In a move that brings at least some degree of “justice” to the Duke Rape Hoax, Michael Nifong decided to resign on Thursday, just a day before the N.C. Panel handed down a decision that implicated Nifong in thirteen ethics violations, the most serious one, withholding the full DNA report from the defense, could bring criminal charges, including perjury charges for highly prejudicial and damning comments he made AFTER he had the DNA report that, in effect, cleared the three Duke LAX players!
In his testimony before the state bar's disciplinary hearing commission, Nifong admitted to making mistakes and said, "It's my intention, whether or not, whatever the decision (of the bar) is to be, to resign as district attorney.”
The Panel itself was withering on Nifong. State Bar prosecutor Douglas Brocker told the committee that as Nifong investigated Crystal Gail Mangum’s allegations that she had been raped and beaten at a March 2006 party thrown by Duke's lacrosse team, he charged "forward toward condemnation and injustice," weaving a "web of deception that has continued up through this hearing."
"Mr. Nifong did not act as a minister of justice, but as a minister of injustice," Brocker said.
The verdicts did not appear to surprise Nifong, who acknowledged during sometimes tearful testimony Friday that he would likely be punished for getting "carried away a little bit" when talking about the case.
Disciplinary committee chairman F. Lane Williamson also hinted during Saturday's closing arguments the three-member panel was likely to conclude that Nifong kept from the defense DNA test results that found genetic material from several men in the accuser's underwear and body, but none from any lacrosse player.
"How can you possibly explain that away?" said Williamson, who repeatedly interrupted Nifong's attorney, Dudley Witt, as he discussed the DNA testing during his closing statement.
"It wasn't just one little oversight," Williamson said later. "This was conduct over an extended period in a very high-profile case."
Despite being aware of those test results, Nifong still pressed ahead with the case anyway and won Grand Jury indictments against Dave Evans, Reade Seligmann and Collin Finnerty. State prosecutors later concluded the three players were "innocent" victims of a rogue prosecutor's "tragic rush to accuse."
Nifong’s attorney claimed Nifong had made "multiple, egregious mistakes" as he pursued the charges, but not intentionally.
In a stunning statement, Nifong's attorney tried to explain away his client's incredibly flawed judgment, "It didn't click," Witt said as he tried to explain one of his client's errors. "His mind is just his mind. That's the way it works. It just didn't click."
Brocker said Nifong had to have known he was making improper comments to reporters. Nifong said he regretted some of his statements, including a confident proclamation that he wouldn't allow Durham to become known for "a bunch of lacrosse players from Duke raping a black girl."
He also focused on when Nifong learned about the full extent of the DNA test results and when he shared that information with the defense.
Nifong gave defense attorneys an initial report on the DNA testing in May 2006 that said private lab DNA Security Inc. had been unable to find a conclusive match between the accuser and any lacrosse players.
But lab director Brian Meehan testified this week that he told Nifong as early as April 10, 2006 — a week BEFORE Seligmann and Finnerty were indicted — about the more detailed test results.
Nifong disingenuously testified that when he gave the defense the initial DNA report, that he "believed at the time that I had given them everything."
The disciplinary hearing committee could suspend Nifong's law license or take it away entirely, however, the players' attorneys have pledged to seek criminal contempt charges next week in Durham.
Nifong’s new-found contrition seems calculated to salvage what he can out of these disastrous (for him) hearings.
He had the multiple and contradictory statements by the accuser (a woman with a history of mental and emotional problems) to the police and the DNA evidence that found no material consistent with any of the three Duke players, but that of multiple others on April 10th – BEFORE the grand Jury hearing that wrongly indicted the three.
Without a doubt, Mike Nifong is the primary villain in this saga and his being finally brought to justice (he’ll resign his position as Durham DA and stands to lose his law license for from five years to for-life and he could face criminal charges down the road.
In his testimony before the state bar's disciplinary hearing commission, Nifong admitted to making mistakes and said, "It's my intention, whether or not, whatever the decision (of the bar) is to be, to resign as district attorney.”
The Panel itself was withering on Nifong. State Bar prosecutor Douglas Brocker told the committee that as Nifong investigated Crystal Gail Mangum’s allegations that she had been raped and beaten at a March 2006 party thrown by Duke's lacrosse team, he charged "forward toward condemnation and injustice," weaving a "web of deception that has continued up through this hearing."
"Mr. Nifong did not act as a minister of justice, but as a minister of injustice," Brocker said.
The verdicts did not appear to surprise Nifong, who acknowledged during sometimes tearful testimony Friday that he would likely be punished for getting "carried away a little bit" when talking about the case.
Disciplinary committee chairman F. Lane Williamson also hinted during Saturday's closing arguments the three-member panel was likely to conclude that Nifong kept from the defense DNA test results that found genetic material from several men in the accuser's underwear and body, but none from any lacrosse player.
"How can you possibly explain that away?" said Williamson, who repeatedly interrupted Nifong's attorney, Dudley Witt, as he discussed the DNA testing during his closing statement.
"It wasn't just one little oversight," Williamson said later. "This was conduct over an extended period in a very high-profile case."
Despite being aware of those test results, Nifong still pressed ahead with the case anyway and won Grand Jury indictments against Dave Evans, Reade Seligmann and Collin Finnerty. State prosecutors later concluded the three players were "innocent" victims of a rogue prosecutor's "tragic rush to accuse."
Nifong’s attorney claimed Nifong had made "multiple, egregious mistakes" as he pursued the charges, but not intentionally.
In a stunning statement, Nifong's attorney tried to explain away his client's incredibly flawed judgment, "It didn't click," Witt said as he tried to explain one of his client's errors. "His mind is just his mind. That's the way it works. It just didn't click."
Brocker said Nifong had to have known he was making improper comments to reporters. Nifong said he regretted some of his statements, including a confident proclamation that he wouldn't allow Durham to become known for "a bunch of lacrosse players from Duke raping a black girl."
He also focused on when Nifong learned about the full extent of the DNA test results and when he shared that information with the defense.
Nifong gave defense attorneys an initial report on the DNA testing in May 2006 that said private lab DNA Security Inc. had been unable to find a conclusive match between the accuser and any lacrosse players.
But lab director Brian Meehan testified this week that he told Nifong as early as April 10, 2006 — a week BEFORE Seligmann and Finnerty were indicted — about the more detailed test results.
Nifong disingenuously testified that when he gave the defense the initial DNA report, that he "believed at the time that I had given them everything."
The disciplinary hearing committee could suspend Nifong's law license or take it away entirely, however, the players' attorneys have pledged to seek criminal contempt charges next week in Durham.
Nifong’s new-found contrition seems calculated to salvage what he can out of these disastrous (for him) hearings.
He had the multiple and contradictory statements by the accuser (a woman with a history of mental and emotional problems) to the police and the DNA evidence that found no material consistent with any of the three Duke players, but that of multiple others on April 10th – BEFORE the grand Jury hearing that wrongly indicted the three.
Without a doubt, Mike Nifong is the primary villain in this saga and his being finally brought to justice (he’ll resign his position as Durham DA and stands to lose his law license for from five years to for-life and he could face criminal charges down the road.
3 comments:
And now with (most)typos removed:
What I want to hear next is what charges are going to be leveled against the low-life b!tch that started this whole fiasco.
Nifong appears to be getting his due, but she deserves nothing less than jail time herself.
Dan O, I believe I heard that no charges will be filed against C G Mangum, not even for "filing a false report."
I agree that it's wrong, BUT I also believe that Mike Nifong is the true villain here.
He's the guy who took the numerous and often contradictory accounts of an emotionally disturbed woman and ran with it, in order to ensure an electoral win and guarantee his pension - this July he'd have been a N.C. Civil Servant for 30 years.
I'm hoping that Nifong will be charged with perjury and some other criminal charges stemming from his deliberately withholding exculpatory evidence from the defense.
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