Sealed Indictments Coming In The Duke Rape Case
Fox News has this report on the sealed indictments against 2 players on the Duke University men’s lacrosse team.
Eighty-one indictments were returned by the secret jury but none of the cases presented were rejected by the court. The indictments are under seal, so it’s not yet known whether there are more charges in the Duke case or if that specific case was among the 24 that were “carried forward” to be heard at a later date.
A 27-year-old black female told police she was attacked March 13 by three white men in a bathroom at a party held by the lacrosse team. Jurors will have to decide not only if a crime has been committed but who, if anyone, was responsible; 12 out of the 18 jurors need to agree on both points.
“The way I like to describe it is, ‘more likely than not’ is the standard the jury must use when determining if a crime has in fact been committed,” said criminal defense attorney Kathleen Mullin.
Defense attorneys say Nifong has made it clear that the players will not be given a chance to turn themselves in voluntarily once they are named in the indictments.
Despite a lack of DNA evidence proving that any of the 46 white members of the men’s lacrosse team raped the woman making the claims, Nifong has vowed to forge ahead, saying he can make a case for rape without the DNA.
The team’s only black member wasn’t tested because the alleged victim told police her attackers were white.
Tests also failed to find any DNA on the alleged victim’s clothing or belongings, or beneath her fingernails. The woman told police that she scratched her attackers to fend them off on the night of the alleged incident.
Nifong ” who placed DNA at the center of the case when he promised early on that the tests would identify “precisely who was involved” ” has argued that 75 percent to 80 percent of rape prosecutions occur without DNA evidence. Legal experts say a lack of DNA proof of a crime could make Nifong’s job harder.
And ABC News has this story from the security guard who saw the victim after the alleged attack.
related coverage:
Rally Prays for Healing in Duke Case
Video Duke Rape Case Indictments?
Sex on Campus: The ‘Lacrosstitute’ Factor
Duke Fights for Its Good Name Duke Lacrosse Video Lawyers Point to Photos
Video Timeline Adds to Duke Rape Controversy
April 18, 2006 - 11:23 AM on April 18th, 2006
:smile
on’t put people in prison without evidence, its not nice
ops:
Stop prison rape, you maybe next:wink:
April 18, 2006 - 01:53 PM on April 18th, 2006
deleted because you failed to properly use link feature.
peejz