Raleigh, NC (TLS). A tearful and apologetic Mike Nifong resigned from the office of Durham's District Attorney while on the witness stand, in a surprise move that took aback nearly everyone present, including the attorneys.
In one last-ditch effort to save his career, Nifong aims for the Oscar, becoming tearful and apologetic, resigning from office, and appearing remorseful. I'm afraid, though, that he would not even secure a nomination for the Oscar much less take home the prize.
Nifong's resignation is welcome but long overdue. This move should have been made months ago.
As for the apology, it did not appear that the falsely accused Duke students and their families were very impressed with the display. They watched, expressing no visible emotion, as Nifong delivered his defense, which was given in tones so low that one had to struggle to hear it.
For one thing, Nifong's 'apology' was interspersed with a continued defense of his actions, even to the point of claiming he did not lie throughout the entire process. True apologies that are heartfelt and sincere include, at the very least, an acknowledgement of the wrongdoing. Nifong's display was lacking in that one essential element.
One does not continue to defend one's actions, and even continue to claim innocence, when one is sincerely apologizing for misdeeds.
No wonder the 'apology' seemed to fall flat, especially to the students and their families.
Most observers believe that Nifong offered the semblance of an apology in a last-ditch effort to save his law license in North Carolina. His words today will hardly be sufficient to convince the N.C. Bar that he should keep his license to practice law, given that the Bar has already delivered some fairly sharply-worded assessments of Nifong's behavior in the months leading up to his trial.
In addition, with the revelations made during the trial this week to the effect that early on in the process Nifong knew that there was scant evidence to proceed with the case against the three students, he may be subject to criminal charges. If it can be established that Nifong was fairly certain the three young men were innocent, yet prosecuted them anyway, including going before the public in the press and referring to them as 'hooligans,' then a criminal act has been committed for which Nifong should be forced to face legal consequences.
And this does not even begin to address the fact that vital DNA evidence clearing the three accused of any wrongdoing was withheld by Nifong's office from the court and the defense attorneys.
Thus, it would seem that Nifong's losing his job as District Attorney should be the very least of his worries.
Showing posts with label Durham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Durham. Show all posts
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Monday, May 28, 2007
More Shame in Durham--Circling the Wagons
Durham, NC (TLS). And the shame of Durham continues as the co-conspirators in the Nifong-Mangum Hoax circle the wagons, denying any culpability, not even as much as acknowledging mistakes in the entire fiasco.
The Durham Police Department had ample opportunity to cleanse itself in its own internal investigation into the affair, only to return with a statement of denials and the insistence that it had done absolutely nothing wrong.
Can't you just see the halos?
The Department's failure to confess and repent, and thus salvage what little integrity may remain within its dens of corruption, has led to calls for totally independent examinations and a much more candid assessment of what went wrong. The Liberty Sphere believes that such an independent investigation is long overdue.
Our concern, however, runs much deeper than just with the Durham Police Department, for we are convinced that Durham is but a microcosm of a much broader culture of corruption that exists in North Carolina state government. We have sounded the alarm many times about such corruption, for example, within the North Carolina Department of Social Services and its heavy-handed, gestapo-like tactics with innocent citizens.
We will leave that matter to our ongoing investigations into DSS. For now, the focus is on Durham. Perhaps if a concerted effort is made to clean up the police department, city government, the judiciary, and the local Democratic Party, then this would be one gigantic first step toward further reform in other areas.
We can only hope.
Liestoppers has a detailed examination of the nature of the corruption within the Durham Police Department with regard to the Nifong-Mangum Hoax. In spite of a scathing assessment from the North Carolina Attorney-General and others who have observed this scandal from afar, the local co-conspirators are indeed circling the wagons, fabricating stories, and outright lying to the public concerning their conduct in the affair.
Thus, the shame of Durham only deepens.
Read the Liestoppers report here:
http://liestoppers.blogspot.com/2007/05/playing-stupid.html
The Durham Police Department had ample opportunity to cleanse itself in its own internal investigation into the affair, only to return with a statement of denials and the insistence that it had done absolutely nothing wrong.
Can't you just see the halos?
The Department's failure to confess and repent, and thus salvage what little integrity may remain within its dens of corruption, has led to calls for totally independent examinations and a much more candid assessment of what went wrong. The Liberty Sphere believes that such an independent investigation is long overdue.
Our concern, however, runs much deeper than just with the Durham Police Department, for we are convinced that Durham is but a microcosm of a much broader culture of corruption that exists in North Carolina state government. We have sounded the alarm many times about such corruption, for example, within the North Carolina Department of Social Services and its heavy-handed, gestapo-like tactics with innocent citizens.
We will leave that matter to our ongoing investigations into DSS. For now, the focus is on Durham. Perhaps if a concerted effort is made to clean up the police department, city government, the judiciary, and the local Democratic Party, then this would be one gigantic first step toward further reform in other areas.
We can only hope.
Liestoppers has a detailed examination of the nature of the corruption within the Durham Police Department with regard to the Nifong-Mangum Hoax. In spite of a scathing assessment from the North Carolina Attorney-General and others who have observed this scandal from afar, the local co-conspirators are indeed circling the wagons, fabricating stories, and outright lying to the public concerning their conduct in the affair.
Thus, the shame of Durham only deepens.
Read the Liestoppers report here:
http://liestoppers.blogspot.com/2007/05/playing-stupid.html
Monday, April 23, 2007
Transcripts on April 13 Nifong Bar Hearing
Durham, NC (TLS). The North Carolina Bar is continuing its investigation into charges of prosecutorial misconduct, lying to the court, and ethics violations on the part of Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong.
A hearing of the Bar was held on April 13. A transcript of that hearing is available below.
Nifong's legal woes began in the aftermath of the Duke lacrosse rape hoax scandal, the result of which was the proclamation of complete innocence of the students by N.C. Attorney-General Roy Cooper. Nifong's gross mishandling of the case, including that of prosecuting three innocent citizens for political gain, sent him before the Bar for possible disciplinary action that could result in his disbarment.
Liestoppers has provided the complete transcripts of the April 13 hearing. Click here to read:
http://liestoppers.blogspot.com/2007/04/april-13-state-bar-hearing.html
A hearing of the Bar was held on April 13. A transcript of that hearing is available below.
Nifong's legal woes began in the aftermath of the Duke lacrosse rape hoax scandal, the result of which was the proclamation of complete innocence of the students by N.C. Attorney-General Roy Cooper. Nifong's gross mishandling of the case, including that of prosecuting three innocent citizens for political gain, sent him before the Bar for possible disciplinary action that could result in his disbarment.
Liestoppers has provided the complete transcripts of the April 13 hearing. Click here to read:
http://liestoppers.blogspot.com/2007/04/april-13-state-bar-hearing.html
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
DUKE RAPE HOAX ENDS TODAY
Durham, NC (TLS). At 2:30 PM, EDT, the Duke lacrosse rape hoax was brought to an abrupt end as North Carolina Attorney-General Roy Cooper announced that the remaining charges against the three falsely accused students were being dropped.
Cooper stated that after a three-month examination of documents, evidence, statements, and prosecutorial conduct, there is no credible evidence that the case should have been tried in the first place, and that continuing to try the case would lead to 'a bad result.'
In a stark reminder of the torture that the three students and their families have had to endure for over a year, Cooper stated that 'many owe apologies' to those whose lives were wrecked in this entire scandalous affair.
Although Cooper did not specify those who owe the apologies, the list is rather lengthy, from Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong, to the Durham Police Department, to the administration of Duke University, to the 'group of 88' Duke faculty members, and to the countless groups of race-baiters, special interest groups, and biased news organizations that proclaimed the guilt of three innocent students in order to advance their agenda.
This would include those who maintained, 'It doesn't matter if they are guilty or not. The issue is revenge for the years Black people were mistreated by whites in the criminal justice system.'
Such stupidity was the fuel that kept the locomotive of the hoax moving, despite some of the most flimsy evidence ever put forth by a prosecutor in the history of American jurisprudence.
Legal action is in order for those whose lives were brought to the brink of ruin in this case. Apologies are not enough. Ample restitution must be made in order for their to be absolution granted to a corrupt system of justice. And even then, it won't be absolution. The only redemption for a system that allowed this travesty to take place is a complete overhaul from top to bottom, routing out the stench of corruption at its core.
However, before we get down to the business of bringing the guilty to justice in North Carolina state government, this is truly a day of celebration for the three students whose lives were put on hold for the past year. This is their day in the sun. Their names have been cleared. This is a day of liberty for them and their families, and that liberty is sweet.
A word of sincere gratitude must go to those within the media and the blogosphere that worked endlessly and tirelessly to see that the lives of these three innocent young men were snatched from the jaws of ruin. At the forefront was Liestoppers. To Joan Foster and her colleagues at Liestoppers goes a tip of the hat for a job marvelously done.
There were others who blew the whistle on the corruption as well, such as K.C. Johnson, John in Carolina, The Johnsville News, and others. Many thanks for your wonderful work as well.
It is to be hoped that the nation will learn a valuable lesson from this despicable display of government corruption...that never again will we allow the innocent to be so treated in a system that supposedly presumes the accused to be innocent until PROVEN guilty in a COURT OF LAW.
This all-important precept is quickly being lost in America today. Perhaps the Duke case can serve as a corrective to a dangerous slippery slope that contends that anyone accused is assumed to be guilty and that the burden of proof is on them to establish their innocence.
In the United States of America, if we are to remain truly free, we MUST continue to assume that the accused are INNOCENT and that the burden of proof is on the state to establish their guilt. Without this vital distinction, no citizen is safe from having their lives ruined and their reputations dragged through the mud by an unfettered government that is bereft of any restraint.
Cooper stated that after a three-month examination of documents, evidence, statements, and prosecutorial conduct, there is no credible evidence that the case should have been tried in the first place, and that continuing to try the case would lead to 'a bad result.'
In a stark reminder of the torture that the three students and their families have had to endure for over a year, Cooper stated that 'many owe apologies' to those whose lives were wrecked in this entire scandalous affair.
Although Cooper did not specify those who owe the apologies, the list is rather lengthy, from Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong, to the Durham Police Department, to the administration of Duke University, to the 'group of 88' Duke faculty members, and to the countless groups of race-baiters, special interest groups, and biased news organizations that proclaimed the guilt of three innocent students in order to advance their agenda.
This would include those who maintained, 'It doesn't matter if they are guilty or not. The issue is revenge for the years Black people were mistreated by whites in the criminal justice system.'
Such stupidity was the fuel that kept the locomotive of the hoax moving, despite some of the most flimsy evidence ever put forth by a prosecutor in the history of American jurisprudence.
Legal action is in order for those whose lives were brought to the brink of ruin in this case. Apologies are not enough. Ample restitution must be made in order for their to be absolution granted to a corrupt system of justice. And even then, it won't be absolution. The only redemption for a system that allowed this travesty to take place is a complete overhaul from top to bottom, routing out the stench of corruption at its core.
However, before we get down to the business of bringing the guilty to justice in North Carolina state government, this is truly a day of celebration for the three students whose lives were put on hold for the past year. This is their day in the sun. Their names have been cleared. This is a day of liberty for them and their families, and that liberty is sweet.
A word of sincere gratitude must go to those within the media and the blogosphere that worked endlessly and tirelessly to see that the lives of these three innocent young men were snatched from the jaws of ruin. At the forefront was Liestoppers. To Joan Foster and her colleagues at Liestoppers goes a tip of the hat for a job marvelously done.
There were others who blew the whistle on the corruption as well, such as K.C. Johnson, John in Carolina, The Johnsville News, and others. Many thanks for your wonderful work as well.
It is to be hoped that the nation will learn a valuable lesson from this despicable display of government corruption...that never again will we allow the innocent to be so treated in a system that supposedly presumes the accused to be innocent until PROVEN guilty in a COURT OF LAW.
This all-important precept is quickly being lost in America today. Perhaps the Duke case can serve as a corrective to a dangerous slippery slope that contends that anyone accused is assumed to be guilty and that the burden of proof is on them to establish their innocence.
In the United States of America, if we are to remain truly free, we MUST continue to assume that the accused are INNOCENT and that the burden of proof is on the state to establish their guilt. Without this vital distinction, no citizen is safe from having their lives ruined and their reputations dragged through the mud by an unfettered government that is bereft of any restraint.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
ABC NEWS SAYS DUKE RAPE CASE MAY END TOMORROW
Washington, DC (TLS). ABC News is reporting this evening that the year-old Duke lacrosse rape hoax may be over tomorrow, as North Carolina Attorney-General Roy Cooper has called a news conference for early Wednesday morning.
Major news organizations have begun descending upon Durham, and some of the accused and their families who live out of state have taken flights into the Raleigh-Durham airport.
Local news outlets in the Raleigh-Durham area are reporting that the families of all of the accused have been notified by Cooper's office concerning the announcement tomorrow. Local law enforcement officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have stated that tomorrow's announcement by Cooper is expected to involve dropping all of the remaining charges against the three Duke lacrosse players who have been falsely accused of rape, kidnapping, and sexual assault.
However, as they say, it's not over till the fat lady sings, and in this case it is not over until we hear directly from Roy Cooper concerning what he intends to do with this case. We have been sorely disappointed before by making premature assumptions. But this time, the signs all point to a clear victory for the three young men whose lives were almost ruined by a stripper/prostitute and a rogue District Attorney.
For complete information on the latest breaking updates, click here:
http://liestoppers.blogspot.com/2007/04/my-presence-here-means-that-this-case.html
Major news organizations have begun descending upon Durham, and some of the accused and their families who live out of state have taken flights into the Raleigh-Durham airport.
Local news outlets in the Raleigh-Durham area are reporting that the families of all of the accused have been notified by Cooper's office concerning the announcement tomorrow. Local law enforcement officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have stated that tomorrow's announcement by Cooper is expected to involve dropping all of the remaining charges against the three Duke lacrosse players who have been falsely accused of rape, kidnapping, and sexual assault.
However, as they say, it's not over till the fat lady sings, and in this case it is not over until we hear directly from Roy Cooper concerning what he intends to do with this case. We have been sorely disappointed before by making premature assumptions. But this time, the signs all point to a clear victory for the three young men whose lives were almost ruined by a stripper/prostitute and a rogue District Attorney.
For complete information on the latest breaking updates, click here:
http://liestoppers.blogspot.com/2007/04/my-presence-here-means-that-this-case.html
Thursday, April 05, 2007
To AG Cooper: Where's the Beef?
Durham, NC (TLS). Two weeks ago word leaked out from sources close to the Duke lacrosse rape hoax that the remaining charges against the three accused students were to be dropped. Several if not all of these sources were highly credible and would avoid impugning their reputations by giving false information.
Yet here we are going into the third week since the information surfaced, and there has been nothing but silence on the part of the Attorney-General Roy Cooper and the special prosecutors appointed to review the case.
In the meantime, many of those who were once enablers of the hoax have begun to drop like flies. One has taken down a website devoted to the cause. Members of the African-American community who once may have believed in the guilt of the three Duke students and the credibility of the accuser are now openly expressing doubt about the entire matter from top to bottom.
One anonymous source reported to The Liberty Sphere that at first they were willing to give the accuser the benefit of the doubt despite her dubious reputation. That source stated, 'But now it has become very clear that she is living up to her soiled reputation, confirming that not only is her credibility shot to bits but that she herself doesn't appear to even know what to believe about the events of that night.'
Even more questions have surfaced in the African-American community concerning Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong. Community leaders in Durham are beginning to openly question the motives and credibility of Nifong and coming to the stark realization that they have been duped by an opportunist looking for an easy ticket to the D.A.'s office. Not only that, but Nifong has set back race relations in Durham by at least a decade by playing up to the race baiters by bringing false charges against three innocent students.
Astute observers of race relations realize that every time someone is falsely accused, whether they be white or black, not only does the criminal justice system suffer but those who perpetuate the public displays of race baiting in these situations do more harm than good to the very cause they purport to promote.
Bitter emotions have been left in the wake of this gargantuan scandal. It will take literally years for Durham to heal from the carnage created by a rogue, opportunist District Attorney and his enablers in the community.
Positive signs have emerged, however, in the midst of this dark cloud. U.S. Senator and Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Hussein Obama has publicly called for a federal investigation into the actions of Mike Nifong and the Durham D.A.'s office. Activist Jessie Jackson endorsed the candidacy of Obama shortly after he called for such an investigation, which suggests the approval of Jackson.
The support of Senator Obama for a federal probe is an important addition to the chorus of voices from Republicans in Congress and in the North Carolina state legislature, who have been calling for such an investigation for quite some time. This turn of events shows that this is not a partisan issue. The fact that Democrats are beginning to jump aboard the bandwagon calling for a federal probe of Nifong is ample evidence that the unraveling of the hoax is taking a new turn.
Yet N.C. Attorney-General Roy Cooper remains silent. The Governor remains silent. The N.C. Democratic Party remains silent. And the Judge in the case remains silent.
Citizens all across North Carolina, and the entire nation, particularly those who care about honesty and integrity in the criminal justice system, are demanding the goods from Roy Cooper, or else a complete dismissal of the case. If he has evidence that no one knows anything about that justifies this foot-dragging, then he needs to immediately produce it for all to see. Otherwise, the charges against the three students need to be immediately dropped.
Thus, the following question begs an immediate response: 'Attorney-General Cooper, WHERE'S THE BEEF!?'
Liestoppers has complete, detailed info on the abandonment of the hoax here:
http://liestoppers.blogspot.com/2007/04/supporters-abandon-hoax.html
Yet here we are going into the third week since the information surfaced, and there has been nothing but silence on the part of the Attorney-General Roy Cooper and the special prosecutors appointed to review the case.
In the meantime, many of those who were once enablers of the hoax have begun to drop like flies. One has taken down a website devoted to the cause. Members of the African-American community who once may have believed in the guilt of the three Duke students and the credibility of the accuser are now openly expressing doubt about the entire matter from top to bottom.
One anonymous source reported to The Liberty Sphere that at first they were willing to give the accuser the benefit of the doubt despite her dubious reputation. That source stated, 'But now it has become very clear that she is living up to her soiled reputation, confirming that not only is her credibility shot to bits but that she herself doesn't appear to even know what to believe about the events of that night.'
Even more questions have surfaced in the African-American community concerning Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong. Community leaders in Durham are beginning to openly question the motives and credibility of Nifong and coming to the stark realization that they have been duped by an opportunist looking for an easy ticket to the D.A.'s office. Not only that, but Nifong has set back race relations in Durham by at least a decade by playing up to the race baiters by bringing false charges against three innocent students.
Astute observers of race relations realize that every time someone is falsely accused, whether they be white or black, not only does the criminal justice system suffer but those who perpetuate the public displays of race baiting in these situations do more harm than good to the very cause they purport to promote.
Bitter emotions have been left in the wake of this gargantuan scandal. It will take literally years for Durham to heal from the carnage created by a rogue, opportunist District Attorney and his enablers in the community.
Positive signs have emerged, however, in the midst of this dark cloud. U.S. Senator and Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Hussein Obama has publicly called for a federal investigation into the actions of Mike Nifong and the Durham D.A.'s office. Activist Jessie Jackson endorsed the candidacy of Obama shortly after he called for such an investigation, which suggests the approval of Jackson.
The support of Senator Obama for a federal probe is an important addition to the chorus of voices from Republicans in Congress and in the North Carolina state legislature, who have been calling for such an investigation for quite some time. This turn of events shows that this is not a partisan issue. The fact that Democrats are beginning to jump aboard the bandwagon calling for a federal probe of Nifong is ample evidence that the unraveling of the hoax is taking a new turn.
Yet N.C. Attorney-General Roy Cooper remains silent. The Governor remains silent. The N.C. Democratic Party remains silent. And the Judge in the case remains silent.
Citizens all across North Carolina, and the entire nation, particularly those who care about honesty and integrity in the criminal justice system, are demanding the goods from Roy Cooper, or else a complete dismissal of the case. If he has evidence that no one knows anything about that justifies this foot-dragging, then he needs to immediately produce it for all to see. Otherwise, the charges against the three students need to be immediately dropped.
Thus, the following question begs an immediate response: 'Attorney-General Cooper, WHERE'S THE BEEF!?'
Liestoppers has complete, detailed info on the abandonment of the hoax here:
http://liestoppers.blogspot.com/2007/04/supporters-abandon-hoax.html
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
NC Bar Issues Statement on Nifong
Knoxville, TN (TLS). The North Carolina Bar has issued a preliminary statement concerning its hearings into prosecutorial misconduct, lying to the court, and ethics violations on the part of Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong.
In a preliminary statement that many observers say indicates that Nifong is in serious trouble, the Bar stated that the Durham D.A. had attempted to 'skirt the system' in his handling of the Duke lacrosse rape scandal.
In a legal brief filed on Monday of this week, the Bar used the most striking terminology in describing Nifong's behavior. The brief states that the Bar does not accept Nifong's explanation for withholding DNA evidence and further claims that he is 'twisting words' to make his explanation fit with the law.
The brief also expresses concern that Nifong did not provide defense attorneys with a summary concerning the results of the DNA tests. That summary, according to the brief, is an essential aspect of remaining within accepted ethical boundaries.
A key component of the Bar's brief, however, is contained in these telling words: 'Nifong is arguing that he can make false statements to a court…then use his misrepresentations to claim he committed no violation.'
Judicial observers, including legal scholars, state that the wording of the Bar at this point is most poignant and points toward an attitude of incredulity on the part of Bar officials toward Nifong's defense of his behavior. This is the reason that the brief is viewed by most observers to be an early indication that Nifong is going to have a very tough time convincing the Bar that he has no culpability in his handling of this case.
Nifong's hearing before the Bar is scheduled for sometime in June.
In a preliminary statement that many observers say indicates that Nifong is in serious trouble, the Bar stated that the Durham D.A. had attempted to 'skirt the system' in his handling of the Duke lacrosse rape scandal.
In a legal brief filed on Monday of this week, the Bar used the most striking terminology in describing Nifong's behavior. The brief states that the Bar does not accept Nifong's explanation for withholding DNA evidence and further claims that he is 'twisting words' to make his explanation fit with the law.
The brief also expresses concern that Nifong did not provide defense attorneys with a summary concerning the results of the DNA tests. That summary, according to the brief, is an essential aspect of remaining within accepted ethical boundaries.
A key component of the Bar's brief, however, is contained in these telling words: 'Nifong is arguing that he can make false statements to a court…then use his misrepresentations to claim he committed no violation.'
Judicial observers, including legal scholars, state that the wording of the Bar at this point is most poignant and points toward an attitude of incredulity on the part of Bar officials toward Nifong's defense of his behavior. This is the reason that the brief is viewed by most observers to be an early indication that Nifong is going to have a very tough time convincing the Bar that he has no culpability in his handling of this case.
Nifong's hearing before the Bar is scheduled for sometime in June.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Anniversary of Duke Lacrosse Rape Hoax
Charlotte, NC (TLS). One year ago this past Wednesday, March 14, 2006, marked the beginning of the one of the most despicable chapters in American jurisprudence--the day that Durham, North Carolina District Attorney Mike Nifong and his co-conspirators in the Durham police department plotted one of the biggest hoaxes and frame-ups ever to occur in the U.S. justice system.
Students of Duke University who were each part of the university's lacrosse team were charged with raping a woman at a private party. Nifong did not bother to interview the accuser until nearly 10 months later.
In the meantime, a community was torn apart, wild accusations were made, the public decided that the students were guilty before having their day in court, university professors publicly condemned the three students, and Nifong made statements to the media on numerous occasions claiming he had irrefutable proof that the students were guilty.
As it turns out, no such evidence existed, and what little evidence Nifong had was kept hidden from the court and the defense attorneys in a secret, under-the-table deal with the lab that examined DNA evidence--evidence that showed that none of the accused had sex with the woman who accused them.
In the midst of this parade of insanity the accuser changed her story numerous times, eventually admitting that the students did not rape her.
As for Nifong, the state BAR had gotten enough of his antics and charged him with prosecutorial misconduct, lying to the court, and a breach of ethics.
In spite of all of this, the students in question are still under indictment. They still face charges of kidnapping and sexual misdeeds of some sort, but not rape.
North Carolina Attorney-General Roy Cooper appointed special prosecutors to pour over the documents following Nifong's removal of himself from the case in order to face charges as a defendant. Cooper, by the way, visited Durham on Thursday and spent 30 minutes inside the house where the supposed crimes took place.
Joan Foster of Liestoppers has written a poignant column commemorating the one year anniversary of the hoax. Her words are so gripping in fact, that I wrote to her to say that this piece should be published far and wide.
I offer you the first paragraph of Foster's brilliant and gripping observations. The link at the end of the paragraph will send you directly to her Liestoppers post.
'Today is Hoax Day, a time to remember what we've learned. Sadly, we've learned how pathetically biased and inaccurate all of our news media can be. We've learned that the media often does not correct or amend its mistakes, research its articles or prepare for talk-show "commentary." Instead they brazenly, carelessly or unconcernedly repeat the same misstatements over and over again. We understand now that this shoddy, biased reporting has NOT just occurred THIS ONE TIME ...in THIS ONE CASE. We've learned our media is unreliable a great deal of the time. They are biased and agenda driven. We will no longer forgive it or indulge it when the bias matches our own. That's a deadly path for our intellect, our honesty and our freedom. Never forget the outrageous Hoax reporting. Never forget.'
Be sure to read the rest of it here:
http://liestoppers.blogspot.com/2007/03/hoax-day-never-forget.html
Students of Duke University who were each part of the university's lacrosse team were charged with raping a woman at a private party. Nifong did not bother to interview the accuser until nearly 10 months later.
In the meantime, a community was torn apart, wild accusations were made, the public decided that the students were guilty before having their day in court, university professors publicly condemned the three students, and Nifong made statements to the media on numerous occasions claiming he had irrefutable proof that the students were guilty.
As it turns out, no such evidence existed, and what little evidence Nifong had was kept hidden from the court and the defense attorneys in a secret, under-the-table deal with the lab that examined DNA evidence--evidence that showed that none of the accused had sex with the woman who accused them.
In the midst of this parade of insanity the accuser changed her story numerous times, eventually admitting that the students did not rape her.
As for Nifong, the state BAR had gotten enough of his antics and charged him with prosecutorial misconduct, lying to the court, and a breach of ethics.
In spite of all of this, the students in question are still under indictment. They still face charges of kidnapping and sexual misdeeds of some sort, but not rape.
North Carolina Attorney-General Roy Cooper appointed special prosecutors to pour over the documents following Nifong's removal of himself from the case in order to face charges as a defendant. Cooper, by the way, visited Durham on Thursday and spent 30 minutes inside the house where the supposed crimes took place.
Joan Foster of Liestoppers has written a poignant column commemorating the one year anniversary of the hoax. Her words are so gripping in fact, that I wrote to her to say that this piece should be published far and wide.
I offer you the first paragraph of Foster's brilliant and gripping observations. The link at the end of the paragraph will send you directly to her Liestoppers post.
'Today is Hoax Day, a time to remember what we've learned. Sadly, we've learned how pathetically biased and inaccurate all of our news media can be. We've learned that the media often does not correct or amend its mistakes, research its articles or prepare for talk-show "commentary." Instead they brazenly, carelessly or unconcernedly repeat the same misstatements over and over again. We understand now that this shoddy, biased reporting has NOT just occurred THIS ONE TIME ...in THIS ONE CASE. We've learned our media is unreliable a great deal of the time. They are biased and agenda driven. We will no longer forgive it or indulge it when the bias matches our own. That's a deadly path for our intellect, our honesty and our freedom. Never forget the outrageous Hoax reporting. Never forget.'
Be sure to read the rest of it here:
http://liestoppers.blogspot.com/2007/03/hoax-day-never-forget.html
Friday, February 16, 2007
Media Silence on Durham Rape Hoax
Washington, DC (TLS). An interesting phenomenon has occurred in the aftermath of the Durham-Duke University rape hoax perpetrated by Defendant and District Attorney Mike Nifong. What was once a media feeding frenzy, when it was first thought that a black female was raped by three rich white guys at Duke, has turned into a wall of silence in the national media.
Now that it appears the three white guys were set up by a black female who had set out to 'even the score and get her money from some white guys at Duke,' the national mainstream media apparently has decided to move on to more fruitful endeavors. This particular twist in the story does not fit with the accepted stereotypical orthodoxy that has consumed the national media.
As long as the story was about a white on black rape, the media portrayed it as an outrage. When the story became one of conspiracy. lies, and set-up, making the white guys the victims of the black female and a rogue Democrat prosecutor, suddenly there is no story.
Too far fetched to be seriously considered? Think again! Here is the proof.
Another rape has occurred in Durham which hasn't even caused a blip on the radar screen. A white woman was raped by a black man at a private house party last Saturday. The accuser has given a complete, detailed description of the perpetrator. Not only does the perpetrator still roam the streets as a free man, but the police report, which identifies the perpetrator as black, was not reported in this fashion by the local news media. The race of the perpetrator was conveniently left out in local news broadcasts in Raleigh-Durham. It was not reported at all by the national media.
Why?
The Duke Lacrosse Rape Hoax was shouted from the housetops in every single news outlet in America and around the world.
According to local sources, when this story was first reported in Charlotte, it contained the complete detailed description of the alleged rapist as he was described in the original police report. His race was identified. However, by the time the story was reported in Raleigh, that key element was left out of the story. The reference in the police report identifying the perpetrator as black was deliberately left out.
Thus, the media once again shows itself to be slanted and hopelessly politically correct to the point of becoming not only inaccurate but laughable. This is not to mention the fact that this story has been totally ignored by everyone other than the local news outlets in North Carolina.
I would be willing to wager it won't EVER get reported unless somebody starts claiming that a white woman is falsely accusing a black man of rape. Then you can bet the farm it will make the headlines.
For the complete report and analysis, click here:
http://www.discoverthenetwork.org/Articles/A%20Tale%20of%20Two%20Rapes%20in%20Durham.html
Now that it appears the three white guys were set up by a black female who had set out to 'even the score and get her money from some white guys at Duke,' the national mainstream media apparently has decided to move on to more fruitful endeavors. This particular twist in the story does not fit with the accepted stereotypical orthodoxy that has consumed the national media.
As long as the story was about a white on black rape, the media portrayed it as an outrage. When the story became one of conspiracy. lies, and set-up, making the white guys the victims of the black female and a rogue Democrat prosecutor, suddenly there is no story.
Too far fetched to be seriously considered? Think again! Here is the proof.
Another rape has occurred in Durham which hasn't even caused a blip on the radar screen. A white woman was raped by a black man at a private house party last Saturday. The accuser has given a complete, detailed description of the perpetrator. Not only does the perpetrator still roam the streets as a free man, but the police report, which identifies the perpetrator as black, was not reported in this fashion by the local news media. The race of the perpetrator was conveniently left out in local news broadcasts in Raleigh-Durham. It was not reported at all by the national media.
Why?
The Duke Lacrosse Rape Hoax was shouted from the housetops in every single news outlet in America and around the world.
According to local sources, when this story was first reported in Charlotte, it contained the complete detailed description of the alleged rapist as he was described in the original police report. His race was identified. However, by the time the story was reported in Raleigh, that key element was left out of the story. The reference in the police report identifying the perpetrator as black was deliberately left out.
Thus, the media once again shows itself to be slanted and hopelessly politically correct to the point of becoming not only inaccurate but laughable. This is not to mention the fact that this story has been totally ignored by everyone other than the local news outlets in North Carolina.
I would be willing to wager it won't EVER get reported unless somebody starts claiming that a white woman is falsely accusing a black man of rape. Then you can bet the farm it will make the headlines.
For the complete report and analysis, click here:
http://www.discoverthenetwork.org/Articles/A%20Tale%20of%20Two%20Rapes%20in%20Durham.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)