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Another first for Nifong
American Thinker ^ | December 30, 2006 | Clarice Feldman

Posted on 12/31/2006 10:27:36 AM PST by Khankrumthebulgar

Clarice Feldman First the North Carolina Bar Association filed an unprecedented 17 page complaint against Nifong charging him with multiple violations of the rules of ethics. The yesterday yet another precedent against the prosecutor. From Durham in Wonderland:

In yet another extraordinary development, the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys has issued a public letter to Mike Nifong, demanding that he recuse himself from the lacrosse case:

It is in the interest of justice and the effective administration of criminal justice that Mr. Nifong immediately withdraw and recuse himself from the prosecution of these cases and request the cases be assigned to another prosecutorial authority.

I am unware of any such document, in any state, issued to a district attorney prosecuting a case by his fellow chief prosecutors. The symbolism of this move is obvious: the state's elected District Attorneys have issued a public statement of no confidence in Mike Nifong.

Duke still remains silent.

I haven't the names of all the members of the Board of Visitors, but found this about the seven most recent appointees. If you know them you might want to ask them what they are waiting for?

Thomas C. Clark of New York City and Litchfield County, Conn., Robin A. Ferracone of Los Angeles, Kenneth W. Hubbard of Greenwich, Conn., David M. Rubenstein of Washington, D.C., Robert S. Saunders Jr. of Durham, Alan D. Schwartz of Greenwich, Conn., and Anthony Vitarelli of Marlton, N.J., began their terms on the 37-member governing body on July 1.

"Our new trustees bring valuable experience from the business world and a commitment to Duke University ," Steel said. "As the trustees work with the faculty and the administration to help Duke achieve its aspirations in the university's long-range strategic academic plan, ‘Building on Excellence,' we firmly believe that the counsel and insight of our new trustees will prove invaluable."

Clark, a 1969 graduate of Duke, is division president and managing director of U.S. Trust Company, N.A. He joined U.S. Trust in New York City in 1978 and has held a variety of positions there.

Clark, president-elect of the Duke University Alumni Association, has been active in the banking industry. He was founding chairman of the Private Lending Roundtable of the Risk Management Association and chair of the private banking division of the American Bankers Association. He has served as chair and board member of several not-for-profit organizations in the New York City area and nationally.

While a Duke undergraduate, he was an Angier B. Duke Scholar, a Navy Scholar, a varsity swimmer and president of the Glee Club. Clark has served in many volunteer roles for the university, including as president of the Duke Club of New York .

Ferracone, a 1975 graduate of Duke, is a worldwide partner at Mercer Human Resource Consulting, a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. At Mercer, she leads the Human Capital Advisory and Information business. She was formerly the chairman and co-founder of SCA Consulting, which was acquired by Mercer in October 2001.

Ferracone has more than 25 years of consulting experience in such areas as value management, performance measurement, workforce strategies and compensation design. She has authored numerous articles, is quoted frequently by the media and is a frequent presenter for organizations that include The Conference Board and the CFO Business Week Forum. She has testified before the U.S. Congress on presidential compensation.

At Duke, Ferracone has served on the university's Trinity College Board of Visitors since 2001 and was a member of the Regional Campaign Council from 1999-2004.

Hubbard, a 1965 graduate of Duke, is an executive vice president of Hines, an international real estate company. He joined the firm in 1974 in Houston and is responsible for the acquisition, development and management of commercial and mixed-use projects in the northeastern United States .

Hubbard has served Duke in many volunteer leadership roles, including the university's Trinity College Board of Visitors from 1994 to 2000 (chair 1999-2000) and the Arts & Sciences Campaign Committee from 2000-04.

Hubbard is a trustee of the Urban Land Institute, a member of the National Real Estate Advisory Council of the Trust for PublicLand, and a board member of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute. He formerly served as a trustee of the Greenwich Country Day School (1985-1991) and the Loomis Chaffee School (1994-97).

Rubenstein, a 1970 magna cum laude graduate of Duke, is a founding partner and managing director of The Carlyle Group, a global private equity firm.

He served as chief counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments in 1975-76. From 1977-1981, during the Carter Administration, Rubenstein was deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy. He has also practiced law in New York and Washington , D.C.

Rubenstein is a board member of the Institute for International Economics, Freedom House, Johns Hopkins University , the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, several performing arts groups, the visiting committee of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, the Trilateral Commission, the Council on Foreign Relations and the National Advisory Committee of J.P. Morgan Chase.

Saunders, a 2000 summa cum laude graduate from the College of William and Mary, is pursuing a PhD. in physics at Duke.

At Duke, Saunders has been active in several student activities. He has served two terms as president of the Graduate and Professional Student Council. During his tenure, he sponsored a Graduate and Professional Student Life Task Force to examine the student life issues facing graduate and professional students. He also has focused on student health care, serving on the Student Health Insurance Advisory Committee for five years, participating in the Student Health Advisory Committee, and researching the student health models from other peer institutions.

Saunders is currently finishing his dissertation examining image quality metrology for medical imaging devices. After graduation, he intends to explore a career in science policy.

Schwartz, a 1972 graduate of Duke, is president and co-chief operating officer of The Bear Stearns Companies, Inc., one of the leading worldwide investment banking and securities trading and brokerage firms. He is a member of the firm's executive committee and sits on the board of directors. In addition to his firm-wide responsibilities, including involvement in corporate strategy, Schwartz is the firm's senior investment banker.

At Duke, Schwartz is the former chairman of the Fuqua School of Business's Board of Visitors and serves on its Athletic Advisory Board. He has served on Fuqua's board since 1986.

Active in numerous professional and civic organizations, Schwartz serves on the boards of directors of American Foundation for AIDS Research, St. Vincent's Services, NYU Medical Center , The National Mentoring Partnership, NYC Partnership and Robin Hood Foundation.

Vitarelli graduated summa cum laude from Duke in May with a bachelor of arts degree in public policy and economics. For the past two years, he has served as president of Campus Council, Duke's residential student governance organization. He also co-founded the Duke University Greening Initiative -- an interdisciplinary sustainability advocacy organization that raised more than $300,000 and helped shape Duke's environmental policies.

In 2004, Vitarelli was awarded a Truman Scholarship for his leadership, dedication to public service and academic promise.

Vitarelli will spend this fall working for a small microfinance non-profit organization in Santiago , Chile , that helps entrepreneurs start small businesses. He will then transfer to Washington , D.C. , for the spring to work at the Chilean Embassy. He has deferred admission from Yale Law School and will enroll in the fall of 2006.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: dukelax; nifong
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To: fabriclady

Yep...Never thought I would find a prosecutor crazier than Nancy Grace...but Bingo-Bango here comes Nifong. Makes Nancy Grace sound rational.Didn't think that was possible. They're gonna be playing that Patsy Cline song soon....


21 posted on 12/31/2006 11:28:47 AM PST by tomcorn
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To: Khankrumthebulgar

actually I thing 100% of all of this is pure damage control for the civil liability.

The fact that the Bar has turned a blind eye, the courts and everyone within the profession has basically given a pass to Nifong is a potential liablity. At some point negligence becomes culpable.

There is also another VERY serious issue. If other lawyers are aware of Nifongs games, THEY ARE EQUALLY LIABLE according to the ethics rules. They may have had an AFFIRMATIVE DUTY to report.

All makes for excellent civil liability fodder.

I hope the lawyers sue them into oblivion.


22 posted on 12/31/2006 11:31:43 AM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: Dante3
The only case that comes to mind is one that happened long ago I believe in Louisiana where a DA went after a business man trying to convict him for maybe assassinating Kennedy(?).

It may have been before the internet, but the man's name was Jim Garrison, he wrote a book about his theories called "A Heritage of Stone" and pretty much the entire script of Oliver Stone's "JFK" is straight out of Garrison's story.

23 posted on 12/31/2006 11:34:02 AM PST by ko_kyi
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To: Khankrumthebulgar

Nifong is a lying, what a surprise, dumb-o-crat who's only interest was to get re-elected.
He knew he had no case, but did'nt care as long as he got what he wanted, re-elected.

By the way where is big mouthed, lying jessie jackas*? I guess no one is willing to pay him any money to come and stir up the lying mess again.


24 posted on 12/31/2006 11:45:55 AM PST by chiefqc
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To: Khankrumthebulgar

I posted it here early last week when he dropped the rape charges, that the NC Bar was going to come calling. Told ya it would come down to ethics on his part.


25 posted on 12/31/2006 11:48:09 AM PST by RetiredArmy (I don't march to other people's opinion of me or my beliefs. I march to my beliefs and heart.)
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To: chiefqc

Jackson has figured out this case is net loser. No upside in it for him...He's outta there..


26 posted on 12/31/2006 11:49:18 AM PST by tomcorn
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To: Khankrumthebulgar

Why aren't the so called black leaders like Jackson and Sharpton (and locally Mel Watt) outraged at the way black voters were played by Nifong for votes. The sure had an issue with Jesse Helms ads that dealt with affirmative action. The blacks in Durham were used and abused by Nifong and the dem machine in that county, and the silence is defeaning.


27 posted on 12/31/2006 11:49:30 AM PST by mrmargaritaville
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To: Cowboy Bob
Actually Haliburton does. Didn't you get the memo?
28 posted on 12/31/2006 11:53:28 AM PST by fish hawk (. B O stinks. That would be body odor and Barak Obama)
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To: Cowboy Bob
Hmmmm. Doesn't the Carlyle Group rule the World?

I don't know, but if these trustees don't get off the mark and do something, those three boys will OWN the trustees world.

29 posted on 12/31/2006 11:55:09 AM PST by McGavin999 (Don't bring what you ran away from to my home state-Freeper WatchingInAmazement)
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To: Dante3
I haven't either seen anything as extreme as Nifong's conduct.

Two explanations occur: either he thought (and still does) that the Establishment would protect him regardless, or he's suffering from tertiary syphilis.

30 posted on 12/31/2006 12:17:05 PM PST by Grut
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To: fabriclady

I posted these links on another thread, which seems to be in sleep mode;).

Good commentary from Washington Times

http://www.washingtontimes.com/commentary/20061230-105723-7077r.htm

Time line of the night in question

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12335371/site/newsweek/


Nifong’s entry in the NC DA conference website

http://www.ncdistrictattorney.org/mikenifong/your_district_attorney.htm


31 posted on 12/31/2006 1:07:28 PM PST by sodpoodle (I'm retired - what are you doing here on Company time?)
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To: vbmoneyspender
After his testimony that he didn't know anything about the exculpatory DNA report (which he had previously ordered suppressed), Nifong may want to start getting ready for a new career in the field of breaking big rocks into small rocks.

Did he testify to this under oath? If he really did, he is toast, I would think.

32 posted on 12/31/2006 1:31:10 PM PST by cpdiii (Oil Field Trash and proud of it, Geologist, Pilot, Pharmacist, Iconoclast)
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To: vbmoneyspender
After his testimony that he didn't know anything about the exculpatory DNA report (which he had previously ordered suppressed), Nifong may want to start getting ready for a new career in the field of breaking big rocks into small rocks.

Did he testify to this under oath? If he really did, he is toast, I would think.

33 posted on 12/31/2006 1:31:11 PM PST by cpdiii (Oil Field Trash and proud of it, Geologist, Pilot, Pharmacist, Iconoclast)
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To: Lawgvr1955
Any prosecutor who does what Nifong is alleged to have done should be charged with some type of obstruction of justice.

When Nifong withheld the DNA evidence and conspired with the company that did the tests, what laws did he hopefully break? Do you think the North Carolina Bar will disbar him?

34 posted on 12/31/2006 1:42:12 PM PST by cpdiii (Oil Field Trash and proud of it, Geologist, Pilot, Pharmacist, Iconoclast)
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To: tomcorn
would have rolled one of the defendants for a get out of jail free card

I said that the first day with a slightly different twist. I thought Nifong must have rolled one to bring this to a Grand Jury. However he had nothing and knew it. This is a prosecutor out of control and is a probable criminal.

35 posted on 12/31/2006 1:46:00 PM PST by cpdiii (Oil Field Trash and proud of it, Geologist, Pilot, Pharmacist, Iconoclast)
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To: Dante3
The only case that comes to mind is one that happened long ago I believe in Louisiana where a DA went after a business man trying to convict him for maybe assassinating Kennedy

Jim Garrison.

36 posted on 12/31/2006 1:48:31 PM PST by Aeronaut (Hebrews 13:4)
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To: tomcorn; Bacon Man; Hap

I plan to commit aggravated naughtiness tonight.


37 posted on 12/31/2006 1:54:11 PM PST by Xenalyte (Anything is possible when you don't understand how anything happens.)
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To: tomcorn
Nancy really wasn't nutty before she got onto TV.

I knew her when . . . she did push the envelope on occasion, and she once pushed it too far and got reversed by the Supremes.

But she never did anything near as crazy as this.

38 posted on 12/31/2006 1:56:32 PM PST by AnAmericanMother ((Ministrix of Ye Chase, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment)))
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To: cpdiii

Sounds like Nifong was able the bamboozle the GJ with a pile of circumstantial evidence. eg victim statements, rape kit, ER stuff.

Betcha even Nifong was shocked when the DNA evidence came back negative and his "victim" went belly up on him. He knows his career is over and his license is at stake. He is just trying to brazen it through. Not gonna work.

The fact that Nifong and the Boulder DA still have jobs stuns me. We have become a nation that not only tolerates incompetence but extolls it as a virtue.


39 posted on 12/31/2006 2:01:10 PM PST by tomcorn
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To: Lawgvr1955
I'm not an attorney and don't even play one on Free Republic, and I know this is a horrible miscarriage of justice that ought to be ended immediately.

The calls for NiFong to step down are not enough. The calls must be for this case to be dismissed at once.

40 posted on 12/31/2006 2:04:24 PM PST by OldFriend (THE PRESS IS AN EVIL FOR WHICH THERE IS NO REMEDY)
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