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After this bit of news, I think people will be wishing it was just the Al and Jesse Show headed to Durham:
An official with the New Black Panther Party for Self Defense said the black nationalist organization is providing security for the woman who has accused Duke lacrosse players of raping her.
And the organization is distributing recruitment brochures with information about a rally planned near the Duke campus for Monday. The brochures ask, “Had enough of disrespect and racism from Duke University?” The materials contain photographs of Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann, the two white lacrosse players indicted and charged with raping a black exotic dancer at 610 N. Buchanan Blvd. the night of March 13–14.
“We’ll do the escort and the security, going to court, whatever it takes” to protect the accuser from threats allegedly being made against her, said Minister Na’jee Shaka Muhammad, national field marshal with the New Black Panther Party who is based out of Atlanta but working in Durham with the dancer and her family. ...
Founded in 1989 in Dallas, the New Black Panther Party for Self Defense has chapters across the U.S. It preaches self-determination for a black nation through revolutionary changes. Among other tenets of the organization are calls to free all incarcerated black people, exempting blacks from military service, education that “exposes the true nature of this devilish and decadent American society,” and demands for trials by a jury of black peers.
The organization has been assailed by the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation in an open letter on the foundation’s Web site. Newton was the founder of the Black Panther Party that was active in the 1960s civil rights struggles. The organization Newton founded has no connection to the New Black Panther Party.
The Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Ala., which tracks hate groups across the country, lists the New Black Panther Party as a racist, black separatist organization.
Also, there may be some more problems with the identification of the (alleged) third attacker:
[A]ttorney sources said the accuser was only 90 percent sure about her identification of one of three men she said attacked her, and she tripped up over a mustache.
Looking at a photo lineup, the dancer told police the man in question “looks just like him without the mustache,” the lawyers said, citing a written investigative report.
But the alleged third rapist had no mustache on the relevant night, if he ever had one, according to attorneys. They said photographs and eyewitnesses would prove their point.
Elsewhere, ESPN’s George Smith has apparently gotten a few Duke lacrosse players to talk:
Several Duke lacrosse players who say they were at a team party the night of the alleged rape of a 27-year-old woman have told ESPN‘s George Smith that an argument over money and the amount of time two exotic dancers were expected to perform was at the center of a dispute that night.
The players, who agreed to speak with ESPN on the condition their names not be used, also admitted that slurs and bad language were used by some players and the dancers during the argument. ...
The players, who would not go on camera, also would not discuss many details about the case or answer more specific questions about exactly what happened.
But they told ESPN‘s Smith that not all 47 players were at the party at the time the woman said she was raped; some had already left. The players told Smith they admit it was foolish to have the party, but deny that any rape occurred. They also believe the two students charged so far will not be convicted.
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20 comments:
Why are all these people getting involved…They don’t know this woman or these men…this is where they FRACTURE relationships that are being built up by making it a black vs. white…As a woman, I am appalled that another woman has let this story get so far out of control, she knows a rape did not occur and now she has no idea how to get out of it and these groups are not making it any easier for her to do so…You can try these boys for underage drinking, inappropriate language, rowdiness and noise…BUT NOT RAPE….I am a mother of a female student at Duke, the kids at Duke know this didn’t happen, why doesn’t the media…they seem to be the only ones questioning these absurd accusations….Help this woman by getting her the help she needs and find a job that can give her some self-respect…Help her children, help her with her substance abuse and help her find a way to get out of this without scarring her even more…..Doctors in/Media out!
The media has a self interest to keep this case going. It gets ratings. I thought that Rita Crosby’s bombshell last night was something along the lines of Seligmann being seen in a 12:30 picture at the party. Instead it was a cab driver messing up a color of a car.
This Gottleib guy leading the investigation is supposedly an interim replacement for the head detective who is out on leave. He also has an incentive to make his mark in this case. So far he looks as inept as Nifong.
I wonder whether this AV was voluntarily or invountarily committed to the psych hospital in 05. I agree that she needs major mental help. I feel bad for her to some extent, but will not be able to forgive her when the allegation is proven to be false. Nifong should have done a better job determining her credibility.
My guess is that Finnerty is sitting on his alibi. Some defense lawyers seem to think that they are releasing too much to the press.
Sad developments in a story which will only get worse before it gets better.
I feel for the Duke mom – and all Duke parents. It’s tough to have sensational accusations of crimes associated with your kids daily in the news.
Thanks for calling for medical help – apparently the AV is having tough times.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/25/cnna.zook/index.html
Dan – where did the info on the psych hospital in 05 come out? I’m suprised we haven’t seen it in the press.
azbballfan – I heard on Live and Direct with Rita Cosby that the AV had been admitted to a hospital in 05 because of nerves. It was said during Rita’s interview with the AV’s father.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12496646/
COSBY: The defense team has suggested that your daughter had son mental or psychological problems in the past. Has she ever been at a hospital for such treatment?
ACCUSER‘S FATHER: She was at a hospital to my knowledge one week and it was because she was going to school in Durham Tech and she was taking care of too many things and it got too much for her.
COSBY: When was that?
ACCUSER‘S FATHER: On 2005 of last year.
COSBY: And was it nerves? Was it a mental breakdown? What was it?
ACCUSER‘S FATHER: I think mostly just her nerves. It‘s about her being tired and everything.
Thanks debann – this could mean something, but probably not.
And it’s Rita Cosby – too bad the dad had to select her to do an interview with. She likes to stir things up a little too much.
Sometimes when you get overwhelmed by everthing, you just need to completely unplug and refocus.
Imagine how much her life has changed in the past couple of weeks…I really hope for her sake she is not making up a false story. On the other hand, I really hope the lacrosse team members did not rape her. And the lacrosse team as well has seen some major changes in their lives, but I believe they have a much more secure safety net in place. I know that is a generalization, but I don’t think the administration had much of a choice in their actions. However to lose their coach, their season, and see 3 of their peers suspended…that is an awful situation if these charges were made up.
No one is going to come out of this except as a loser. What a mess. She was in the Navy and attending college, so I hope she is a better media presence then Kim or her father. I sense this thing will drag on and on…through civil court if the criminal case is dropped or blows up.
Accuser in Duke lacrosse case previously reported rape
Woman filed complaint in 1996, but there were no charges
[Full article redacted, but available here - ed.]
I read similar rumors about the players’ description of what happened that night. It included the assertion that the AV was offering sexual favors for tips, but the young men didn’t take her up on the offer. Apparently, they were afraid of STDs, etc.
http://www.dukenewsense.com/blog/2006/04/code-of-silence-is-broken-other-sides.html
Is it possible that she took some type of hallucinatory drug that caused her to dream this all up and now she believes it happened?
I don’t know if she’s telling the truth, but it seems like her story keeps changing to fit the evidence, yet the players have asserted that NOTHING HAPPENED and have stuck to their story.
Nifong came out early on in a filing to get a warrant for DNA evidence from all 46 white players saying that the evidence would identify the perpetrators and exonerate the innocent. Then, with no DNA matches, he claims the perps must have used condoms and wore long sleeve shirts. Now, the photographs apparently demonstrate they were virtually all wearing short sleeve shirts, and the rape exam found no evidence of lubricant, spermicide, or latex, hence the broom story.
Good grief! Now this comes out? It’s true that a prosector can’t choose his or her victims, but how coincidental that she made a similar report ten years ago?
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/04/27/D8H8L3M81.html
Before you take this too seriously, please read the introduction to the statement:
“An anonymous friend of several members of the Duke lacrosse team revealed the following in a personal conversation earlier today:”
Sounds like cul-de-sac gossip.
I would imagine that all the friends of Duke lax players are suceptable to believing the gal was a crazed drug addict trying to take advantage of the players.
Also, please note that the players’ attorneys have made repeated statements to the press that nothing happened. From a legal perspective, this helps them avoid responding to investigative efforts.
As soon as they lawyered up and refused to talk, the attorneys were compelled to say nothing happened. As soon as someone admits knowledge of anything, the wall falls and obstruction of justice charges are brought.
At this time, they would be giving themselves a “go straight to jail” card if they admitted to knowing anything.
I feel bad for the players – they’ve been taken by the attorneys. No matter what did or did not happed that night, all the players would be better off if they ignored the advice of their attorneys and answered questions.
Stunning.
The prior rape allegations had to have been known to Nifong at the time he charged. We are now well beyond politicial prosecution into overt misconduct.
Nifong should not only lose his job but his license to practice law, if anyone seriously wants to push the issue.
Now this is a bombshell. What are the statistical odds that someone has been brutally gang raped twice in her life?
Nifong may be the biggest moron on the planet. This woman obviously needs some very serious counseling.
I wouldn’t let the Durham police investigate a traffic violation. Gottleib has to go.
Now I am really worried for the accuser as she is in the hand of gangsters. She really needs help and legal representation. Her family has urged her to talk to the civil right lawyer Willy Gary but she refused to talk to him. She really needs to talk to a lawyer to see how she could get out of this case with as little damage as possible, whether her allegation is true or false. She needs to listen to the lawyer’s analysis of her situation, rather than accepting protection from gangsters! May God bless her!
I hope she gets the third degree. I’ve read about dozens of hate-crime hoaxes (almost always accusing white people) and the one thing I take away from all of them is that false accusers should get what they intended for those they accuse.
I don’t think the woman deliberately made up the accusation because she has a thing against white people in particular. She probably just made up the case because of her PTS, or because she just wanted to get out of the drunk tank. It also takes an overenthusiastic and malicious prosecutor like Nifong to make a mess like this.
“As soon as someone admits knowledge of anything, the wall falls and obstruction of justice charges are brought.”
I don’t follow you here, azbballfan. Silence might make someone an accessory after the fact in some cases, but I don’t see how it can constitute obstruction of justice.
I don’t know all the factS, but the one dancer has already said she was angry at the Lacrosse players and wanted them to pay. That’s why she made the first 911 call. Now this lady has a prior accusation of rape from the hands of three people? I think it’s a fabricated sotry that got blown out of hand. Even her friend from that night had said she doubted anything happened.
With that said, this community is being ripped apart. Now we have a racist seperatist organization coming to town Monday to demonstrate. How is that going to help?
Nifong had better have some incriminating evidence. Both these kids have pretty solid alibis.
In any case, I feel for the AV and the Lacrosse players. Many lives are effected by this, but their lives will never be the same.
This whole situation has been propagated by a complete moron of a Prosecuting Attorney who for some idiotic reason (probably politics) has taken it upon himself to ruin these boys life labeling them as sexual predators and ruining the lives of their families who must pay the attorney fees and live with the horror of this DA’s specticle forever. The Prosecuting attorney has completely overlooked or looked sideways at the evidence, lifestyle, demeanor, past honesty, and integrity of this stripper who he is so willing to spend the taxpayers money on. When Mr. Nifong loses this case he should be disbarred and he should personally face civil court proceedings to reimburse attorney fees and damages to the students and their families.
The photo lineup included only team members!?!?!?!?! The father of the non-profit seeking female involved said in an interview that his daughter was not raped in the earlier event/accusation. This was a business deal that went sour. I wonder if she considered what her life will be like when the lawyers for the rich, deep pocket, now falsely accused team members ruin her in civil court for the next ten years. There are not enough bachelor parties in NC to pay her legal bills.
Its ashame that white amercian are so arrogant to always put black people down. If this girl had been white and claiming to have been raped at a all black college white america would be asking for blood. I see these white teachers raping young boys every other week and thats sick. And Duke made it a racial problem not the black panthers when some Duke students sent out that email. So get your facts straight, before you comment the next time. Oh never mind you’re to ignorant