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Author: Sher Zieve
Date:  June 9, 2006

Topic category:  Other/General

Nifong: Destroying Lives to Further his Career?

Well…with all of the recent revelations surrounding the very apparent non-rape by Duke Lacrosse team players, of an exotic dancer, it strongly (almost irrevocably at this juncture) appears that Durham District Attorney Michael Nifong was merely trying to get reelected. Recent revelations include statements given to police by the accuser’s dance partner that the accusation of rape was a “crock” and that she was with the accuser during the entire time—including the time the alleged rape occurred. Also included are statements that the accuser had sexual relations with 3-4 other people (her “driver” calls them “appointments”), including him, the same weekend as the Duke party.

The Duke team players’ defense team advised the judge overseeing the case, that DA Nifong had left out essential exculpatory information, prior to presenting the case to the grand jury. Columnist Jim Kouri, who has been closely following the case, writes: “According to Fox News' Geraldo Rivera, himself an attorney, if the district attorney doesn't have anything except the alleged victim's statement, he may be in violation of ethics and liable to be the subject of a disbarment case for allowing the case to go forward.” In a Friday update to his story, Kouri continued: “Lawyers for one of the lacrosse players charged with raping the stripper said that a medical examination of the accuser revealed injuries inconsistent her story, according to a court filing” and “forensic experts assert that the vaginal swelling could have occurred during the accuser's use of "sex toys" earlier that evening when she performed in a hotel room for a "couple."

Another disclosure is that the nurse who examined the accuser is listed as a “nurse in training”. An attorney advised that if all of these revelations are accurate, the only way Nifong can win this case is if there is “jury nullification—as there was during the OJ Simpson case”.

If all of this new evidence proves true, it would seem that we have a fast and loose district attorney who willfully and knowingly withheld evidence so that he could obtain an indictment in order to be reelected by his constituency and further his political career. And if he had to destroy a number of lives to do it—so what? After all, his life and his recognition are more important than the lives of others—right? And besides—he’s a liberal Democrat. So, it’s okay. Can anyone still say Ronnie Earle?

I don’t know about the rest of you but, my observation of our current legal system is that it’s not only broken—it’s imminently dangerous. If all it takes, for the complete destruction of lives, is a DA wanting to “get you” for his or her own political advantage (having no evidence whatsoever) we are in more trouble than we’ve ever been. One would think that, as this is an extremely high-profile case, Nifong would have been more careful. But as too many politicians seem to think these days, neither the law nor ethics matter anymore. Gaining the illusion of power is all that’s important. Perhaps Nifong has simply been blinded by the shining gold ring of political influence.

If the allegations against Nifong ultimately prove to be true, we can only hope the young men who have been falsely accused by a district attorney who ostensibly knew the charges were false, have some legal recourse against him. The politics of destruction for personal gain will have gone too far not to be taken to the level of disbarment, criminal and civil charges. We can only hope that something positive will come out of this travesty of “justice”.

Sher Zieve


Biography - Sher Zieve

Sher Zieve is a long-time syndicated columnist who generally writes columns of a politically Conservative and Constitutional nature. She also interviews notable people with an interesting and/or newsworthy story to tell. These include politicians, writers, activists and others in the news. Her work has been and continues to be carried by both national and international publications. Sher appears regularly on national talk shows.


Copyright © 2006 by Sher Zieve
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