Posted on 04/11/2007 12:03:12 PM PDT by Enchante
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Prosecutors dropped all charges Wednesday against the three Duke lacrosse players accused of sexually assaulting a stripper at a party, saying the athletes were innocent victims of a "tragic rush to accuse" by an overreaching district attorney.
"There were many points in the case where caution would have served justice better than bravado," North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said in a blistering assessment of Durham County District Mike Nifong's handling of the case.
Cooper, who took over the case after Nifong was charged with ethics violations that could get him disbarred, said his own investigation concluded not only that the evidence against the young men was insufficient, but that no attack took place.
Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty and David Evans were indicted last spring on charges of rape, kidnapping and sexual offense after the woman told police she was assaulted at a lacrosse team party where she had been hired to perform as a stripper.
The allegations at first outraged the city of Durham, a faded tobacco capital with a long history of tension between its large working-class black population and Duke, an elite private school where most of the students are white and many come from privilege. The woman is black and attended nearby North Carolina Central University; all three Duke players are white.
But that anger largely shifted to Nifong as his evidence against the three fell apart and questions surfaced about the accuser.
"We just hope this traumatic experience for all involved ends with the minimum amount of damage," said the Rev. Jesse Jackson, whose Chicago- based Rainbow/Push Coalition had offered to help the accuser pay for college but wasn't able to contact her.
The 28-year-old woman initially said she was gang-raped and beaten by three white men at the March 13, 2006, party thrown by Duke's highly ranked lacrosse team. The three players who were indicted insisted the accusations were "fantastic lies," and another dancer who had been with the woman also questioned if she had been raped and said the woman seemed drunk when she tried to drive her home that night.
In the end, it appeared the case was based only on the testimony of the accuser, whom defense attorneys said had told wildly different versions of the alleged assault.
Nifong's recusal in January put the players' fate in the hands of North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper, who promised "a fresh and thorough review of the facts."
The North Carolina State Bar charged Nifong with making misleading and inflammatory comments about the athletes under suspicion. It later added more serious offenses of withholding evidence from defense attorneys and lying to the court and bar investigators. He stands trial on those charges in June.
Okay, so who’s prosecuting the stripper for making a false accusation?
Since he's a Democrat, he'll probably run for President.
I wonder what those three (former) defendants will do when, in a year or two, they own the entire county, after their malicious prosecution action.
Better late than never. I’m glad the state-guys-who-took-over-the-prosecution did more than say “case dismissed” or even “not guilty.” They appear to have said affirmatively, “the defendants were INNOCENT.”
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
I think HiThong is gonna meet the boys in civil court now, him on the receiving end.
“No crime took place” is about as “innocent” as you can get.
Watch what media uses the words, “They were innocent.” Beware of those who don’t....they lie a lot.
“Dangerous Fools will try to cover up the real truth.”
Now THAT'S one (insert Imus slur here).
I suppose those 88 professors who rushed to judgment will be screaming the guys still are guilty, and the AG is in on some nefarious plot.
Is Jesse Jackson still gonna give her the $ he promised her, for her to complete college?
88 Lawsuits, and make them hurt real bad.
As a token of goodwill, Jesse should offer to pay the legal fees for all three of the exhonerated students.
Like I said as soon as the facts started coming out in this case...soon we will hear an awful lot of “...Proceeded in good faith...””All proper procedures were followed...””The seriousness of the charges dictated...” All CYA for the true criminals in this case.
Exactly. Those 88 Stalinists are probably fuming at the injustice of today's announcement. It is disgusting how the left dominates so much of higher education. The 88 are dangerous to Liberty and the minds of the students they teach (opps, try to brainwash)
Thanks, I needed a laugh.
Where’s the apologies from Sharpton, Jackson et all who condemned these guys and demanded the guillotine?
Will there be an apology from Al Sharpton & Jess Jackson to these young men? Remember they led a march in Durham? C’mon Al-you’re running around making everyone else say they are sorry what about you -hypocrit!
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