Nifong Gets ONE Day in Jail There is something wrong here. Mike Nifong, former prosecutor for Durham, NC tried to prosecute three Duke lacrosse players for rape where no rape occurred. He lied, falsified and suppressed evidence as suited his purposes. Why? Apparently to be re-elected as the prosecutor/District Attorney.

So, after months of that, the North Carolina Attorney General zaps the whole deal and moves against Nifong. Accused of criminal contempt of court Nifong has been sentenced to one day in jail...

Nifong held in criminal contempt by judge, sentenced to day in jail

(CNN) -- Embattled former district attorney Mike Nifong was held in criminal contempt of court and sentenced to one day in jail Friday for his actions in the flawed Duke lacrosse team rape case.

Nifong must report to jail September 7, Superior Court Judge W. Osmond Smith III said.

The judge said Nifong's withholding of DNA evidence from defense attorneys was an affront to the integrity of the judicial system.

The evidence potentially would have cleared the three lacrosse players of sexual assault charges months before North Carolina's attorney general dropped them in April.

The players initially were accused of raping an exotic dancer during a party last year.

The specific evidence Nifong was accused of withholding was that DNA profiles found on the alleged rape victim were from unidentified males, but did not match any of the 46 lacrosse team members.

It seems to me that one day in jail isn't jail time at all. I don't get that. I mean, you walk through the door and process and then you move into isolation (after all he is a former prosecutor) and you have a nap get up in the morning and get processed out of the jail. How bad can that be? Does that even up the score for 3 young men who had their lives abducted by false accusations and improper prosecution? How about for the Duke lacrosse team who lost a whole season? How much has the program suffered for this interruption? How about the citizens who now have no faith in the integrity of their court system?

Some think that it is enough that he was removed from office and that he lost his law license. I'm not so sure. I think we need to send a clear message to the "guardians of the law" in this country that we absolutely will not tolerate abuse of power. I don't see this as happening.

Labels: Culture of Corruption - Mike Nifong

  ¶ posted by Hobie 7:57 AM 0 Comments Links to this post