lies as possible.

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  11. Anonymous4/30/07, 9:05 PM

    If the blissfully corrupt Eugene Brown is trying to bail, things are not looking good for the porn dog chief executive and his Mayor the Graft King

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  12. Anonymous4/30/07, 9:18 PM

    Patrick Baker is just not smart enough to ward off the scrutiny and criticism. His responses so far have been dishonest and does nothing but push him further into a corner. Maybe he's burning bridges on his way out of Durham. If so, then that would be a nice start. Just in time for Downtown Durham revitatization. As they say on that MTV show, "NEXT!!!"

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  13. Anonymous4/30/07, 9:24 PM

    then Mr. Baker is involved in possible obstruction of justice.

    This is interesting aspect. If the results are, as we can expect, full exoneration ("DPD is innocent"), can it be declared obstruction of justice once the real investigation (by feds) is completed?

    I guess this hoax just keeps giving..

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  14. Anonymous4/30/07, 9:45 PM

    bill anderson 8:46pm

    "...Mr. Baker is involved in possible obstruction of justice."

    Obstruction of Justice is present in virtually every step of this frame-up and railroading. Anyone willing to mess around at this point is an idiot and deserves to be investigated. The AG was smart to not engage in this criminal activity.

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  15. Anonymous4/30/07, 9:47 PM

    The problem is that the Feds typically don't do a real investigation of this type of thing, even in cases that are far worse than this one. For instance, DNA analyst Pamela Fish put several innocent people on death row with perjured testimony. She was never criminally charged. To my knowledge, she was never even investigated.

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  16. Anonymous4/30/07, 9:58 PM

    Carolyn says:

    So - Baker is going to tell us 'something happened'?

    Excuse me while I barf.

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  17. Anonymous4/30/07, 9:58 PM

    Didn't the DPD have an inspection recently? What was the outcome? Are they still certified?

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  18. David4/30/07, 10:12 PM

    The DPD need only point the finger at Nifong. Nifong took over the investigation - it was HIS baby.

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  19. Anonymous4/30/07, 10:20 PM

    Really , the report was completed today !

    Sadly it was in Chief Chalmers briefcase and he has gone AWOL (Again, again ,again), but is expected back next week.

    Rumor has it; he is maintaining a low profile just in case his name comes up in the DC madams list if clients!!

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  20. GS4/30/07, 10:24 PM

    The problem for Durham is that this case is well documented:

    DPD made up notes months later tat conflict with other DPD notes made at the time.

    DPD procedure - no officer on the case can give a line up.

    DPD procedure - use fillers.

    What about the Chiefs review and the wanted poster.

    What about the Taxi driver arrest and the questions about the case.

    What about the 2 DPD who spoke with Meehan and failed to report the other men's DNA.

    What about the Grand Jury testimony, did the GJ know about the other men's DNA? Why was the FA not question about the other DNA? Why was a search not made for who these men were? Why was the other DNA not in DPD notes and case file?

    All this report will do is provide more proof of a coverup.

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  21. Anonymous4/30/07, 10:27 PM

    Does anybody have a sense of how much work Chalmers has missed and what offical reason is?

    Didn't somebody mention that he has been gone for months at a time?

    Anybody have any information?

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  22. Anonymous4/30/07, 10:34 PM

    I'm sure this report will be as thorough and detailed as the investigation into alleged prostitution ties to the DPD in the 1990s. . . (sacr/off)

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  23. Anonymous4/30/07, 10:40 PM

    Who's doing the investigation, Gottlieb and Himan?

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  24. Anonymous4/30/07, 10:55 PM

    Anyone think they can say nothing without saying something that comes back to bite them?

    History to date is that they can't.

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  25. Gary Packwood4/30/07, 10:57 PM

    Durham City Council member Eugene Brown, who appears dubious about Baker's latest gambit: “I just think we have to be very careful and not have this report end up a word game or semantics, like was this really a lineup, a witness lineup, or what.”
    ::
    It is exciting to watch people prepare to write their own history and then at the same time, prepare the denial strategy they are going to use after they write the paragraphs.
    Is there a fee I should pay for this opportunity?
    ::
    GP

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  26. Cedarford4/30/07, 11:00 PM

    I don't expect much.

    But, if they were honest and wished to minimize city exposure to litigation and they would have to address the following:

    1. Who directed city employees in the police department to report to the state agency for prosecution and accept a state lawyers tactical orders? Who in city management, who on DPD ordered surrender of city resources to state control.

    2. Established protocols have city police working under state or Federal law enforcement direction, but how was it established it was legal to work for an agency outside law enforcement affiliated with the judiciary? Who determined it was legal? Who ordered it be "made so", ultimately?

    3. As part of this novel arrangement:

    a. Were the change in lineups to "no wrong pick of 46 Lacrosse players" directed by DA Nifong? Did any cop formally protest and is there any record of this?

    b. Was the suspected intimidation by Moez Elmostafa by city police directed to occur by DA Nifong?

    c. Was the DPD defamatory media campaign against the Lacrosse players that assumed savage anal and vaginal rape had occurred and guilt resided in some or all the Lacrosse players directed by DA Nifong to happen? Were Kammie Michaels and Cpl David Addison acting under his orders and coordinating statements to newspapers, TV, and Crimestoppers elists as he directed, or acting on their own violition? If Major Lee Russ corrected this and barred Addison from further contact regarding the Lacrosse case, was this because Addison was brought back under DPD control, or because he transgressed DPD policy on his own?

    d. Were city employees Himan and Gottlieb ordered to suppress what they knew of exculpatory DNA evidence in subsequent contacts with fellow law enforcement officials and other interested parties by DA Nifong, or were they acting on their own violition as parties to conspiracy to conceal evidence? Were they directed by DA Nifong to conceal knowledge of this exculpatory information from the Grand Jury? Did they disclose this to their regular chain of command when both men were released back to DPD?

    As stated, I don't expect much.
    Each unanswered question, plus likely 3-4 I didn't think of or are not sure of the legality of (release of false emails on Dukes server, attempting to question students who had retained counsel) --

    Are, IMO, reasons for outside parties to get to the truth.

    If Nifong did order it all, and transfer of police authority to Nifong in this case was legal, then the only thing that is truly problematic is Himan and Gottlieb suppressing evidence if they in fact knew it was suppressed...

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  27. Anonymous4/30/07, 11:11 PM

    There can not possibly be an unanswered question left - except why did Nifong formulate and continue this hoax? Everything is known. People may not like it but it is known, DPd thought it was nothing - No 0n 2/24 enflamed the even with their coverage - Nifong picked up the ball and ran. Justice was denied in NC until Nifong could not keep it together with his buddy Meeham. NCbar is crucifying Nifong because he showed a spotlight on their legal practices. No one else will pay for this tragedy.

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  28. Gary Packwood4/30/07, 11:44 PM

    Anonymous 11:11 said...
    ...There can not possibly be an unanswered question left - except why did Nifong formulate and continue this hoax?
    ::
    I wouldn't put any money on that yet!
    There may be a whole group of people who were working together to get that case to him in the first place.
    ::
    GP

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  29. Anonymous4/30/07, 11:57 PM

    Good things are happening in Durham? They've got to be joking.

    Having lived for three years just down the street from the lax house, I can say with certainty that only good things could happen in Durham if you're talking in a relative sense. Short of a nuclear attack, Durham couldn't get any worse. The place is a sh%thole.

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  30. Anonymous5/1/07, 1:04 AM

    Gp - I don't believe in conspiracy stuff - Occasm's Razor and all that - Even ONE can't keep their mouth shut, let alone a few, a group or a mob - As long as you are looking, check out Dealy Plaza and Building 7 at the WTC.

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  31. Anonymous5/1/07, 1:11 AM

    Remember Crystal is a cop.

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  32. Anonymous5/1/07, 9:33 AM

    Patrick Baker appears to be cut from the same cloth as all Durham officials: incompetant, stupid and willing to break the rules.

    Although I do look forward to the keystone cops trying to write up the series of 'witness identification' procedures in way that shows they were never a line up and so, didn't violate any procedures, especially including Wilson's last round with Crystal.

    It should make for a good laugh.

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  33. Anonymous5/1/07, 12:39 PM

    Bold prediction: the internal investigation will show that "Nothing Happended" regarding DPD's alleged improprieties in their handling of the "Something Happened" at 610 Buchanon investigation.

    Durham is a Democratic town in a Democratic state, where most government employees are likely to be career Democrats. Dems going after Dems seriously? It ain't gonna happen. Wrist slaps will be the primary punishment, with at worse, Liefong getting a paid leave of absence that covers the time remaining until his normal retirement date. That'll teach 'em!

    Regarding the Chalmers perpetual absence, could well be that he's using up his 6,000+ hours of accumulated paid sick, personal, bereavement, holiday, and vacation time before he retires. Just a hunch....

    Please let me be wrong on all counts!

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  34. Anonymous5/1/07, 1:10 PM

    Durham is a rotten sewer!
    If they don't get an outside inquiry no one will ever have the proof of what we already know.
    The DPD along with other leaders and "activists" who are mostly black racists tried to frame the lacrosse players and at the same time build up the slimey stinking lying whore Mangum.
    All honest and law abiding citizens of Durham should demand an outside inquiry into the corrupt sewer.

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  35. Gary Packwood5/1/07, 2:39 PM

    I think I would wager that the report was made reference to insufficient resources at least five times.

    (1) Insufficient resources to keep after the kids of the Republicans at Duke.
    (2) Insufficient resources to respond to the bureaucracy of Duke.
    (3) Insufficient resources to respond to the media.
    (4) Insufficient resources to respond to citizen complaints about the behavior of Duke students.
    (5) Insufficient resources to staff a modern police lab with sufficient capacity to efficiently investigate evidence of crimes.

    Then the report will attribute the lack of resources to a lack of available funds since Duke pays no property tax and elected officials are unable or unwilling to move resources from the health department, fire department and public works over to the police department so they can do their job.

    More victims.

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