Duke Rape Case Takes A Stunning Turn!
Durham County District Attorney Michael Nifong admitted using poor judgment when he made inflammatory comments by referring to three Duke University students as "a bunch of hooligans."
Desperately trying to hang on to his law license, Nifong apologized to the North Carolina legal community as well as the three young men accused of assaulting Crystal Gail Mangum, an African-American stripper who shook a tail feather for some privileged White athletes at a private party.One defense attorney called Nifong's mea culpa "too little too late."
Accused lacrosse player Reade Seligman was the only former Duke student who took the stand, breaking down in tears and recalling how it felt to have Black Panthers shouting out at him, "You're a dead man!"
Given Thursday's conviction of KKK member James Ford Seale for murdering two Jackson, Mississippi Black men in 1964, maybe we're all starting to understand what it means to stand in each other's shoes.
Of course at the center of this explosive racial controversy is a Black woman with a shaky past who alleged that Seligman, David Evans and Collin Finnerty raped, kidnapped and sexually assaulted her.
The alleged attack took place at a lacrosse team party on March 13, 2006.
Seligmann, Evans and Finnerty were each indicted last year before the state attorney general took over the case in January. Nifong later recused himself after the North Carolina State Bar Association charged him with misconduct in his handling of the case.
Were these guys totally innocent? No. That said, all charges against the three men were rightfully dismissed.
And yet the fallout continues.
As his misconduct trial wore on, it was clear that Nifong was starting to see the writing on the wall. "It's my intention to resign as District Attorney of Durham." a choked-up Nifong stated.
"It would not be fair to my community to put them through a recall. They have suffered enough!"