That doesn’t mean that indictments won’t be handed down - they could be sealed, or they may come down in two weeks. But it was widely expected today, even amongst some of the lacrosse players’ lawyers, that at least some of the players would be charged today. Via The Raleigh News and Observer:
DURHAM — A Durham grand jury issued a list of indictments this afternoon that did not include members of the Duke University lacrosse team.
District Attorney Mike Nifong had been widely anticipated to seek charges today from the grand jury after an escort service dancer told police more than a month ago that she was sexually assaulted by three men at a lacrosse team party.
It was unclear whether any indictments were issued under seal — a rare move — or whether the case was among 24 carried over to a grand jury session two weeks from today.
Stay tuned …
Update: NBC is reporting that two Duke lacrosse players have been indicted:
DURHAM, N.C. - A grand jury handed down a sealed indictment Monday against two Duke University lacrosse players related to allegations they raped a woman at a team party, NBC News’ Dan Abrams reported, citing two unnamed defense sources.
The charges against the two players are unclear, Abrams reported.
Related Toldjah So posts:
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- Actually some news outlets are jumping the gun. The indictments handed down are all sealed, so no one knows yet.
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 4/18/2006 - 3:21 am
Two guys turned themselve in early this morning.
The rumor around here is that they pulled this chick into the bathroom, raped and sodomized her with a broom handle, and threw her out onto the lawn in shock, and claimed she was passed out drunk when the police arrived…. which the police believed. Then she showed up at a small mall, crawled into a strange car, still in shock, and the police were called a second time because she refused to get out. In this case too, the assumption was that she was drunk, but she was still in shock, trying to find a place that felt safe. The enclosed car felt safe. This time the police realized what was going on and took her to the hospital. They confirmed the “damage”, call it what you will.
Comment by solitaire @ 4/18/2006 - 10:33 am
Oh, and the reason I’m telling you the word around here is that I live in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Triangle. That’s all. I’m sure it’s just all ill-informed local speculation.
Comment by solitaire @ 4/18/2006 - 11:56 am
That’s the beauty of speculative rumors. Maybe so maybe not. This isn’t news until there’s news of it.
Even Fox seems to have fallen prey to the never ending wonder ifs.
Comment by forest hunter @ 4/18/2006 - 3:07 pm
Just heard on Fox news that the two who were indicted have been released on bail. The report said that attorneys for both of the accused have stated that they have receipts from credit card purchases that prove they were not even at the party that night. If this is true, it seems the DA’s case is well on the way to being derailed.
Comment by Mahwah @ 4/18/2006 - 4:07 pm
District Attorney Mike Nifong is a disgrace to his job:
1)
A responsible DA would have stated at the beginning that “there is an investigation, and we don’t have enough to make a statement right now. I’m responsible not only to the accuser, but to the accused. Please wait and let our investigators do their jobs”, but Mr. Mike “all-of-these-privileged-white-boys-are-rapists” Nifong at the beginning of the investigation he will prove the entire lacrosse team is guilty for aiding and abetting a gang rape inside a small enclosed bathroom. Nifong stirred up racial woes and put the lives of Duke and Durham at risk for gang threats and the racist groups like NAACP and the New Black Panthers. Nifong encouraged sexists groups to paste these boys pictures with hate slogans all over their school. Daily hate protests by women’s groups claiming these boys are rapists.
DA Mike Nifong 
cares nothing of guilt, innocence, or destroying innocent boys’ lives.
The first batch of DNA came back with conclusive for no match to any of the lacrosse boys.
The crime scene was completely void of any DNA evidence of any gang rape.
The boy’s that Nifong charged has an air-tight alibi and wasn’t at the party at the time the stripper claimed a rape occurred, and he refused to see this evidence before destroying his life.
The second batch of DNA came back with no conclusive match to any of the lacrosse boys.
DNA couldn’t rule out partial material found on top of a fake finger nail, inside a waste basket full of DNA material from the boys who lived in that house.
The third boy indicted went down to the police department for questioning without counsel, helped with the investigation by identifying all the other boys at the party, offered to take a lie detector test, willingly volunteered a DNA sample, and past a lie detector given by a top senior experienced FBI agent. The stripper said is 90% sure if he had his mustache, but he has never had a mustache, which makes it 0% sure. DA Mike Nifong refused to see this evidence and instead decided to destroy another innocent boy’s life.
The stripper’s body was completely void of any sign of a sexual assault (except for signs of recent vaginal and anal from her boyfriend). The alleged crime scene was completely devoid of DNA. It is impossible that a crime scene with three drunk men in a small enclosed room with a fighting and clawing woman being orally, virginally, and anally penetrated not leave any DNA evidence of urine, blood, vaginal fluid, sweat, fecal matter, scat smears, saliva, tears, or semen… especially if condoms were used. How would they take off the condoms during all this chaos without spilling, smearing, or touching the content inside or outside of the condom?
2)
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c.
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e.
f.
g.
3)
Investigator Mark Furman reviewed the lie detector test completed by the FBI on the 3rd boy unfairly indicted for a rape that never occurred. Mr. Furman stated that the boy not only passed the lie detector test, he passed with flying colors, but even without the test, this boy’s resume of helping the police with the investigation is impeccable.
DA Mike Nifong stated that all of these boys are hiding the truth and covering up for one anther. Nifong claims the boys are “stone walling”, but when the accusation was made, the police questioned the three boys who lived in the house for over six hours, not one asked for a lawyer. When the entire team was told they had to submit DNA samples, they didn’t call their parents or fight the warrant. The boys cooperated completely. These aren’t the actions of guilty boys. Only when their parents witnessed the circus-like atmosphere created by District Attorney Mike Nifong, the boys were advised to remain quiet.
DA Mike Nifong gave the second stripper a deal to change her story to support the false accusation of rape, and he wouldn’t revoke her probation from a previous conviction of embezzling $25,000 from her empolyer.
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Comment by me again @ 5/18/2006 - 12:43 pm