Embattled Nifong Says He'll Resign?

Question

What do you think of Mike Nifong trying to convict 3 people here in NC of rape and one wasn't even at the party the night of the alleged rape?
Embattled Nifong Says He'll Resign


Posted: Today at 3:56 p.m.
Updated: 17 minutes ago

Raleigh — The man who once pursued rape, sexual assault and kidnapping charges against three former Duke lacrosse players who were later declared innocent by North Carolina's attorney general says he will resign. (Watch Mike Nifong's announcement.)

"My community has suffered enough," a tearful Mike Nifong said Friday during his testimony at his State Bar ethics trial to the surprise of the families and defense attorneys of the cleared lacrosse players, as well as others in the courtroom.

"Throughout the years I have served as a prosecutor I have always tried to do the right thing," a tearful Mike Nifong said. "In this case, I was trying to do the right thing. Much of the criticism directed to me in the is case is justified. The allegations that I'm a liar, however, are not justified."

Nifong said regardless of the State Bar's decision, it would not be fair to the people in Durham County to be represented by "someone who is not held in high esteem."

The North Carolina State Bar has charged Nifong with withholding critical DNA test results from defense attorneys, lying to the court and Bar investigators and making misleading and inflammatory comments about the players.

If the Bar's three-member Disciplinary Hearing Commission decides he violated ethics rules, he could be disbarred.

Nifong said he did not make all the mistakes alleged by the Bar, "but they are my mistakes."

"It has become increasingly apparent, during the course of this week, in some ways that it might not have been before, that my presence as the district attorney in Durham is not furthering the cause of justice," Nifong said.

A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and 1978 graduate of the UNC School of Law, Nifong began his law career in 1978 as a volunteer for the 14th Prosecutorial District in Durham and became an assistant district attorney in April 1979.

In April 2005, Gov. Mike Easley appointed Nifong to the district attorney post after naming then-District Attorney Jim Hardin to a judgeship.

Allegations by exotic dancer Crystal Gail Mangum that she was raped, sodomized and beaten at a Duke lacrosse party in March 2006 came amid Nifong's first election run.

He won the November 2006 general election with 49 percent of the vote, narrowly defeating Durham lawyer and Democrat Lewis Cheek, who received 40 percent, and Republican Party Chairman Steve Monks, who got 11 percent as a write-in candidate.

In December, Nifong dismissed the rape charges against Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty and David Evans after Mangum wavered in details of her rape account, but he proceeded with the remaining charges.

In January, Nifong recused himself from the case amid the State Bar allegations. In February, Easley publicly stated that Nifong was "probably the poorest appointment" he ever made.

And in April, Attorney General Roy Cooper dropped the case, declaring the indicted players innocent and calling Nifong's pursuit of the case "a tragic rush to accuse and a failure to verify serious allegations."

Neither Easley nor Cooper had comments Friday afternoon. The administrative staff of the Durham County District Attorney's Office also said it would be inappropriate to comment at this time.

Nifong's soft-spoken statements were barely audible in the courtroom, where observers leaned forward in their chairs as they struggled to hear the district attorney through his tears.

"To the extent that my actions have caused pain to the Finnertys, Seligmanns and Evans, I apologize. To the extent that my actions have brought disrespect and disrepute to the Bar, to my community, I apologize," he said.

Moments earlier, Nifong said he was moved by Seligmann's testimony from earlier in the day and called him "a very impressive young man."

"When I saw Mr. Seligmann on the stand today, I thought that his parents must be very proud of him," Nifong said, struggling to form the words. "I am very proud of my son. I wanted him to be proud of me. And I felt that it was important for him to see this."

Nifong's teenage son was also in the courtroom Friday, and watched as his father broke down on the stand.

Seligmann had testified how he was sure DNA would clear his name. He broke into tear as he described finding out the he was indicted and how he was going to break the news to his mother.

Nifong said that if he had talked with Seligmann early on in the investigation, at the very least, he would have talked with Mangum, and would have re-evaluated the case under those circumstances.

But the families of Seligmann, Finnerty and Evans watched with little emotion, and Evans' attorney rejected Nifong's attempt to take responsibility.

"It was an obvious cynical ploy to save his law license, and his apology to these people is far too little and comes far too late," defense attorney Joseph Cheshire told The Associated Press.

"Maybe he did an honorable thing -- the only honorable thing that's been done by him in this case," said Duke law professor James Coleman told WRAL. "But I don't think it will have any impact on the committee's decision because his testimony and Reade Seligmann's testimony reflect the extent of the damage done to others and himself.

http://wral.com/news/local/story/1459913/

Answer 1

I hope he is dis-barred as well as his resignation. This was just ridiculous and at the height of unprofessional behavior on the part of a DA.

Answer 2

He should be barred for life from practicing law, go to prison and pay ALL their legal expenses + punative damages!

Plus that Black S L U T should ALSO go to prison.

And Jesse Blackson and Buffalo Butt Sharpton should be removed from the air and face charges of slander and defamation for their part as well as starting race tensions in the area.

They are all criminals and there should be a HUGE price to pay for damaging ones name and causing irepairable damage to these families and individuals.

Yelling Rape without the actual crime is a CRIME!

Answer 3

I use to live in Durham so I am formiliar with Mike Nifong, I think it would be great if he resigned , but if it was you or me in the same situation , he would try use and throw the book at us, i dont think he should get off that easy. But any punishment would be a huge welcome for the people of Durham and Duke.

Answer 4

I want to know when Al Sharpton is going to appologize for his remarks. He turned this rape case into a web of racial lies. He said that this rape had racial intentions written all over it.

Mr. Sharpton, the duke lacrosse players were found innocent. Imus said his apology, where is yours?

Answer 5

Mayor Grose is gross. i'm sorry, yet i won't have faith that Mayor Grose, who grew up interior the 60s and the civil rights flow, did not associate watermelons with racial stereotypes of African-human beings. If Mayor Grose replaced into particularly actual, why did not his photograph have carrots, apples or broccoli? seems unusual he theory it inoffensive to decide for watermelons.

Answer 6

He should be dis-barred to. He completely abused the power of his office in his obsessive quest to prove a point against completely innocent people.

Answer 7

Why isn't he facing prison time? He was willing to prosecute men that he knew were innocent.He swore to uphold the law.

Answer 8

Does he really have a choice

Answer 9

he should commit suicide.

Answer 10

thanks for the imformation.