No Known Indictment's Given Out to Duke Players

[smooth87]

I was just watching MSNBC and the on site reporter, reported that there were no know (they can be sealed) indictment's handed out to any of the Duke players. An indictment is, a formal charge of having committed a serious criminal offence.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12289760/
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DUKE_LACROSSE?SITE=VASTR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[stegmakk]

it is relatively easy to get an indictment...
in grand jury hearings a jury only hears the prosecutions evidence...the jury then decides if there is reasonable evidence to proceed with a formal charge and trial...
they can still get one (GJ in durham meets every monday)...
what is surprising is if they got one today it would be with enough time for the DA to use in his reelection bid...if they need to wait to next monday the timing gets shorter and shorter...

[WHEELAX2]

we should take side bets on his chances for election.. I'm not sure that many people support him..

those supporting the team think he used the media to put the team on "trial"

and those supporting the accusor think he moved too slowly, and is favoring an elite "white" institution..

I'd say his political career is over..

[stegmakk]

we should take side bets on his chances for election.. I'm not sure that many people support him..
those supporting the team think he used the media to put the team on "trial"
and those supporting the accusor think he moved too slowly, and is favoring an elite "white" institution..
I'd say his political career is over..
good point...im gonna have to agree on this one...
he probably walked into this thing figuring he could lock a reelection and has since fumbled it sooo badly that no one likes him...

[Brady]

good point...im gonna have to agree on this one...
he probably walked into this thing figuring he could lock a reelection and has since fumbled it sooo badly that no one likes him...
Good. If I were the families of those players I would hire an attorney to file a civil suit against him for his abuse of power crucifying these boys in the media.

[stegmakk]

THIS JUST IN...
2 players are indicted!
http://www.wral.com/news/8764906/detail.html

[brunos13]

THIS JUST IN...
2 players are indicted!
http://www.wral.com/news/8764906/detail.html

Sealed indictments! No players named and won't be until they are arrested. As has been said on a number of forums, an indictment does not equate to guilt. Stegs is correct to point out that the bar to an indictment is appreciably lower than in a trial. Only the prosecution presents evidence, there is no cross examination, herasay testimony is admitted, etc. Based upon what has been made public (lack of DNA evidence, the photo timeline, the police radio transcripts, the security guard statement, etc.), the DA is going to have a difficult, if not impossible, task to get over the "beyond a reasonable doubt" hurdle.

He should cut his losses now, but as Stegs states, he is in deep with re-election only a few weeks away. What probably looked like a slam dunk is going into the crapper and fast.

[popasmurf]

The indictment could be based simply on her testimony and her ID of two (why not three??) players. There is no defense (as stated earlier) at the GJ. I question her identification. How hard would it be for her these past weeks to study easily obtained team photos to "identify" her attackers? These indictments don't change my mind at all. In fact, they make me more angry at the DA. There is very little or no downside for him. The taxpayers pay the prosecution. If the accused are completely innocent - best case scenario they pay thousands of dollars for lawers, etc. and their lives are in complete turmoil for months. I smell political move by DA who painted himself into a corner with his agressive comments and pandering to the community.

[popasmurf]

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/LegalCenter/story?id=1849938&page=1

Link to ABC article. They have an interview with the security guard from Kroger.

[camthraxFHK]

exactly. Ive been wondering about drug use the whole time...

[Thrillhouse]

Ekstrand said that he and other defense lawyers had asked Nifong on Thursday and again today to issue public indictments so that anyone who was charged with a crime could voluntarily surrender. Ekstrand said Nifong refused the request, "so we’d be left in the dark." He said the situation meant students could be arrested in classrooms or paraded in front of the media. "I can’t imagine any other reason but humiliation." he said in an interview while the grand jury was in session.
Link (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/17/sports/sportsspecial1/18duke.ready.html?ei=5094&en=190d16383484fd1f&hp=&ex=1145332800&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print)

I have to disagree with stegmakk and wheelax2. When the police pull these kids out of class and parade them past the media in handcuffs, Nifong seals a win on May 2nd.

[ron_burgundy]

arrested: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2412318