<p>Of course, let’s not forget that it was the players’ lies that fueled the suspicion they had commited rape.</p>
<p>–They lied when they ordered the strippers, telling the agency they were from another team.
–They lied to the strippers about what team the represented, and also lied about their real names. Why, for heaven’s sake?
–And this is what made many most suspicious: they lied to the agency about the size of the group the strippers would encounter, saying it was a bachelor party of 5 or 6, so as to prevent a bodyguard from accompanying the girls. (Unless the story I read was wrong, and I apologize if I misread it, a group of 10 boys would require a bodyguard.) This raised (and still raises in my mind) suspicion that something happened in which no witnesses were wanted.</p>
<p>I’d love to have an explanation about why so many lies, particularly why the wish to avoid having a witness/bodyguard?</p>
<p>Blogger johninnorthcarolina has a post about the connection between Duke and the organization called CrimeStoppers. Because it is a blog and CC deletes links to blogs I will let interested parties Google their way to his site. But the point of his post is that Duke has been involved with the organization Crime Stoppers for decades, going back to at least 1983 when then Duke Police Director Paul Dumas was a member. More recently the Dean of Student Life, Sue Wasiolek has been on the board of Durham CrimeStoppers. Robert Dean was named Director of the Duke University Police Department five weeks before the news of the rape allegations broke. In the news release from Duke at the time of his appointment he is described as having served as chairman of CrimeStoppers.</p>
<p>Why is this connection relevant to the Lax case? CrimeStoppers was the source of the inflammatory “wanted” poster that stated: “The Duke Lacrosse Team was hosting a party at the residence. The victim was sodomized, raped, assaulted and robbed. This horrific crime sent shock waves throughout our community.” Cpl. Addison, a DPD member but acting as a member of CS we are told by the DPD, was the source of the poster.</p>
<p>So were Wasiolek and Dean still connected to CrimeStoppers at the time? There is no indication they weren’t. Duke administrators and campus police have worked closely with and served on the committees and boards of CS for years. Why haven’t the two identified their connection and spoken out against the actions of the organization, condemned the poster, etc.?</p>
<p>It is in this report sent to faculty and students Thursday, police say the victim in this alleged rape is now in custody, for filing a false report.</p>
<p>You may remember in January a student reported she was jogging late one night and was raped.</p>
<p>Now after several holes and inconsistencies in her story, police concluded she was lying."</p>
<p>It is actually good to see that the new prosecutors are actively investigating all of this - and will most likely have a good idea of where this is all going by May 7th - and if the prime witness - the so-called accuser - doesn’t cooperate - o well - the case may just go away on it’s own basis :)</p>
<p>If that is the case - wonder what recourse the accused will/may have…</p>
<p>Unfortunately, even though she may be a liar, some liberal “advocates” will never concede. She will always be the poor poor VICTIM no matter what.</p>
<p>"Victims’ advocates caution that even if accusers opts out of telling their story to investigators, ultimately deciding not to pursue the case, that in itself is not a declaration of alleged attackers’ innocence.</p>
<p>“She could decide that in the end, it isn’t worth going forward. That doesn’t mean a crime didn’t happen that night,” Oettinger said. "</p>
<p>Does anyone in the New York area remember the Tawana Brawley story? In 1987, she (a 15-year-old black girl) claimed that she was raped by six white men, some of them police officers. She was found covered with feces and was very spacey; in fact, when she was interviewed after the alleged incident, she could only respond by nodding and shrugging; she didn’t speak. The Reverend Al Sharpton took this case on as a big deal, and it’s where he started to make his reputation. Sharpton aggressively maligned the six people accused of the attack.</p>
<p>Ultimately, her accusations turned out to be a hoax; nothing happened to her; she had staged the whole thing. </p>
<p>One of the accused sued Sharpton and two other “representatives” of Brawley. The accused was awarded $345,000, of which he has yet to collect one penny.</p>
<p>I sure hope the same thing doesn’t happen to the boys from Duke. I hope they sue and collect gazillions. Small comfort, but something, at least.</p>
<p>Just as it turns out to have been critically important that the 46 players’ DNA was taken - so that Nifong et al could not thenceforth claim that perhaps it was an untested player that did something - it is critically important that the AG’s office perform the investigation that Nifong et al <em>should</em> have conducted. Any charge of rape, sexual assault, or kidnapping should be seriously and fully investigated, and the veracity of those charges should be determined by an ethical, dispassionate, and professional team, so that charges do not linger in the purgatory that is “not guilty, but maybe not innocent” but rather either guilty or innocent. Neither the accuser nor the accused deserve anything less.</p>
<p>The N.C. State Bar is seeking to block a possible dismissal of misconduct charges filed against District Attorney Mike Nifong in connection with the Duke lacrosse sex-offense case. </p>
<p>In new paperwork filed with its Disciplinary Hearing Commission, the bar contends Nifong has engaged in “semantic hair-splitting” in his efforts to squelch the charges. It adds that misconduct such as that allegedly committed by Nifong is “seldom, if ever, excusable.” "</p>
<p>Article (long) on Mike Pressler, now coaching at D2 Bryant in Smithfield RI.
The betting is now open on how long he will be there before being recruited back to D1…</p>
<p>The language of the brief filed by the N.C. State Bar to block the dismissal of the misconduct charges against Nifong was very strong. They are definitely sending him a message that they are most likely going to disbar him!! Let’s hope that happens, and more!</p>
<p>I haven’t read the State Bar’s brief. And it may be that, as irishforever suggests, they’re “sending a message” that they’re “most likely” going to “disbar” Nifong. </p>
<p>But as a general rule, I have found that there tends to be an inverse relationship between the overall strength of a case and the heat of the accompanying rhetoric. With a strong case, a lawyer doesn’t have to push things: the facts speak for themselves. It’s when a case is more problematic that lawyers tend to turn up the heat. (Sound familiar?)</p>
<p>Fox News and the Drudge Report have both reported that the remaining charges will be dropped, and that it may be announced tomorrow! Here’s hoping and praying for the Lax three and their families!!! :)</p>