Duke Lacrosse DA Nifong Says He'll Resign

Tearful Durham DA To Step Down More Than A Year After Rape Indictments

(CBS/AP)  A tearful Mike Nifong said Friday he will resign as district attorney after admitting that he made improper statements about three Duke University lacrosse players who were once charged with raping a stripper.

"My community has suffered enough," Nifong said from the witness stand at his ethics trial on allegations that he violated rules of professional conduct in his handling of the case.

The players were later declared innocent by state prosecutors.

The North Carolina State Bar said Nifong withheld DNA test results from the players' defense attorneys, lied to the court and bar investigators, and made misleading and inflammatory comments about the three athletes, who were cleared of charges they raped a stripper at a team party in March 2006.

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.

Nifong was on the witness stand for most of the day, but he took nine sometimes awkward, sometimes tearful minutes to try to save his name and his law license, reports CBS News national correspondent Byron Pitts.

"As my parents raised me to try to do the right thing, and i have always been willing to take responsibility for the things that I have done, right or wrong. I take responsibility for the things that I have done in this case," he said.

Then, for the first and only time on the witness stand, Nifong turned to Reade Seligmann and his parents seated in court, and Colin Finnerty and his parents one row behind them.

"When I saw Mr. Seligman on the stand today, I thought that his parents must be very proud of him. I am very proud of my son and I want him to be proud of me. And I felt that it was important for him to see this because I’ve always told him that in this case, although I’ve made mistakes, I was trying to do the right thing," Nifong said.

Nifong's soft-spoken statements were barely audible in the courtroom, where observers leaned forward in their chairs as they struggled to hear Nifong through his tears. He stunned even his own attorneys and staff with the news, who said they had no idea what he had planned.

While Nifong’s wife and son wept openly, most showed little sympathy for Nifong's words. Earlier, Seligmann spoke of a man who had ruined his life, reports Pitts.

"It felt like a sick joke. Like we were being toyed with. Like he was doing it maliciously on purpose to us."

[perception5]

This Corrupt Democrat, who brought charges against the Duke LaCrosse players did so because he was running for re-election in a district that had a large Black population...........that was the MOTIVE.......... unfortunately our Corrupt Liberal MSM wolfpack doesn't want to educate Americans of the most important FACT.

Nifong needs to go to jail for the SAME amount of time the players would have if they had been convicted of rape.

[infidel_us]

Stick a fork in this turkey.....he's DONE! Maybe he can get a job with Edwards. They can shake down more big companies with Oprah watching juries and make millions!

[godofredo29]

I can't believe there aren't any more comments than these. It's like the men's health stories. Nobody cares. Happy Fathers Day!

[bks59]

what about the accused out there that don't have the means (money) to go up against a state's prosecutor, with deep resources. how many accused accept a plea agreement for a crime not commited? That ought to be the real concern.

[jeffny_us]

Why is Nifong's punishment limited to being disbarred? It appears at a minimum he withheld evidence from the defense teams for over 3 months, slandered these students, caused them to lose a whole year of school and then was still arrogant enough to just apologize for making wrong assumptions. I would think these guys should sue him and the criminal justice system should be looking to prosecute him. As a side note, was he involved at all in the Tawana Brawley case?

[johnstossel]

This guy deserves a good old-fashioned North Carolina style lynching!!! Then justice would be done. Amen.

[rushlimpdrug]

Disbarred?
You kidding - he acts like all the other lawyers.
send him to Atlantatata he can work for the speaker law firm

[thebrandon1]

The same thing that happened to those Duke kids happened to me and it's a bunch of B.S.
I feel strongly about a law that punishes those who accuse when it finally comes out that they lied. If you falsely accuse and say some guy raped you and it comes back that he never did, you should be punished just as badly as if he were actually convicted. It's not fair to be able to cry wolf and have nothing happen to you. Accusations such as these ruin innocent peoples lives and even the lives of their families. Those who falsely accuse should be sent to prison and when they reach parole they should have to register as a convicted liar. Justice needs to go both ways.
Because of my experiance I have lost trust in women and DA's. mahalo.

[xzavierbrown]

The real problem here is not Nifong but Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson. Those who instigate and PROFIT off a non-existant race problem. Both inspired Nifong to use that race card for personal reasons. If we can just get those self proclaimed black leaders from blindly stoking the fire of hate THEN we would eliminate the 'Nifongs' of the future.

[dukeudevil]

As a Duke alum, my response [for now] is, "No comment." (And that's just what Nifong should have had the simple common sense to say.)

[donnie900]

Don't prosecutors wanna find criminals? I mean, don't they wanna find the people that do these things? Or do they just wanna get elected? And look good.. getting anybody and fooling everybody into thinking that "this is the guy who did it, and I'm the guy who got him"?

Maybe the Law shouldn't be set up like this. If people are going to lie about who does what crime to get elected.

[donnie900]

This is why I'm so afraid of glamor and romance in politics, Mr. Clinton. This is why you have to be able to keep your pants on. Because its the same lady. Its the same affair. That we romance the way things appear instead of what they really are.

How many other people are in prison because some prosecutor wanted to look sexxy? And perhaps more importantly: How many criminals get off scott free because some prosecutor wanted to look sexxy instead of finding the right person who did it?

What does Clinton have to do with this story?

[donnie900]

You just gotta keep your pants on! Its that ******* simple. You gotta be able to set aside that notion that somehow you're a moviestar with fans, and not a president, or a supervisor, or a prosecutor, or even a defense attorney!

You gotta be able to control your pecckker! Because if you can't, its in the national security guidebook: YOU CAN'T DO YOUR JOB!

[xzavierbrown]

It is easy to forget the key players on this case and the players who put pressure on the liberal media..THE REAL HOLLIGANS..the stripper and those black leaders. time to get rid of those vocal THEN SILENT HOLLIGANS

donnie900, I guess you have not been following this story since it broke over a year ago.....they did keep their pants on!!!

[donnie900]

Stay away from prostitutes. The lott of yaz.. If you enter that world at all, don't expect to come out the other end. Because she's mad and she's crazy as all hell.. And she's gonna destroy ya.

[donnie900]

Find a nice Christian woman. Who doesn't give away her favors for a party or a price. Politics to her isn't an act. Politics to her isn't a lie.

But if you wanna have a little prostitutional fun? Then expect prostitutional consequences. Yer grown ups now.. start acting like it. Or go by way of madeup hell. I'm done protecting a buncha ******* nitwits.

[luigi999-2009]

Somebody, quick, get a rope!

[vastr-wcon]

In addition to Nifong, the state should put on trial all those that prodded the idiot Nifong to lynch the innocent Duke Lacrosse players. In particular, the state must try the hypocrite, racist, hate-mongers "Hymietown" Jackson and the God Bigot "Tawana Brawley" Sharpton, who are every bit as guilty as the idiot Nifong in this gross miscarriage of justice.

[donnie900]

Why do rich people think that they can hire poor people to do pole dances for them? Huh? Why do they think that they can do that? This ain't no moral question. This ain't no racist question. It's pragmatic question.

Why do rich people that they can do that?

[billpl-2009]

Karma is oh so sweet when it actually works.

...flush him down, exactly the way he wanted to do to those kids.

[donnie900]

Why do rich people think that they can do that? And get away with it.

Is it a turnon? Somehow? That that poor person is doing a pole dance for you? Envying your money? Huh? Does that give you a harddon?

Do you think its innocent fun? Do you think that that prostitute is of high moral standing? And isn't going to try to take more of your money away from you any way she can? Huh?

What de ***** makes you think anybody is going to be sympathetic to a buncha ***** dorks? Huh? Why? On what planet?

[klingon69]

As a side note, was he involved at all in the Tawana Brawley case?
Posted by JeffNY_US at 12:13 PM : Jun 15, 2007
Nope, not nifong, only Sharpton was involved in both

[kaffers-2009]

donnie, what does rich vs poor have to do with it? In this case the "rich kids" got screwed over and the "poor person" didn't even get charged for ruining their lives. And rich people think they can hire poor people OR rich people to pole dance for them if the dancer chose that as her job. What they did was not illegal, even if it may be immoral. I don't buy the line about strippers "empowering themselves" by dancing, but then I don't know any strippers either.

[billpl-2009]

"Why do rich people think that they can hire poor people to do pole dances for them?"
Posted by donnie900

you think that only rich people hire wh-ores?
you think that only poor people are wh-ores?
....which rock did you just crawl out from under?

oh and BTW what's wrong with being a wh-ore?

[kaffers-2009]

No Donnie, it was the stripper who took everyone's time. If she hadn't filed false charges, none of anyone's time would have been taken. She is the criminal here. Why do you hate these kids just because their families may have money? Why don't you place the blame on the stripper where it belongs? You have some serious issues.

[trillion1]

donnie seems to have some unresolved personal issues. I knew a couple of strippers, not prostatutes, and they made close to $1000 a week cash. Naturally they weren't fat and homely like the accuser but alot of strippers are far from dirt poor.

[barbaraf4]

"Why do rich people think that they can hire poor people to do pole dances for them? Huh? Why do they think that they can do that? This ain't no moral question. This ain't no racist question. It's pragmatic question. hy do rich people that they can do that?"
Posted by donnie900

I don't know many rich people who are pole dancers.

[donnie900]

I can't help yaz no more.. Yer too ******* stupid anyway.

Paris Hilton is in jail, why not them too?

[wadyaknow]

I feel sorry for two of the players. Nifong should be in jail. But Collin Finnerty is an obvious punk who threatened two men who he thought were gay. I know - some of you wingnuts will say big deal but it is pretty scary to have it happen to you to have a punk calling you a f--right in your face- especially if you have been bashed before. Don't make Finnerty some sort of hero in all this.

http://crime.about.com/b/a/257036.htm

[johnshaft4]

Prosecute the "prosecutor" for this horric abuse of power and imprison him. This jerk can dish it out, but can he take it?

[kaffers-2009]

Paris Hilton committed a crime. In this particular instance, these guys did not. Have you even read anything about this case at all? Or do you think all rich people should be jailed on general principles?

[klingon69]

I don't buy the line about strippers "empowering themselves" by dancing, but then I don't know any strippers either.
Posted by kaffers at 01:53 PM : Jun 15, 2007
I have known some strippers, and they say that they can make more money in one night shaking their tushies and boobies, than working in some office for a week.

The Publish button will be enabled shortly. We have temporarily disabled it so everyone has an opportunity to comment.
Dammit Janet

[dblbar]

Geez...."maybe got carried away a little bit" ....he almost ruined these boy's lives.....and it doesn't seem to mean much to him...

[infidel_us]

Duke DA: I Got "Carried Away"

He needs to get "taken away"......in cuffs.

[donnie900]

People who hire prostitutes are weirdos. Losers. If they just wanted a pole dance, how come they don't have any female friends? Huh? How come none of them could do it?

Just.. wear yer togas and hold yer secret parties and yer bullshyyt self righteous indignations. Honest people.. GOOD PEOPLE! Are in prison.. for this very same reason.

This is a much better feed of this video than CBS

http://wm-live.world.mii-streaming.net/live/cbcnm/pull/1

[jerr11]

Duke DA: I Got "Carried Away"


Sure, and who had to pay for your "exuberance?"

Getting "carried away" should be made a crime for overzealous prosecutors with a 20 year minimum sentence!

[ekucrew]

Mike Fifong..( drumroll please!) WINNER OF THE LIFETIME DARWIN AWARD!

Whatta jerk! I hope he's busted to clerking for a law firm researching titles on microfilm in a basement somewhere!

[slim1h2o]

I just saw Nifong on T.V. He looks so calm and collected, He must have the heart of a killer, or at least nervs of one!

[pfluffy]

It's a shame this man abused his office for whatever reason. Maybe he wanted to show the world he was a big man. Maybe he was pandering to the minority voters. Maybe he was just dumb as a brick and believed the alleged victim despite every inconsistancy and flat out evidence to the contrary.

But to perform his job in a way that ignored and laughed at proper procedures GUARANTEED by our Constitution was -- at best -- criminally negligent. These players, no matter how cocky they may have been before this incident, did not deserve to have their lives permanently ruined, yes, ruined, by a man in power who did know better but chose to violate many of these players' basic Constitutionally protected rights. Nifong became evil personified. The man just STINKS of evil!


These players will ALWAYS be tainted by Nifong's evil actions. It's time for Nifong to take up a new occupation -- like scooping up and disposing of road kill. Seems that suits him if he gets so "carried away" in cleaning up his district.

My hope is that the alleged victim in this case can recover from whatever brought her to that house that night and whatever really did happen to her from the time she entered the players' house to her ordeal with Nifong.

[pfluffy]

It's a shame this man abused his office for whatever reason. Maybe he wanted to show the world he was a big man. Maybe he was pandering to the minority voters. Maybe he was just dumb as a brick and believed the alleged victim despite every inconsistancy and flat out evidence to the contrary.

But to perform his job in a way that ignored and laughed at proper procedures GUARANTEED by our Constitution was -- at best -- criminally negligent. These players, no matter how cocky they may have been before this incident, did not deserve to have their lives permanently ruined, yes, ruined, by a man in power who did know better but chose to violate many of these players' basic Constitutionally protected rights. Nifong became evil personified. The man just STINKS of evil!



These players will ALWAYS be tainted by Nifong's evil actions. It's time for Nifong to take up a new occupation -- like scooping up and disposing of road kill. Seems that suits him if he gets so "carried away" in cleaning up his district.

My hope is that the alleged victim in this case can recover from whatever brought her to that house that night and whatever really did happen to her from the time she entered the players' house to her ordeal with Nifong.

[pfluffy]

It's a shame this man abused his office for whatever reason. Maybe he wanted to show the world he was a big man. Maybe he was pandering to the minority voters. Maybe he was just dumb as a brick and believed the alleged victim despite every inconsistancy and flat out evidence to the contrary.

But to perform his job in a way that ignored and laughed at proper procedures GUARANTEED by our Constitution was -- at best -- criminally negligent. These players, no matter how cocky they may have been before this incident, did not deserve to have their lives permanently ruined, yes, ruined, by a man in power who did know better but chose to violate many of these players' basic Constitutionally protected rights. Nifong became evil personified. The man just STINKS of evil!



These players will ALWAYS be tainted by Nifong's evil actions. It's time for Nifong to take up a new occupation -- like scooping up and disposing of road kill. Seems that suits him if he gets so "carried away" in cleaning up his district.

My hope is that the alleged victim in this case can recover from whatever brought her to that house that night and whatever really did happen to her from the time she entered the players' house to her ordeal with Nifong.

[pfluffy]

It's a shame this man abused his office for whatever reason. Maybe he wanted to show the world he was a big man. Maybe he was pandering to the minority voters. Maybe he was just dumb as a brick and believed the alleged victim despite every inconsistancy and flat out evidence to the contrary.

But to perform his job in a way that ignored and laughed at proper procedures GUARANTEED by our Constitution was -- at best -- criminally negligent. These players, no matter how cocky they may have been before this incident, did not deserve to have their lives permanently ruined, yes, ruined, by a man in power who did know better but chose to violate many of these players' basic Constitutionally protected rights. Nifong became evil personified. The man just STINKS of evil!

These players will ALWAYS be tainted by Nifong's evil actions. It's time for Nifong to take up a new occupation -- like scooping up and disposing of road kill. Seems that suits him if he gets so "carried away" in cleaning up his district.

My hope is that the alleged victim in this case can recover from whatever brought her to that house that night and whatever really did happen to her from the time she entered the players' house to her ordeal with Nifong.

[slim1h2o]

Also Nifong was appointed to the post of District Attorney, after he promised Guv. Easley
that he wouldn't seek election to that post,(Easley wanted a truely eclected officail to that post), but ran anyways, so that makes him a liar too. The other (D.A.) moved on to be a judge. Nice,.

[luigi999-2009]

What kind of a MONSTER is Nifong? The worst of the worst.

[jerr11]

What kind of a MONSTER is Nifong?

Posted by Luigi999 at 03:31 PM : Jun 15, 2007


The kind that makes decisions based on political expediency and self-interest, and to h-e-l-l with everybody else.

Kind of like the other monster currently residing in the White House.

[gangesdak]

Nifong should be punished with full force of the law. He acted maliciously and he thought that he could get away with it. I just cannot imagine what anguish he caused to those families deliberately. He should be disbarred, put away in prison and fined.

[cryonbrian]

Shame on him! Them poor boys were at home minding their own business and reading their bibles when that fool make those accusations!