Judge: Duke Rape DA Must Go Now

After working for almost 30 years in the Durham County, N.C., District Attorney’s office, disbarred DA Mike Nifong thought he could take one more month to wind up his work there. But a local judge disagreed. Nifong, who was disbarred Saturday due to the way he handled the rape prosecution…

Jun 19, 2007 9:03 PM CDT

Duke Settles With Players in Rape Case

The fallout continues over three former Duke University lacrosse players falsely accused of rape. A settlement agreement, in an undisclosed amount, was announced Monday by Duke University concerning its treatment of three former men’s lacrosse team members. Meanwhile, litigation is likely and there could even be criminal sanctions against the…

Jun 18, 2007 10:32 PM CDT

Duke Lacrosse Prosecutor Disbarred

The Durham, N.C., prosecutor who came under intense fire for his rape prosecution of three former Duke University lacrosse players was disbarred today after a state ethics panel found he violated numerous professional conduct rules. Mike Nifong tearfully testified during disciplinary proceedings on Friday that he intended to resign no…

Jun 17, 2007 12:19 AM CDT

Duke Lacrosse Rape Case DA to Resign

Regardless of what happens at his ongoing trial for allegedly violating attorney ethics rules, the Durham, N.C., district attorney who prosecuted the rape case against three former Duke University lacrosse team members says he is going to resign from office. “It is my intention,” testified a teary-eyed Mike Nifong today,…

Jun 15, 2007 9:54 PM CDT

Toxic Tap Water for Years at Marine Base

At least twenty-five years after toxins were found to have seeped into the water supply at a North Carolina marine base, the situation is still being studied. A report released Tuesday, as emotional testimony began at a hearing by the House Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee by individuals who say they…

Jun 13, 2007 11:05 PM CDT

Durham DA Defends Rape Prosecution

Durham County, N.C., District Attorney Michael Nifong asserted yesterday he was only doing his duty in pursuing allegations against three Duke lacrosse players. Nifong’s attorney said his client had reasons to believe a crime was committed, the Washington Post reports. “It is not unethical to pursue what some may see…

Jun 13, 2007 4:37 PM CDT

Ethics Case Against Durham DA Begins

A North Carolina bar prosecutor said in opening arguments today that Durham District Attorney Michael Nifong intentionally concealed evidence in his prosecution of three Duke lacrosse players.

Nifong is accused of withholding DNA tests showing genetic material on a woman who said she had been raped did not match that of the defendants. He is also accused of lying to the media, knowing it could prejudice the investigation, and making false statements to judges about the case, the Washington Times reports.

Charges against the men have been dismissed. Nifong could be disbarred if he loses the ethics case. His attorney contends he committed no intentional ethics violations.

Jun 12, 2007 8:24 PM CDT

S.C. Files High Court Suit in Water Dispute

In the midst of a drought, South Carolina has filed an original lawsuit in the U.S. Supreme Court over a water dispute with North Carolina.

The dispute is over North Carolina’s plans to pump millions of gallons of water each day from the Catawba River for two Charlotte suburbs, according to Associated Press.

South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster says he will ask Congress to intervene if the Supreme Court declines the case.

Jun 8, 2007 5:29 PM CDT

CA Atty Gen’l Eyes De Anza Rape Case

In the controversial rape case originally filed against three former Duke University lacrosse players last year, a North Carolina prosecutor went too far too quickly, relying on flimsy evidence at best, most observers now agree. But, in the wake of the public furor over the dismissal of the unfounded charges…

Jun 6, 2007 9:40 PM CDT

NC Court Battle Over Taking Oath on Quran

Putting one’s hand on the Bible to swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth is a relic of history in most American courtrooms today. But not in North Carolina, where the Christian holy book is still routinely handed to witnesses as they are about…

May 9, 2007 2:29 AM CDT

Report: Lethal Injection Cocktail Flawed

A scientific analysis concludes drugs used in lethal injections can cause excruciating pain. The drug cocktail is supposed to make the inmate unconscious before his muscles are paralyzed and death is induced. But sometimes the inmate remains alert but paralyzed, so he is unable to cry out in pain. The…

Apr 24, 2007 3:39 PM CDT

Exonerated Duke Defendant: D.A. Should Resign

One of three former Duke lacrosse players declared earlier this week to be innocent of accusations of having raped a stripper at a team party is calling for the resignation of the Durham, N.C., district attorney who initially handled the prosecution. Colin Finnerty, through his lawyer, has asked state officials…

Apr 18, 2007 8:41 PM CDT

Duke Prosecutor Could Face Criminal Investigation

North Carolina’s attorney general says the original prosecutor in the Duke University sexual assault case could face a criminal investigation. “We believe that these cases were the result of a tragic rush to accuse and a failure to verify serious allegations,” says state Attorney General Roy Cooper, quoted in a…

Apr 12, 2007 3:24 PM CDT

Rape Charges Against Duke Players Dismissed

Prosecutors have dismissed all remaining charges against three Duke University lacrosse players accused of sexually assaulting a stripper at a team party, the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office announced this afternoon. It took over the case after the local district attorney in Durham, N.C. was accused of ethics violations. Attorney…

Apr 11, 2007 8:19 PM CDT

4th Circuit Allows Harassment Suit Againt Coach

A federal appeals court has ruled that a sexual harassment lawsuit may proceed against a soccer coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Plaintiff Melissa Jennings claims coach Anson Dorrance had degrading, sex-oriented discussions, the News and Observer reports. In an en banc ruling, the Richmond, Va.-based…

Apr 10, 2007 1:57 PM CDT