This case a study of what is and could be wrong with our criminal justice system—prosecutorial misconduct and courthouse cronyism; fascination with victimization, often at expense of the truth
Blasts msm and new news industry that fictionalizes the criminal justice system “simple hucksters unrestrained by truth and integrity”
Case is not an isolated incident; shone light on cases throughout the country where innocent people suffer and guilty people suffer too much
“each time these abuses happen in our democracy, it weakens the life of the American system”
“case was prosecuted by a man who had not a care in the world about justice, but only about himself and his agenda”
Ignored overwhelming evidence of innocence—manipulated overwhelming of evidence, and who deliberately misled his community, the media, the court, in his search for a false conviction
Appealed to racial and class hatred—what a team they made—the false accuser and Mike Nifong
He was believed because he—as all prosecutors—spoke with the majesty of the sovereign
Acted “to their own detriment, the detriment of their own students, and the lacrosse team”
Played to those who exploit racial tension—gave them a platform to “spew their hatred”—and some in media called these people “community activists”
Then Nifong “has had the audacity to say that he has done nothing wrong”
Ironic that as we speak today, legislation pending that would roll back open file discovery file; if passed, Nifong would have gotten away with it; urges every North Carolinian to defeat this legislation
Hopes that media will learn from this case—media are supposed to be protectors
115 comments:
Notice the following reaction published in the News and Observer from the president of the North Carolina NAACP, who conveniently forgets that there is not a lack of evidence, but rather that the evidence indicates that there was no crime: "We respect the integrity of the Attorney General's investigation and supported the involvement of special prosecutors. If his office believes the state lacks sufficient evidence to convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that all the elements of each crime took place, then it is the state's constitutional duty to dismiss the charges. ... Now, as we have repeatedly said, comes the hard part. How do we proceed toward the healing places in our communities and our hearts? Long after the television vans with their saucer antennas have pulled out of Durham, long after the bloggers have grown weary from typing, those of us who believe in freedom and justice can not rest. How do we work to ensure that the final decisions in this case in no way deter women of color from making claims of violations against them which violate their spirits and their bodies?" � statement from William J. Barber II, president of the North Carolina NAACP
"long after the bloggers have grown weary from typing, those of us who believe in freedom and justice can not rest."
The bloggers that believe in freedom and justice don't grow weary until the job is done.
Cheshire does have a few choice words for the race baiters though.
And how do we ensure that whites are not needlessly salndered by the NAACP and held to a VERY different standard than blacks accused of crimes?
Perhaps the NAACP needs to clean it's won house before looking at any else's.
A magnificent speech.
KC, much as we value your instant, on-the-spot coverage, I also hope you'll go back later and clean up and supplement these notes, and favor us pelase with a complete or near-complete transcript of today's speeches. Each speaker was more eloquent than the last, and their words need to be remembered.
Cheshire is a hero in my eyes. He stood up and told the truth even when it was wildly unpopular. He stood up today and held up the other lawyers and families of the lax players and the lax players as being the heroes. He stood up and clearly pointed out the evil that was being done. This is the KING energy.
May God bless Joe Cheshire.
Sick that's all I can say. The NAACP has no shame, the AG said the boys were innocent and that the woman was not credible.
This may be why the AG is also taking the stept to release their findings, to make it crystal clear that there was never a case to begin with.
These people will never let go of their racist beliefs.
CNN is reporting "Duke University praises the vindication of their lacrosse players and calls for thorough investigation into the DA who pressed charges." .... About a year late me thinks....
_KFinn
Here is the link to Brodhead's statement:
http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/2007/04/rhb_agdecision.html
While he did indeed note (quietly) that the players were innocent until proven guilty, his actions proclaimed loudly that they were guilty. Since he's an English professor, let me say it in a way he'll understand: "Methinks he doth protest too much."
It will be very telling to observe the Group of 88's behavior in the near future.
Will they face the music and apologize?
Or will they be defiant with continued denial?
Either outcome will remove any lingering doubts about their character and agenda.
And Nifong? Reckon he will ever look in the mirror and say to himself: "I'm such an idiot."?
Social nullification.
Predictably, the Herald-Sun is posting a reaction video entitled "Duke Case Still Divides Durham" on their website.
It contains apparent Duke students (white) welcoming the decision and NCCU students (A-A) insisting the prosecution blew the case, the players still need to be "looked into" and that "nothing can ever heal something like (this)".
KC, I'm a Duke grad and a current Duke parent, and one of the things the university has done of late is to choose a book that the entire entering freshman class is supposed to read in order to give them a common learning experience. I hope that they will choose your book for the entering class in 2008...but I doubt it!
KC,
I found myself fighting back the tears as I listened to Cheshire and the boys. They weren't just called names by some powereless shock jock. They were indicted. And not a single one of them asked for pity, or said they would be scarred for life. Good for them!
Somebody needs to ask Nancy Grace and a few other people to resign.
I also watched Georgia Goslee on Court TV and she was a disgrace. "These boys were lucky"
" I have lingering questions"
Wonder if they let Burness write Brodhead's statement?
Georgia Goslee should rub her two IQ points together and see if she can start a fire. Then she should take her law school diploma and put it into the fire.
The woman is a moron.
Of all the statements today, the AG was the best.
Innocent
Nifong is just wasting his money on his lawyer the AG has put the final nail in his coffin.
Out of curiosity -- whatever happened to the other Duke rape case -- the white girl that claimed she was raped at an AA fraternity party? Did she recant or is her case still ongoing?
KS-
I'm at work so I will make this brief.
While the lawyers were the frontline defense it was bloggers that filled in the blanks for the public. In that effort you get the gold star. All of your fellow bloggers also earned my praise and I am looking forward to this new "residual justice" phase.
God bless you!
JC
Whoops!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That should be "KC"
Was it just me...doesn't Cheshire look like an older George Bush with a gotee (sp)
Great work KC...thanks for your part in not letting a grave injustice take place.
For the detractors who have written that this blog is full of right-wing nuts and KC's contributions don't matter, I note that Reade, and Collin(didn't catch all of Dave's statement) both personally thanked one KC Johnson.
Nice job KC, I'm sure it's nice to hear thanks from all the bloggers, but it must have felt especially good to hear the 3 NO LONGER CHARGED players mention you by name.
You deserve it.
Brodhead should have been included among the 'cowards' in this case. Now he says the young men are "our students." Give me a break!
two words dodi...
Spacing!
paragraphs!
nice post though!
Looks like excuses are already being made...
http://iambecauseweare.wordpress.com/2007/01/14/we-wont-believe-the-hype-by-bryan-proffitt/
Unfortunately, its not over.
I'm not surprised that Serena Sebring, one of the "community activists," edited it.
Dr. Anderson - Nice job on The Ron Smith Show on WBAL this afternoon. I listened to (almost) all of it and have only one minor quibble - your mention of Lew Rockwell but not DIW.
Thanks again for all your hard work and devotion throughout the last year!
I was dissappointed when it was suggested that the Hurled-Scum was not going to be sued -- at least they were mentioned by name.
Justice demands that they be sued out of existance for the willful, malicious damage they have inflicted -- the NYT and others as well.
I think Nofing will be begging for a deal, if he has not already worked one out. Many would like to see his proceeding aborted on Friday, to put an end to another segment of this sorid affair. We'll see -- I wouldn't be at all suprised if he doesn't surrender his license and resign on Friday. It is so very clear that he deserves much, much worse.
At this point, considering that Cooper went far out of his way to criticize the procecution and say the boys were innocent, I don't see the NC bar having any reason to give or offer Mike Nifong a deal.
Mike Nifong now doesn't have a leg to stand on, the case has been dismissed, the accuser has been more or less called delusional, the AG has explicitely stated their investigation found that no attack occured and the boys are innocent. What kind of defense, other than the legaleze nonsense we've seen so far, can Nifong offer?
I believe now after watching the AG's press conference that Mike Nifong is going to lose his law license.
"If his office believes the state lacks sufficient evidence to convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that all the elements of each crime took place, then it is the state's constitutional duty to dismiss the charges. ..."
Seems Mr. Barber of the NAACP didn't quite understand what Mr. Cooper said today. Mr. Cooper did NOT say that the special prosecutors found insufficient evidence to prove the charged crimes beyond reasonable doubt. Instead, Mr. Cooper said that the three defendants are INNOCENT. Mr. Cooper said that the SP's found no credible evidence of any crimes. That means, Mr. Barber, that there was NO PROBABLE CAUSE to indict the three defendants (or anyone else) for Crystal Mangum's fantasy gang-rape in the first place. The standard for probable cause (a reasonable suspicion) is far, far lower than the standard for conviction at trial (proof beyond a reasonable doubt).
With its statement, the NC NAACP continues its policy in this case of misstating facts and misleading the public.
What a shameful display for a once proud and useful organization.
Oops, the Herald Sun has started to backtrack! They are reporting that city councilman Thomas Stith and Professor Coleman have called on Nifong to resign. Maybe he can take Bob Ashley with him!
http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-838099.cfm
The Hurled-Scum remains true-to-form: Unbeliveable.
What Nofing has to bargain with is similar to the card CGM holds: any further proceeding risks further exposing how bad things actually are. The Bar (really the State, but in backroom deals these are conflated) holds the threat of criminal charges (the Bar, referral for criminal charges, in the case of Nofing; the State, actual criminal charges, in the case of CGM).
Some time ago, I predicted Nofing would be turned into a firebreak. I stand by this…
Joe Neff is stating the N&O will run a five day special coverage of the "behind the scenes" of the investigation. Highlighting poor choices made by Nifong, among others.
http://www.newsobserver.com/content/multimedia/flash_audio/2007/april/20070411_nefflacrosse.mp3
Wonder what Marcotte has to say?
I'm amazed ... Today on CNN and CourtTV, KC's blog came to life ... like one of those true movies on Lifetime. I found myself glued to the tube and feeling very smug ... almost as though I were one of KC's students who got an "A" in one of his courses.
ESPECIALLY when Finnerty and Seligmann thanked KC PERSONALLY~!
oh well, i'm awed.
K.C.,
You have done a great job throughout this ordeal, and I am glad that Collin and Reade thanked you for what you have done. You really made a difference, and very few people can say that about themselves.
Thanks for keeping us informed and for taking this nonsense apart. The families are not the only people who are grateful for what you did. I, too, am thankful that you stood in the gap.
Not really related, but I couldn't resist. A story about the wife of the "wonderful" former NC senator, you know, the one currently running for president.
"Monty Johnson was heading home Monday with a cooler full of catfish when he learned his new neighbor had turned him into a minor celebrity.
. . . Elizabeth Edwards, they told him, had called him a "rabid, rabid Republican." That wasn't all. The Democratic presidential candidate's wife also told The Associated Press she didn't want her children near Johnson because, she said, he once pulled a gun on workers investigating a right of way on his property.
. . .
"On Tuesday, "Inside Edition" sent a film crew to his single-wide trailer in rural Orange County that sits near the Edwards' $6 million, 29,000-square-foot estate[!].
See, http://www.newsobserver.com/114/story/562899.html
Nice to know there are some people to don't rush to judgment!
Where is the statement from the G88 regarding the dropped charges? Where are the pot bangers?
Regarding Nifong's co-conspirators: Can ordinary citizens file criminal complaints, or do "the rest of us" have to wait for the state to investigate itself?
Want to get angry? Click on the audio comments on the News and Observer site.
What's it going to take?
As a "reverend", Barber might be expected to be familiar with the biblical verse that says
"And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"
Reverend, heal thyself. You can contribute nothing to the search for healing places until you do. As it stands, you believe in freedom and justice for your kind, but not for all of mankind. Your actions for the past year and your words today prove it.
check out the drudgereport.com headline right now. its a classic
The dismissal documents.
According to AG Roy Cooper, Crystal Gail Mangum may actually believe her own stories. Consequently, she may believe that her actions were not wrong.
If so, she should not be incarcerated! In my state, if a person does not know the difference between right and wrong and takes actions which are criminal and/or result in harm to others that person is a candidate for commitment proceedings.
Perhaps CGM should be committed to a mental institution and not sent to prison.
Mike in Nevada
Wonder what Marcotte has to say?
Apr 11, 2007 6:42:00 PM
Who cares, she is persona non grata like Nifong, the group of 88, the Duke adminstration, the NAACP, and the rest of the liars out there. Their opinion and comments carry no weight and simply no longer matter All that counts is that at long last the truth has been revealed.
The audio comments from Bryan Parham, 20, NCCU sophomore are so ignorant of the facts of THIS case, I think he's talking about the OTHER Durham case - the real rape case. LOL
Why, oh, why did I read the Herald Sun's commentary on their website?
They describe the press conference participants as bitter and speaking with an "I told you so attitude."
Shame piled upon shame upon the HS.
First, thank you KC for all that you have done. One man can make a difference and you proved it.
Barber, the pinheads at NCCU who still believe "something happened" will never change their thinking. Oh well. OJ is innocent, too - no wait - he's not guilty. No, wait, ah, nevermind.
The local news this evening has had a lot of the presser - it is good to see these people, under duress for so long, speak freely, at long last. Their words are significant and at time eloquent, and I hope, will be taken to heart by those who watch the coverage.
And one more point - the AA community here in Durham has not been universal in their stupid commitment to the lies and the liars. Some, perhaps those who know Crystal or know of her reputation, have said that the case stunk from the beginning and to them, justice was served.
It might have gone very differently had a nattily dressed professor from NYC (New York City!) taken time from his life to pursue the truth of the matter. Thanks again.
Innocent -- except that they are still guilty of being white. We see that for far too many, this is all that it takes...
Bryan Proffitt is wack. He says that rapists don't belong in prison because the poor things will get raped themselves. I think he should get a pass for being mental, just like his girl Magnum:
http://iambecauseweare.wordpress.com/2007/01/14/we-wont-believe-the-hype-by-bryan-proffitt/
What justice can the court do here? If imprisoned, these men are at a greater risk of violence at the hands of guards and/or other prisoners than that of women on the outside. For those of us who want sexual violence to end, this is not the answer. Prisons are not around to keep crime from happening, nor “reform” those who have committed it. They are another way for us to legitimize violence and pretend that our problems are solved, when they have merely been relocated.
We must begin to imagine alternatives for real accountability. Throughout the world, survivors are leading community responses that challenge instances of sexual violence, hold people who commit violence accountable, and work to prevent it from ever happening; all without resorting to the violence of prisons.
Who can fail to note the irony in this statement (taken from the N&O blog):
A photograph? Really, N&O, you published a photograph of a member of our community who lives in fear of her life because of constant death threats over the last year? Someone who can't stay in her own home because it's no longer safe for her to be there? The blogospherians have been ruthless in their vitriol, and, more importantly, in their deliberate attempts to compromise the safety of this person by disseminating her personal information, encouraging attacks on her, and making wild, ignorant, and cruel conjectures about her character.
Of course, this is EXACTLY true of what has been done to INNOCENT lads (the entire LAX team) for the past year. In fact, this only begins to touch on what they have had to endure.
This affair has exposed so much. I never knew so many were so willfully ignorant or utterly blinded by bias. The coming days and weeks should be very interesting!
To Duke students and Durham residents: Be ever-vigilant, wary and exercise caution...Nifong and Brodhead are still in their positions of power and authority.
KC...thank you for a job well done!
BTW, "legal expert" Roger Cossak is back on ESPN.com with the categorical statement that Nifong cannot be sued because he is a "public official."
What law school did this gentleman graduate from? Does he not know the very real distinction between absolute and qualified immunity?
The majority of Nifong's alleged [being polite here] crimes were outside the scope of his prosecutorial position, and thus subject to qualified immunity only. Even administrative actions not directly related to his prosecutorial duties are not protected by absolute immunity.
Check out a Ninth Circuit decision which makes this very clear:
http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca9/
newopinions.nsf/
5B19072EE8E5CF46882572AB008167CE/$file/0655537.pdf?openelement
Especially note pages 6 ff, which give a clear, cogent analysis of those aspects of a prosecutor's actions which are absolutely immune and those which are not. Remember, this is under federal law, for sec. 1983 suits.
It is no wonder that Mr. Cossak is working for ESPN and not for a law firm.
Best to keep it going on these threads. Because you are already nearly old news on the networks. I give it about 12 hours, max. Imus stuff already is the next news story.
So, the boys are left to deal with the responsibility of the costly aftermath of their party (hope they have apologized to their families, at least)and Imus is gone.
Not too bad a day.
Wonder what Marcotte has to say?
Apr 11, 2007 6:42:00 PM
Who cares, she is persona non grata like Nifong, the group of 88, the Duke adminstration, the NAACP, and the rest of the liars out there. Their opinion and comments carry no weight and simply no longer matter All that counts is that at long last the truth has been revealed.
Well, I was wondering if she might come up with a pearl of wisdom like:
Can't a poor, hard-working, black, mother of three lie about rape and get away with it anymore? What's the world coming to?
Seems like the sort of thing Marcotte would say.
Thank you KC for all you have done for these young men. They know!
I have your book on back order as well as the book by Mike Pressler and his collaborative agent.
Thanks also to Liestoppers, John in Carolina, William Anderson at Lew Rockwell, Crystal Mess, Duke Chronicle bravehearts, and Michael Gaynor for daring to speak the truth.
This is not the end. It is the beginning for bloggers who care to seek out the truth.
it was so obvious to educated people, that the real racism in the duke lacrosse team prosecutions didnt start or end with the players---
BUT the rascism began with the well organized collaborations of the local black community and the prosecutors TEAM, LED ON by the viscious LEADERS OF the GROUP OF 88, whose provided the intellectual moral authority to lynch and crucify the three great young men on a cross...the Group of 88 misused its moral authority to ignore the facts and the truth that was so obvious from the beginning as it is so obvious in the end
i thank you for taking the careful time to look at the secondary legal and criminal justice personnel
in this case, whose incompetence and bias was only strengthened by the Group of 88..
i thank you for asking the question about apologies from the Group of
88,as they still continue to teach their viscious form of white hatred
as a matter of their right of passage to vilify.
duke hasnt learned anything
because no Group of 88 has been fired and in fact many have been
promoted to even higher positions of authority...and the new arrogant Duke spokesman is as incendiary as the faculty that refuses to
acknowledge its complicity
when most of the Group of 88 are FIRED as their allies remarkably demand of IMUS, only then will there be justice
may they be forced to pay their own legal expenses in civil procedings that hopefully stem from their positions as alleged activism in this CASE OF INJUSTICE...may the wheels of justice grind slow over them, for the harm they brought to innocents
the Group of 88 didnt hammer the nails into the players hands BUT they cheered on those who did and who lifted the cross into place
may the cry "BOOT THE DUKE 88" be heard until the day theyre gone
5:42: "Nifong is just wasting his money on his lawyer the AG has put the final nail in his coffin."
Can anyone shed light on who is paying Nifong's legal bills?
Thanks Madhatter,
This is just the first shot across the bow of injustice. With folks like KC, we no longer fear a tyrannical justice system in the U.S.
--Lumpy Gravy
Nifong down. Let the legal vultures devour him. Time to bring down Brodhead. He's doing more damage to Duke than Nifong. He should be the next casualty.
"Brodhead should have been included among the 'cowards' in this case. Now he says the young men are "our students." Give me a break!"
Indeed. Stomach-churning stuff. A shameless opportunist. He's done incalculable damage to Duke. Hope he's next...
Duff Wilson at the NYT continues to write appallingly badly about the dismissal. Read his article and learn that Nifong got in trouble because of the fury of LAX supporters and blog whackos. The importance of the case is still framed in terms of race, class, and gender, not in terms of dramatic miscarriage of justice. There are bizarre references to the case being about big money college sports (lacrosse?!) and a final swipe at racial framing with a breakdown of 2007 freshman acceptances by ethnicity. I really don't understand how he was allowed to drive this story off the rails right to the end.
In the financial business we have an expression that the NYT needs to heed: Never let the guy who did the deal do the workout.
Has anyone noticed the incredibly cogent, common-sensical, straight-from-the-heart statements from the defense lawyers and the accused?
Contrast that with the silence, cowardice, and whining of the G88, Nifong, and the relatively few remaining "something happened" aholes.
Which side do you choose??????
Did you see this quote from a Duke biology professor on Liestopers?
"Since we haven't gone through a normal legal process, we don't know what really happened. The fact the charges were dropped doesn't mean nothing happened. It just means information wasn't collected appropriately enough to go forward.” -- Duke biology professor Sheryl Broverman
Some people just won't give up.
Hate to say it, but my take on a report detailing Nofing's misconduct coming out next week is that someone knows that a deal is going to be announced on Friday...
If society doesn't learn from this, we are doomed -- it is only a matter of time. This failure would demonstrate that we (as a society) are incapable of learning, that identity politics trumps all else, and that it is just a matter of who can assemble of larger block of misguided voters. From this point on, society will (d)evolve purely based on demographics, with no chance for survival of the fittest ideas and practices to continue to power free-enterprise. The great experiment that Lincoln spoke of at Gettysburg will have failed -- we will, in effect, become socialist and our economy will suffer the same sort of collapse as has been seen in other such societies, and others will out-compete us. We won’t be able to maintain the standard of living we are accustomed to and pressures for scarce resources will lead to increasing ugliness and a downward spiral. Perhaps some individuals will make contributions all out of proportion to their single numbers and delay this, but we need someone to address the deep and abiding problems that have been brought to light in this affair.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. – Abraham Lincoln
We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. – MLK
The statement of innocence was the second story in on today's BBC World Service news. The news of their innocence is being heard all over the world.
I give it about 12 hours, max. Imus stuff already is the next news story.
Got home around 6ish, flipping through the channels explicitly looking for comments on the Duke dismissals from either Reverend Sharpton or Reverend Jackson.
Reverend Sharpton was indeed discussing the topic of the day on Tucker Carlson's show.
But that topic was, of course, Don Imus.
I wonder how Broverman got her job? Would it be impolite to suggest that she was some sort of affirmative action push-through? She sure doesn't get much about the criminal justice system or the Bill of Rights.
Nowhere else to put the following. Tenured Radical came back today and--surprise--decided to play the victim. I submitted the following response, but learned the thread had been disabled.
Anyone who cares to read what TR wrote can find it; what I wrote is as follows:
TR: Get. Over. Yourself.
You weighed in on a subject for which you had not the sketchiest amount of information, and you got called on it. Still, and especially toward the end of the string, the posters seemed to feel rather sorry for you (certainly sorrier than I did), and they all but begged you to familiarize yourself with the basic facts of Duke LAX before spouting off. There were even a few posts addressed commenter-to-commenter, in which all were encouraged to give you the benefit of the doubt. You overreached. Fine. We all do.
Your response was to lump all of us in the same black-hating, women-hating basket, and simply ignore the substance of what was written. Your ignorance is not only manifest, it's now clearly willful.
Is this how you conduct your class?
Look, I won't trouble your blog again. For your sake, just please stop along this vein before you humiliate yourself any further.
It is important not to forget the real victims in this case:
Nifong: His career was destroyed, comfortable life shattered.
New York Times and MSM: Their reporting was widely ridiculed and their credibility went down (if possible) even further.
Gang88: Their syllabi was scrutinized.
All prostitutes in the US: Now all people believe that all prostitutes are fat, ugly and dumb.
Reverend Sharpton was indeed discussing the topic of the day on Tucker Carlson's show
Sharpton has moved on to next Tawana Brawley or Duke hoax story.
Jamil: Regarding your words: "Nifong: His career was destroyed, comfortable life shattered."...
Do you have any proof that Nifong won't ride off into the sunset with his full retirement? Just curious.
Today, he is one day closer to his 100% vesting than he was yesterday.
It looks like the mainstream media still hasn't learned (at least some of them).
I was listening to the NPR radio news this evening at 9pm EDT when they mentioned the dismissal. They did not mention Cooper's usage of "innocent", but instead reported the reason for dismissal as the prosecutor "not having enough evidence to proceed" with the prosecution.
Is this "spin" or is it incompetance??
Pittsburgh
It doesn't matter if he vests -- w/ the civil suits, he will be owned. Anyone have any idea how much is likely to be left to him if he is successfully sued?
WTH? A Biology prof is questioning DNA results?
Note to Justice Dept: Feminism trumps DNA.
All prostitutes in the US: Now all people believe that all prostitutes are fat, ugly and dumb.
An (admittedly) quick scan of the available research does seem to indicate surprisingly few meta-narratives dealing with physically unattractive minority prostitutes financially ripping off privileged, affluent male customers.
It is spin, without doubt.
I'm trying to envision KC clad in a bow-tie and boxer shorts. That's how I used to fantasize "George Will" ... lol
"naughty me" ... and at my age!
Seriously, i hope KC has not collapsed from exhaustion by now. He's a pretty remarkable person.
good point jamil on the gut course AA courses...how does one create financial security with an AA degree ?
simple: dont work at something that creates jobs, and pays real taxes that build roads...instead use the power of government to steal from the private sector through lawsuits like chavez...jackson...sharpton ...and the list goes on...
"I'm not so sure the media learned anything. I went to Google news and pulled up their news links. Every headline except for one, Canada.com, said the charges dropped. Canada.com managed to get in the headlines - INNOCENT. No one else".
That's ironic. Canada is the world's capital of political correctness where being a white male is prima facie grounds for being discriminated against. There are scores of Nifongs and Gangs of 88 in Canada.
Hey, Lumpy Gravy,
Love the name. It sounds like my life. William Anderson has vowed to carry on the fight for justice. I am with him 100%. Don't want to get personal, just want justice. Keep the faith.
Glenn Beck's show tonight on Headline News dealt the civil rights for all card. He challenged the NC NCAAP leaders to come forth and defend the Duke 3. Said that Imus' behavior was unacceptable, but not defending the Duke 3 against a rogue attorney was equally reprehensible. Not sure who saw it. Assume there's a link for it.
its time for the DUKE board of trustees to create the NIFONG PRINCIPLES, as they used the sullivan principles in the past
the group of 88 took sides against the students and the university...tenure doesnt protect the university against legal actions when organized faculty UNDERMINES the university community by publishing UNSCHOLARLY edicts against the rights of students and alumni
the BOARD needs to enact the nifong principles to BOOT THE DUKE 88...and set an example for the world that FACULTY CANT SERVE TWO MASTERS...as they violated the common decency our system affords the accused...
Wonder what Marcotte has to say?
In hiding, but another notoriously vicious leftist commenter "p.lukasiak" is out leaving comments that these rich, white racists got away with it on blogs, "racist scumbags" was the slur dejour. Like I said, he's notoriously vicious and nasty and full of venom and very hate obsessed.
Re: Dr. Broverman
PhD 1990 U of Indiana (if I remember correctly).
Probably not an affirmative action hire.
Last publication of research in hard science about 1996.
Since then, primary interest is far more anthropological: evolution vs creationism; and the interaction of gender, education and disease.
Most of her CV describes membership in and organization of various social-agenda and education groups.
In her defense, she has a comment on the Duke Chronicle (on the thread regarding the dismissal of charges) wherein she claims that a) she made her comments prior to the dismissal of charges, b) she was speaking of generic rape cases as opposed to the specific issue at Duke, and c) she was quoted out of context.
It seems that subsequent commentators on the thread were not buying her defense.
I started a rant of my own as I spent the day watching MSNBC work through the IMUS problem while trumpeting the Duke outcome....does anyone find this odd that comments about Division 1 athletes that hurt their feelings create this kind of firestorm, but lies about Division 1 athletes that ruin their lives gets second-guessed when they are declared innocent?
Some of the New York Times headlines tomorrow:
headline1:
Democratic party AG drops charges. Hero AG leading candidate for governor.
headline2:
Study: Republican Party causes cancer.
headline3:
Sharpton condemns Imus
Cheshire's statement looks like a classic. I look forward to seeing a transcript.
the RUTGERS basbetball players i will POSIT have danced to, listened to, on radio and CD, and DVDs, on cable TV and regular broadcasts, they have warmed up to RAP SONGS that used the HO word over and over...
IF IMUS was black, NONE OF this would be happening...PC means that different standards are applied by RACE...
forget about EQUAL PROTECTION of the laws, in fact the DUKE88 could care less about equal protection because the political science behind AFRICAN AMERICAN degress is all about disrespecting equal protections as a matter of remedy
no media reported on a question i had asked at the rutgers press conference to wit: how did the players feel about RAP singers using the word HO ?
im sure someone will discover a UTUBE where the same rutgers players are wildly dancing to a HO RAP lyric ....and once again well see the significance of the innocence of the duke players versus a faculty that pays no attention to scholarly fact finding justifying publishing anything
to be more clear i had suggested that a question be asked by the press at the rutgers press conference about the apparent conflict in rutgers players real lives where they never protested the use of the word HO in music they listened and played to, while be juvenally critical of 'cracker' IMUS at the same time
re the importance of the attorneys
Why celebrate professionals for doing their jobs?
I saw no brilliance from any of these attorneys, and I really had to laugh when boy partner took credit for discovering Meehan's subterfuge. Sorry, folks, but any trained lawyer could have performed the same service. I hope to see more imagination in the civil suits.
Polanski
boy partner took credit for discovering Meehan's subterfuge
This was extraordinary and probably never happened before (DA hides evidense and smart lawyer finds it buried deep inside raw material). His part was crucial. In most scenarios this would not have been found.
Defense team was very competent, but of course blogs and few other non far-left media outlet helped enormously. Durham jury would have convicted them, no question about that.
AG is another story: He did only his job (it took months, any mediocre rookie prosecutor would have done that within days) so he certainly is not hero. (No doubt: NYT makes him hero in anticipation of the elections)
Future Hollowood movies and Law & Order probably make some PC changes: Nifong is a republican, Governor is a republican, Duke3 are AA democrats and New York Times reporters uncover the conspiracy. Karl Rove is also involved (head of local Klu Klux Klan).
The state AG basically:
- Tossed Nifong over the side to the sharks. Alone.
- Painted the real cause of this entire episode as a poor helpless victim who "believes what she says." Well, I guess that makes it all OK then. This is the sop to the Dem Black voting bloc.
Duke will do nothing of any positive substance, and the Gang of 88 will be back pursuing business as usual within a few days.
Angry Blacks will remain angry. Idiotic pundits and racist media will remain idiotic and racist.
I'm just glad it's momentarily over and the boys and their families can get on with their lives. No amount of reparation can ever undo this wrong or adequately punish the wrongdoers.
Well done, KC.
you couldnt be more wrong about this GOING AWAY
there will be a huge trial of nifong on the record, the CNO will publish 5 large articles discussing the background of the case
the players EACH spent 1 million in legal fees and defamation suits against the UNIVERSITY, the state city NAACP and of course the group88, along with FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS LAW SUITS, both civil and criminal, CIVIL RICO against all those who organized against the three players, will TAKE YEARS...
and it deserves to happen
wealthy people get even..if it happened to my son, i would raise hell with every low life at duke that participated in the lynching
you QUIT too early---earn some money and ull understand that justice is coming to the slime who attacked these players...they better leave duke and start working in the ussr
i cant wait
The AG did what he was supposed to do. He handed it over to the special prosecutors who investigated the case thoroughly, something that should have been done by Nifong and investigators a year ago. They took the time and care they did so that no one could question the dismissal of the charges and declaration of innocence of Dave, Reade, & Collin. While the State Bar is the real hero in all of this, the AG played a key role and, especially for his language today, deserves some credit. No need to be quite so cynical, Jamil.
This sad quote is from the Guardian (and others?):
"Later, at an often-bitter, I-told-you-so news conference, the three young men and their lawyers accused the news media and the public of disregarding the presumption of innocence and portraying them as thugs."
Of course that is basically true the media did that, but they are so stuck on themselves that anyone pointing out their evil behavior is nasty and "bitter."
I heard no bitterness, but a small bit of appropriate and restrained anger amidst the overwhelming gracious comments.
KC got a ton of face time on Nightline this evening and they showed the appreciation from the players too.
Dear KC,
Words cannot express what you have meant to me, nor what you have done to implode this hoax.
This case hit far too close to home for this parent of a lax playing, college aged son.
I have lurked, but not posted for many months. I have checked your site, as well as Liestoppers and the Johnsville news daily, often multiple times daily.
God bless you and the above named sources. Absent you and the above (I should also mention John in Carolina) we would still be discussing this " case."
Matt In Utah
Check out the Pressler press conference on Liestoppers. That man is a magnificent human being. What a loss for Duke - assuming that they care about teaching character.
The NYT has a new article out online by Duff Wilson and a few other journalists. I think they finally got it mostly right!!! Notably there is no retraction of any other NYT article and no mention whatsoever in tonight's article of Sgt. Gottlieb who figured so prominantly in August's infamous NYT piece.
Not clear to me why it is all right for Mr. Wilson and many other journalists and professors to participate in the near railroading of three young men off to 30 years of prison when Mr. Imus (who I do not watch) is fired despite his many apologies for silly, racist, sexist but ultimately completely inconsequential insults--the bread and butter of shock jocks and shock musicians of all colors.
Yes, I know the remarks hurt peoples' feelings and how rude, but did anyone have to see their reputation actually ruined, post bail, hire lawyers, face prison time, watch parades peopled by their teachers carrying hate-filled signs, listen to month after month of derisive, false accusations, have a championship season taken completely away, watch a beloved coach's career destroyed???? Come on, what am I missing here? Oh yeah, the terrible crime of underage drinking that supposedly brought on all of these problems for the LAX team.
If I actually believed Mr. Imus' firing would elevate the public discourse, perhaps I could get behind it. I do not care for those kinds of shows. But somehow I believe the standards imposed on Mr. Imus will never be imposed on the wide spectrum of wildly popular, publicly consumed, racist, sexist speech.
Observer
"the BOARD needs to enact the nifong principles to BOOT THE DUKE 88...and set an example for the world that FACULTY CANT SERVE TWO MASTERS...as they violated the common decency our system affords the accused".
Where does this naive faith in the Trustees come from? They haven't uttered a peep in spite of everything, and some people think they are suddenly going to fire professors over this? That won't happen in 1,000,000 years. Forget the Trustees.
Don't know why the state NAACP* can't let this case go. They have that moron Imus to torment.
*NAACP = National Association for the Aggrandizement of Corpulent Preachers
I have read numerous media reports hoping for something that truly captures the spirit of all the press conferences today, and the media still just doesn't get it at all. Very few will actually have watched the entire statements today and truly understand what happened here. The stain of this case remains.
JLS says...,
re: anon 12:10
I watched the Fox News case summary on Sheppard Smith's news hour. It was riddled with error, omission and over simplifications. I am pretty sure that they were trying to get it right unlike says CourtTV who editted the word "innocent" from the AGs statement.
I have about given up on the facts of this case being communicated to the public. Maybe it is so outrageous, that it is hard to convey?
re: 12:10
Nightline did an excellent job the last two nights. I'm hoping that Newsweek, Time, etc. do in-depth pieces. I'm sure Leno will get his digs into Nifong. Maybe he'll invite a few Lacrosse players for a show.
The magnitude of this crime and how one man went after the sons of families is a compelling human interest story. Especially to parents with sons.
Some of the other aspects like Duke, the "men of the cloth", the race baiters, the media, etc. may get away relatively unscathed. It's hard to tell a story this complex in a short period of time.
But KC's book is in the 600s on Amazon's rankings which means that there are a lot of people out there preordering a good read of the case. And that will help get more of the rest of the story out.
KC's late but I think that he's had a busy day. I hope that he doesn't have a class tomorrow. I could just see him catching a late plane back to NY and running to class in the morning as if nothing happened.
Nicolas, thank you for sharing Gang of 88 member Claudia Koonz's response, which I reprint from your 4:06 PM posting here:
Dear Nicholas,
Like my colleagues I differentiate between a deplorable culture of racism that is all too common here and elsewhere and the individual guilt of the players. If you read the ad, it was the former that aroused our concern. And, actually, I am pleased to have several lacrosse players (men and women) in my classes and enjoy their contributions to class... plus, I pleased at how well they are playing.
Best wishes, Claudia Koonz
A very astute observer compared this case to The Dreyfus Affair. If a similar denuciatory publication had been made by Capt. Dreyfus' military superiors at start of that affair, its authors -- like Prof. Koonz -- would later claim that they were not making any claims about the Dreyfus' individual guilt, but were simply seizing the opportunity of his arrest to decry the disloyal nature of Jews in general.
Someone should introduce Prof. Koonz to the concept of sine qua non ("without this, nothing happens"). Without the Duke faculty greenlighting the prosecution of three of their students, Nifong never would've done what he did.
There was, so to speak, pools of gasoline around this case from the beginning -- race, sex, crime, class, etc. Prof. Koonz and her colleagues chose to throw a match into this atmosphere, and it was by the light of the resulting fires that Nifong saw his course.
One of Prof. Koonz' colleagues has stated that in this case, "White innocence means black guilt." Even if we can agree that goes too far, the statement that "Lacrosse defendants' innocence means Gang of 88 guilt" does not.
I don't expect that Prof. Koonz can understand any of this. I really think that, like the dancer, there is a "mental illness" affecting most of Duke faculty which prevents them from seeing reality the way everyone else sees it.
Don Imus is losing his job for a thoughtless, spur-of-the-moment, bantering-with-a-colleague comment. Don Imus didn't owe his targets any duty of care, like professors owe their students. Don Imus didn't create an atmosphere for innocent people to face threats of sexual mutilation and other assaults. Don Imus didn't create an atmosphere that nurtured hatred of his targets by their fellow students. Don Imus didn't refuse to apologize for what he did.
The professors should think about that, but I think their minds are too intoxicated by the fumes of the gasoline pools for them to think straight about very much.
Vomiting-material: "Duke University praises the vindication of their lacrosse players and calls for thorough investigation into the DA who pressed charges."
Like the parent who buried his child alive and then pretends to be thrilled when the child is found to have survived.
KC, it's past 12am EDT now, and no post.
I hope you're taking the night off. And having a great time in Durham w/ the Duke 3 families.
Ricardo at 5:28 PM said:
KC, I'm a Duke grad and a current Duke parent, and one of the things the university has done of late is to choose a book that the entire entering freshman class is supposed to read in order to give them a common learning experience. I hope that they will choose your book for the entering class in 2008...but I doubt it!
Since KC's book won't be out until the Fall, a good substitute would be ILLIBERAL EDUCATION: The Politics of Race and Sex on Campus by Dinesh D'Souza.
Getting it right...
The AP summary is here. I don't remember seeing railroaded in the previous versions of the AP comments.
::
Prosecutors Drop All Charges in Duke Case
Allegations of Rape Roiled Elite Campus
By AARON BEARD
AP
RALEIGH, N.C. (April 11) - The Duke lacrosse rape case finally collapsed Wednesday, with North Carolina's top prosecutor saying the three athletes were railroaded by a district attorney who ignored increasingly flimsy evidence in a "tragic rush to accuse."
In a blistering assessment of the case, Attorney General Roy Cooper dropped all charges against the players, all but ensuring that only one person in the whole scandal will be held to account: Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong.
"This case shows the enormous consequences of overreaching by a prosecutor," Cooper said.
Cooper, who took over the case in January after Nifong was charged with ethics violations that could get him disbarred, said his own investigation into a stripper's claim that she was sexually assaulted at a team party found nothing to corroborate her story, and "led us to the conclusion that no attack occurred."
....
The innocence of these players should be clearly broadcast by the media so they can regain their lives. I applaud those media outlets who have thoroughly covered all the events and those people who hold media accountable for balanced reporting.
However, going back to the origin of the case (and a lesson parents should pound in their kids brains)... The didn't just have underage drinking at a party (as one poster indicated). They made a bad decision by hiring a stripper at what was essentially a team party. When you make bad decisions, bad things can happen to you. The players' statements would be more credible if they at least admitted making a mistake. People in the US need to take more responsiblity.
Posters are too quick to compare this to the Imus / Rutgers case. Imus' comments were last Wednesday. Now, a week later, actions / attention ot them are at their highest point. The critical Duke announcement just happened this afternoon. Let morning TV, talk radio, etc. have some time with it. It will get more attention (though it might not get as much as it deserves).
WHY HOLD THE TRUSTEES LIABLE ?
they are appalingly incompetent thats why ...they have no idea of how our system of justice works and apparently neither do you...they are trying to IGNORE their responsibility, thats why
"Morality establishes its own universality, the state acts as judge and jury not because it decides right and wrong but because it is the means of effecting justice.
Just as the Constitution is, but the positive law means of effecting certain natural law ends, it, the
Constitution,is worthwhile only to the point that it is efficacious in
bringing about the natural law state we might all agree to in
principle.
That is why we form the state, that we might not act as jury,judge, and warden, BUT MOST CERTAINLY NOT because we are incapable of determining culpability.
the trustees are capable of DETERMINING CULPABILITY...after all they KNOW these students better than anyone but their parents...they were accepted by admission...they were part of the community for 4 years...and broadrot didnt believe them ?
educated men of GREAT CHARACTER were denied over a HO who lied before about the very same issue ?
a HO defended by the intellectually inferior AA co authors of the group88 MANIFESTO, who did ZERO RESEARCH TO come to their conclusions...what grade does one give the tenured professors who MINDLESSLY SIGNED THE MANIFESTO...?
to me its called EXPULSION...they are incapable of educating others by their OWN ACTIONS
broadrot didnt lift a finger to examine the facts....he a lazy lout like the group88 he defends by taking no action against the hate they engendered against their OWN STUDENTS..
academics must be LOYAL to facts not FEARS...loyal to those one knows from years of contact and scholarship
and the board believed the lazy coward BROADROT ?
"BROADROT is a textbook example of positivism in both academic and legal philosophy...broadrot and those 88 he represents is certainly the great enemy of liberalism and freedom"
"http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/2007/04/rhb_agdecision".
This address does not work.
Check out 12:31's post.
It's a keeper.
It should also be
hand-delivered
to the Duke BOT.
Mac
12:30AM That would be Anne Coulter who wrote that brillant remark. You go girl. Anne has been in support of the guys since the beginning,
I have been following your web page and comments section since the start of this fiasco of a case. I am SO glad to see all of your hard work pay off.
Per an earlier post I went to Terry Moran's page on abcnews.com. Absolutely disgusting piece of journalism.
I put my lonely 2 cents in to the comments section and ended it by saying "and you wonder why no one trust the MSM" Gee, can't imagine.
Keep it up and now on to Nifong, Group of 88, Herald Sun editorial page.
what about Sgt.Gottlieb and Linwood Wilson?these men turned this investigation into a criminal enterprise.they deserve to be held accountable too!
Cheshire was by far the most incredible attorney anyone could have found. He has been at the front of this the whole time, forcing the questions and inconsistencies into the media spotlight, jousting with incredible skill to get the word out. By the time the boys were officially cleared, everyone suspected the outcome already, and Joe Cheshire had a lot to do with that. He has been the local "face" of the Duke lacrosse boys from the very beginning.
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