Duke DA Apologizes To Lacrosse Players

Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong Faces Ethics Violations, Disbarment

(CBS/AP)  The local prosecutor who charged three Duke lacrosse players with raping a stripper apologized to the athletes Thursday, acknowledging that the North Carolina attorney general's decision to drop the case was correct.

"To the extent that I made judgments that ultimately proved to be incorrect, I apologize to the three students that were wrongly accused," Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong said in a statement.

"I also understand that whenever someone has been wrongly accused, the harm caused by the accusations might not be immediately undone merely by dismissing them," Nifong added. "It is my sincere desire that the actions of Attorney General Cooper will serve to remedy any remaining injury that has resulted from these cases."

Nifong refused to answer any questions after handing the statement to an Associated Press reporter outside his office in Durham.

Jim Cooney, attorney for former player Reade Seligmann, responded bitterly to the apology.

"You can accept an apology from someone who knows all the facts and simply makes an error," Cooney said. "If a person refuses to know all the facts and then makes a judgment, that's far worse particularly when that judgment destroys lives."

In a blistering assessment of the case, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper on Wednesday dropped all charges against the players, all but ensuring that only one person in the whole scandal will be held to account: Nifong.

"This case shows the enormous consequences of overreaching by a prosecutor," Cooper said, adding that the three athletes were railroaded by a district attorney who ignored increasingly flimsy evidence in a "tragic rush to accuse."

The three white Duke lacrosse players — Seligmann, David Evans and Collin Finnerty — were accused of sexually assaulting a black stripper at a party. They were indicted last spring on charges of rape, kidnapping and sexual offense after the woman told police she was assaulted in the bathroom at an off-campus house during a team party at which she had been hired to perform.

Nifong, running for reelection in a heavily black district when the case first started, openly proclaimed the players' guilt.

"There's no doubt in my mind that she was raped and assaulted at this location," Nifong said last year.

The rape charges were dropped months ago; the other charges remained until Wednesday.

---

Lesley Stahl will have an exclusive interview with the three players on "60 Minutes" this Sunday at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

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Collin Finnerty's father, Kevin, told CBS' The Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith that he is bitter toward Nifong.

"I feel like we're religious people, yet in my heart I have little room for forgiveness," he said.

Nifong is facing ethics charges and possible disbarment, reports CBS News correspondent Kelly Wallace. In addition, North Carolina Rep. Walter Jones has called for a federal investigation of his handling of the duke lacrosse case.

"What Mr. Nifong has done, in my opinion, is just trampled on the constitutional rights of these young men," says Jones.

Duke University law professor James Coleman speculated that Nifong used the three young men to further his political career. "I think at the beginning he believed something happened. He saw it as an opportunity to get his name out there," Coleman told The Early Show, adding of Nifong, "he rushed to judgment."

Wallace reports that Nifong's attorney, David Freedman, wouldn't comment on the specifics of the case, but urged people not to jump to conclusions.

"People who are critical of him, saying he should not have rushed to judgment, themselves, should not rush to judgment," says Freedman.

The case stirred furious debate over race, class and the privileged status of college athletes, and heightened longstanding tensions in Durham between its large working-class black population and the mostly white, mostly affluent students at the private, elite university.

Cooper, who took over the case in January after Nifong was charged with ethics violations, said his own investigation into a stripper's claim that she was sexually assaulted at a team party found nothing to corroborate her story, and "led us to the conclusion that no attack occurred."

[processor2]

Don Imus was a big enough man to apologize.

Will Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton will be big enough men to apologize to these innocent Duke boys for the false accusations and presumptions they stirred up in Durham, NC.

I won't be holding my breath.

...

[mygramma]

I agree processor2. It didn't take a blink of an eye for Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to rush in with their tongues wagging about how guilty these boys were. And of course they can't resist condemning Don Imus and demanding his head on a platter. Imus deserves condemnation but he does not deserve to be villainized, especially by racist idiots like Jackson and Sharpton.

There are still black people who believe the Duke boys were guilty, and that includes officials at the college where the accuser was supposedly a student - even after AG Cooper's press conference. Go figure.

[smb221]

I agree with processor2. The sad thing is that these boys will probably never hear an apology from them.

[preacherbob1]

Why have the name and other information been kept quiet on the identity of the "stripper"? She has cause an enormous expense and untold misery to these young men and their families, as well as the University.

Who is she? What is her problem, other than being single stripping mom?

[lawandorder6]

Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton don't care about 3 white boys. All they care about is causing trouble, and hiding behind God.

[retmilspouse]

Don Imus was a big enough man to apologize.

Will Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton will be big enough men to apologize to these innocent Duke boys for the false accusations and presumptions they stirred up in Durham, NC.

I won't be holding my breath....

Posted by processor2 at 09:48 AM : Apr 12, 2007

You know they will not. They are only in accusation mode, everyone else should apologize to them and the people that the suppose to represent. The people they speak for still believe that these young men are guilty and will never believe otherwise. They only go around to otherwise stable communities and stir up trouble. I know that Jesse Jackson did here in the town where I live. If these guys ever had to hold a real job and live in the real world they would never make it.

[bernieb14]

Will Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton will be big enough men to apologize to these innocent Duke boys for the false accusations and presumptions they stirred up in Durham, NC

JESSIE JACKSON AND AL SHARPTON WILL NOT BE BIG ENOUGH TO DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT UNLESS IT INVOLVES HELPING A BLACK PERSON, PERIOD!! THEIR RACISM IS LOUD AND STRONG AND SEEN EVERY TIME THEY GET IN THE PUBLIC EYE. DOUBLE STANDARDS ARE WHAT SOCIETY HAS ALLOWED VIA THE WHITE GUILT SYNDROME AND POLITICALLY CORRECTNESS SYNDROME. WHAT A SHAME THE RACISM HAS JUST REVERSED ITSELF AND SOCIETY IS GIVING THE GREEN LIGHT TO IT. LETS GET RID OF RACISM ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FENCE!!

[bluestardad]

Hang Nifong and the accuser too! They did the Run Away Bride! oh ya she was white!

[cmp271]

Hopefully their parents will sue the DA, jackson, sharpton, and the state of NC. They deserve to be.

The strippers name has been posted...she needs to be publicly humiliated for her false accusations, and charges pressed for falsely accusing these kids. She is a seasoned stripper and these kids were like playdough to her. She is a disgrace to the Navy as well, having been in the navy. It doesn't say much for the training women receive in the Navy-do they leave trained just to be nappy headed hos, or do they have real jobs. I am ex Air Force and this woman is a disgrace to other women veterans! How many DNA samples were found on her and from how many other men, the woman is a h-o-r-e. She should be kicked out of her school as well, she is a disgrace to their good name.

[bernieb14]

cmp271

I agree with you 100%. Jessie Jackson is paying her tuition to go to school though. No one has the nads to call him on it because they're afraid of the race card being played on them, as Jessie and Al are experts at doing. That's how they make their livings. Reverands they are NOT!!! Just bad examples of leadership.

[processor2]

Don Imus was a big enough man to apologize.

Will Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton will be big enough men to apologize to these innocent Duke boys for the false accusations and presumptions they stirred up in Durham, NC.

I won't be holding my breath.

...

[colonieny]

Who to blame? 1. the media. the story fit the racist story line they love. Facts ? who cares. 2. The Faculty and Dean and Pres. at Duke. What a bunch of weak knee PC liberals who threw overboard a bunch of good kids and their fathers and mothers. Shame on them. They should be fired too. 3. The DA - The problem here. How often does such abuse occur and we do not know about it - White, Black-rich- poor ? I have a queezy feeling that all is very not right in our system, that took so long for something so obviously wrong.

If these boys had been any race and poor, they would have been in jail and lives ruined. Just like the LIbby case, the prosecutors are "out of control"


I am a Duke Alum, and I will not be giving any money any time soon - until heads roll and no PC BS statements.

[ekucrew]

God Bless the Evans, Seligmann, and Finnerty families! Who the devil (no pun intended) would wish a nightmare year like the last 12 months on anybody? Unfortunately, these guys' history will ALWAYS just a few keystrokes away as long as the search engine is up and running.

[tucano2]

If there is any justice in the criminal court system Nifong will convert all his assets to cash and turn it all over to the 3 wrongfully accused, and then spend the rest of his worthless life behind bars. On the other hand was what Nifong did substantially any different from what his counterparts all over this nation do each week? Probably not.

[bjr361]

Jesse Jackson was interviewed on the Anderson Cooper show last night. Jackson repeatedly said he offered to pay for the "victim's" tuition so she wouldn't have to strip off naked for men anymore. Jesse, I have news for you. No female college student is forced to become a stripper to pay her tuition. Stripping was her choice. I paid my tuition through 4 years of college by working as a waitress for a small salary and good tips. I didn't have to take my clothes off once or give lap dances to earn this money.

For those interested her name is Crystal Gail Mangum and is no longer a student, she dropped out according to WRAL news Raleigh. So you do not have to worry about anyone paying for her education. You can read more about her here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Gail_Mangum

[lochlan-2009]

If someone tries to put you behind bars for something you didn't do, shouldn't that person get the sentence that you would have gotten if convicted by their lie?

-lochlan
That would be nice however our justice system does not work that way, I do firmly believe that the civil suites will begin to fly as soon as the boys criminal records have been expunged from police and court records. I can't wait to see what happens to Nifong after his trial, I'm sure this when the suits will be filed against him and Mangum. (Rep) Walter Jones stated on the news earlier that Nifong should resign and be disbarred.....

[oleander8]

[I didn't have to take my clothes off once or give lap dances to earn this money. Posted by BJR361]

So...bully for you? She chose a different job.

being a waitress and a stripper both in the end get a tip for services rendered don't they LOL!!

[jwhitmann]

Don Imus was a big enough man to apologize.

Will Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton be man enough to apologize to these innocent Duke boys for the false accusations and presumptions they stirred up in Durham, NC.

I won't be holding my breath.

...

Posted by processor2 at 12:03 PM : Apr 12, 2007

FANTASTIC

[planotiger]

cmp271, I can only hope that you are not the sorry self-righteous racist your post makes you appear to be. And BTW, if they have evidence to show Nilfong abused his position in this case, then he should be prosecuted for it.

[thgdriver]

...wait a minute - do they even have jobs?
Posted by vbnvbn

The only job these counterfeit Reverends have is the job the media gives them every time the media needs the pot boiled on story's like this and Imus. The media should stop giving these two hypocrites a stage and thereby FIRE them both.

[aa36042]

are all you self hating white libs disapointed that the truth came out? dont worry, you always have the imus thing to perpetuate.

[williamfold]

poor whitebread fratboys. they've been through hell and back. America, you're looking at the future Ken Lays and George W. Bushes of the world.

[mike71067]

The botched case clearly is the fault of Mike Nifong; however, the nationwide defamation of the Duke lacrosse players is the fault of the liberal media, CBS included. Without a shred of evidence, the news reports condemned the rich white guys for unspeakable crimes against the poor black mom who was just trying to make a living. Without a shred of evidence. And now that the lacrosse players have been proven innocent, the jerks in the news media have nothing to say about their own conduct.

And the shameful behavior of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton in the wake of all this is so disgusting that I can't even talk about it. And those guys are supposed to be the new icons of rightousness (just as Don Imus about that).

[perception5]

Well I've been waiting for our corrupt liberal MSM wolfpack to print the WHY behind this story.....we all know the WHAT happened part so here's the WHY:

Mr. Nifong is a DEMOCRAT who last year was up for re-election. Mr. Nifong represents a district that has a high number of Black Americans (a little red light should be coming on in your brain right about now). What better re-election prize than to go after three rich white's guys from an elite college that raped a black woman from a poor mostly black college.
Mr. Nifong KNEW that the DNA didn't match and he KNEW that the accuser's story was all over the place .....but he pushed on because the election was in a few months.
To make matters worse the liberals that make up 80% of America's corrupt liberal MSM wolfpack fan the winds of RACIST by reporting on this story from the point of view that these three guys were guilty. What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty. (Our President knows all too much about this).

That's the WHY which is the biggest part of this story NOT told by our corrupt liberal wolpack. Americans need to start warming up to the FACT that we are not getting the "straight news" for our news organizations that have since the 1960's mutated into liberal political organizations.

This story is just another sad example of the corruption/propaganda............really sad but completely true

[flaboye]

Black Rappers use these words daily and are made heroes. It's total BS. I'm sick of it myself. Imus is protected by free speech as are the rappers. I don't see Jackson or Sharpton addressing the REAL problems facing black americans. It has nothing to do with a shock jock people, they are self destructing from inside. Ask Bill Cosby what he thinks. Exactly. It's time for white america to wake up to whats going on here.

And now that the lacrosse players have been proven innocent,
Posted by mike71067

They were always innocent....nuff said

[flaboye]

I doubt the kids are innocent of everything, they have privelaged lives, are guilty of childish behavior, and took risks associated with having strippers attend a party. The thing here is people like Sharpton and Jackson always finding an "easy win". Imus and his words are nothing that any rapper doesn't say in their lyrics. Neither Jackson or Sharpton are calling for a boycott of rap music. They continually refuse to look their problems in the face, but look for the easy wins. Sure it's easy for them to get on TV and say Imus should be ashamed of himself. The real shame is both of those losers continue to look the other way while their own RACE SELF DESTRUCTS , instead looking for political gain on the wings of someone saying something stupid. People, IMUS isn't the problem here. lol.

[averjane]

Williamfold,

poor whitebread fratboys. they've been through hell and back. America, you're looking at the future Ken Lays and George W. Bushes of the world.
Posted by williamfold at 01:30 PM : Apr 12, 2007

My, you sound almost bitter that justice happened. So who is your role model? In the future of the world, who will you become? What have you learned from this?

If anything, that hard lesson those boys learned probably reshaped their lives, wouldn't you think? It showed them that not even their privelege (which so many seem to be so jealous of) can protect them from the likes of false accusers. Looks like all it did for you was make you more of a dispiser of justice.

Let's hope when your accuser comes someday, you might be so fortunate. They are probably counting their blessings that DNA science was available. As far as Crystal, she has to live with her shame.

Try to be happy for people when an evil has been overcome, afterall, it could be you one day.

[mitch0927]

Al Sharpton should step down from his high horse and start doing the apology thing he forced Imus into. He condemned these men before there was even a trial, and used the race card as well. The man (lightly speaking) is a waste of energy and should just fade away.

[averjane]

I'm still waiting for real black heroes to step up and lead their people. I admire those from the past, like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Are there any today? Occasionally, a black athlete will surface, or someone like Bill Cosby speaks out against his own, (but then he's an Uncle Tom) but none really stand out to me unless someone can enlighten me. All we see are the Jesses and Als. If all I had were white supremist groups to look to what hope would I have of a life in America? Maybe we're not supposed to rely too heavily on "man". Maybe's that's our whole problem. At the risk of sounding politically incorrect (and I don't care) I have to say, there is only one "man" I will ever totally rely on and his name is, Jesus!

Thank God.

[williamfold]

averjane,

thanks for pointing out that whitebread privileged youths who hire prostitutes for entertainment are the saints of the world. poor kids. i'm sure that in their drunken state, they didn't do anything that even remotely smacks of decadence.

[theeggman369]

Jesse Jackson was interviewed on the Anderson Cooper show last night. Jackson repeatedly said he offered to pay for the "victim's" tuition so she wouldn't have to strip off naked for men anymore.Posted by BJR361

I believe the least JJ should do is to pay the real victims tuition. Evans, Seligmann, and Finnerty. But I won't be holding my breath for that either!

[jwhitmann]

Don Imus was a big enough man to apologize.

Will Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton be man enough to apologize to these innocent Duke boys for the false accusations and presumptions they stirred up in Durham, NC.

I won't be holding my breath.

...

Posted by processor2 at 12:03 PM : Apr 12, 2007

FANTASTIC POST

[jwhitmann]

Don Imus was a big enough man to apologize.

Will Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton be man enough to apologize to these innocent Duke boys for the false accusations and presumptions they stirred up in Durham, NC.

I won't be holding my breath.

...

Posted by processor2 at 12:03 PM : Apr 12, 2007

FANTASTIC POST

[cepe10-2009]

Well they got away with it... - the "fix" is in.

[cryonbrian]

Get over it already people! All parties put themselves in this foolish situation! Feel bad for no one! These white boys thought that they would have themselves a good time and she thought she would make some money! I bet they will stay out of the slave quarters next time and she will not be doing any more frat parties!

[sugarmice-2009]

I'm sure these boys have learned a very valued life lesson - and let's hope that they understand why this happened and not to repeat it in the future. HOWEVER - boys will be boys and it's hard to condone them for a testosterone surge... the girl was very much at fault - she was trying to make a quick buck and it wasn't just stripping - probably happened in the past and she got away with it.
OH and please do NOT call Sharpton and Jackson men.. they are mice and weasels.... when they apologize in the news AND to the boys and their parents then maybe we can be more acceptable of the punishment that Imus is getting...

[cmp271]

He needs to be burned at the stake for what he did to these boys.

Notice how Big Al Sharptongue and Jesse Jackson have not said a word, yet a year ago they were on the bandwagon-racist hypocrits.
Maybe they are playing ball with some nappy headed hose!!!

[dblbar]

Where are Sharpton and Jackson now that this guy is apologizing to the athletes.....they need to follow suit, along with all those folks that were calling for their heads back when this all started....

[sandy19731]

When a prosecutor behaves like a persecuter nobody wins. This man should face some consequences for his actions.

[questionnews]

The white guy that deserves the most criticism is Mike Nifong. This jerk played the African American voters in N.C. for fools. He used the race of the accused & the accuser in an effort to endear himself to a group of African American voters that he needed in order to benefit his own self interest & stay in office. The idea that he violated the legal process multiple times in order to keep this sham going should make people of all color shutter. I do believe that if the incident didn't happened at a time of election it would have been dimissed much earlier, but the convenient timing was just what he needed & when he needed it. He used people (both blacks & whites)to get what he wanted.

[kailumego1]

Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson have absolutely nothing to apologize for, these three youths are not the sweet misunderstood wrongly accused you people are trying to make them out to be.

Although this woman has falsely accused them of a crime, if you hypocritical self-righteous phonies had actually read the entire case, including the racially belligerent statements made to this stripper then you wouldn't be posting this nonsense.


I feel absolutely nothing of them being falsely accused, considering there has been upstanding innocent men arrested, convicted, and incarcerated for crimes they hadn't committed. These three young men are garbage, scum, putrid filth, etc. while this woman has committed an injustice, the vicious debasement spewed by this trash pales in comparison.

[canyoutellme-2009]

I am starting a new classaction suit against Al SHarpton and Jesse Jackson for their slanderous remarks towards whites and Jews (remember "Hymietown" ??). Anyone wanting to join in, please e-mail me at

[e-mail]

If you are an attorney willing to represent, please send an e-mail.

Serious inquiries only please.

I feel I have been offended by Sharpton and Jackson way too often and nothing has been done to try to get them fired from their positions within their respective churches and any company boards on which they serve.

Have a nice day!

[questionnews]

Is that you O.J.? I thought you would be golfing today.

[kailumego1]

You people have tried to paint a picture that these three sub-human scum are sweet law-abiding upstanding men, which is entirely false.

You hypocrites have even shouldered the responsibility of this atrocity on Sharpton and Jackson, naming them as co-conspirators.

Although, I think Sharpton and Jackson shouldn't have bothered to involve themselves in this ligation, stop painting these three sub-human scum as upstanding citizens who will be deeply affected by this miscarriage of justice.

If you're going to vehemently criticize Difong, Sharpton and Jackson, then don't leave the bottom-feeding defendants.

[dwarf1958]

I think Niphong apologized because he is afraid he is going to get sued. He was campaigning and destroyed four lives. The rape victim may have been raped, but not at the house and by the people in question. This just goes to show how screwed up this country and our judicial system is.

[kailumego1]

CANYOUTELLME, your brethren and you are as much a part of the problem as Sharpton and Jackson, because you'll "wreak" denial.

THESE BOYS ARE RACIST SCUM, AND DESERVE NO PITY FOR THE PREDICAMENT THEY HAD FOUND THEMSELVES IN.