<p>Well - here’s the thing about CGM - the Atty. General was able to find out a lot more than he could reveal, and if CGM’s mental state is such that she would be incompetent to stand trial, then it is correct not to make the attempt… My take is that Mr. Cooper established that Mr. Nifong, among other things, should have done the work to figure out that CGM represented the worst kind of witness and, once the physical evidence removed all doubt that her claims were false, should have dropped the case entirely.</p>
<p>^^IF that’s the case, then so be it, but if it is true that this woman cannot decipher fantasy from reality, she has no business having custody of her children. She needs to be in a facility for her own protection and the protection of others.</p>
<p>Finally…</p>
<p>Nifong’s getting his *ss handed to him.</p>
<p>'RALEIGH, North Carolina (AP) – A disciplinary committee says North Carolina prosecutor Mike Nifong will be disbarred for his handling of the Duke University lacrosse rape case."</p>
<p>Finally, indeed…:rolleyes:</p>
<p>“The players’ attorneys have pledged to seek criminal contempt charges next week in Durham.”</p>
<p>As well they should!</p>
<p>The chairman of the hearing panel reiterated the players innocence.</p>
<p>standrews - I thought that was one of the most important parts. Not just “not enough evidence” and not tolerating “something happened,” but making a firm statement that the AG said INNOCENT and that the evidence presented to the bar supported that statement of INNOCENCE.</p>
<p>Onto the civil trials. I hope that the three men and their families can get some financial settlements to offset the amount they had to spend combating the rogue (soon to be former) prosecutor.</p>
<p>I like what Kluge says. When the three players appeared on 60 Minutes some months ago, I was so impressed with what David Evans said (to the effect of not living his life with the purpose of seeking revenge or retribution). Whether they realized it or not, that appearance was a “job interview for the rest of their lives.” It will serve them better to be remembered as wronged than as continuing to seek legal satisfaction. Enough.</p>
<p>SuNa, I think today’s actions provided legal satisfaction, even if the three boys weren’t seeking it; the state was. What the three need now is financial recompense. The three families together spent about $1 million on their defense. And that was without a trial.</p>
<p>yes VERYHAPPY and it would be great to see Nifong sleeping on a cot. Send a message to lawyers- you are not above the law!</p>
<p>Kluge,
People spend a few days in inpatient mental health facilities for any of a number of reasons. For all we know, the accuser could have been hospitalized for drug or alcohol detox whenever it was that she was admitted (I think you said it was a few years ago). I am inclined to agree that there were other issues at play in the decision not to charge Ms. Mangum for filing a false police report (or whatever the charge would have been). If she underwent any professional evaluations purusant to this case, I hadn’t seen it reported. Again, if you can send me a link to any, I would be interested in reading it.</p>
<p>As for Nifong’s “you can’t fire me, I quit” approach, I am glad they proceeded with disbarrment and sill be intrested to see what happens next.</p>
<p>SuNa - I have to agree with VeryHappy above. Even part of the Phase II closing arguments from Team Nifong stated (incredibly) that Nifong had done nothing wrong because surely he would have known that the excellent attorneys procured by the lacrosse players would figure everything out (!) Mr. Nifong’s unethical conduct has caused real harm, and while disbarment protects the rest of us from Nifong for the future, the time is now for those three families to receive some relief from the damage done by Nifong and others; and since none of them is volunteering, such relief must necessarily come from the courts.</p>
<p>The student’s families will be reimbursed - probably by Durham County, because counties generally don’t have outside E&O insurance for their attorneys, or if they do, are generally self-insured up to $1M or so. The exact mechanism for that may or may not have been worked out, but it will happen. </p>
<p>The students probably will not receive “pain and suffering” compensation, however. Nor do I expect them to pursue it. As SuNA and DukeEgr93 point out - they’re young, they’ve been exonerated, and have handled their situation admirably to this point. They have more to lose than to gain by publicly adopting a vindictive attitude, and I think they’re smart enough to know that.</p>
<p>VeryHappy~the three families together actually have spent $3 million+. Add into that the fact that all the others players who weren’t indicted had legal bills of about $10,000-15,000 apiece–that’s another $430,000+ added to the $3 million. And for what…? I’ve said it before: Nifong was the face of evil in this case. Disbarment was deserved–we’ll see what else happens.</p>
<p>
It is not vindictive to seek justice.</p>
<p>I believe that this statement is one DukeEgr93 made in post #1092:
</p>
<p>People who are being vindictive always feel that they are just “seeking justice.” The distinction between justice and revenge can be subtle, and is most reliably determined by disinterested parties. As a policy, it’s generally best to err on the side of restraint in seeking “justice”; one is apt to overestimate what recompense is due to “your side” and underestimate the consideration due to “the enemy.”</p>
<p>The ability to distinguish between vengeance and justice is the main factor which separates fair people from vindictive people. The thing is, both groups think that they are “fair.”</p>
<p>
What consideration, exactly, do you think is due Nifong, kluge?</p>
<p>Coming from the vantage point of an officier of the law, nothing is due Mr. Nifong. He did not uphold the law, nor did he uphold his duty to the law. He put his personal agenda and ambition before his duty. He put those boys and their families through hell not because those boys were guilty but because HE wanted yo gain from this prosecution.
I am disgusted to be in the same profession as he.</p>
<p>^Beautifully stated, brooklynmom. One does not have to be a raging, vindictive maniac to recognize that either.</p>
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</p>
<p>Well, I am not “disgusted to be in the same profession” as Nifong (was). There are “rogues” (to use the North Carolina AG’s term) in every profession, not just law. Human nature being what it is, it would be naive to expect otherwise. But in how many other professions have we ever witnessed the sort of searching, principled, and evenhanded - and very public - investigation and review of accusations of wrongdoing that we just witnessed here? Medicine? Academia? Religion?</p>