Two Players Arrested in Duke Lacrosse Case--Updated!
Well, the DA got
the perp walk he was looking for:
Duke University lacrosse players Reade Seligmann and Collin Finnerty were charged today with first degree forcible rape, first degree sexual offense and kidnapping in connection with a reported rape at a Duke lacrosse party, according to George Naylor, director of the Durham County Jail.
Bond was set for each player at $400,000, Naylor said.
Seligmann, a sophomore from Essex Fells, N.J., and Finnerty, a sophomore from Garden City, N.Y., emerged from a sheriff's deputy vehicle and were led, handcuffed, into the magistrate's office at 4:54 a.m. today.I'm sure that photos will be on all the morning shows. And a reminder of what this is all about:
"I no longer get to go anywhere in my community without people knowing who I am," said Nifong, who faces two challengers in a primary election May 2.Update:
Kitty pointed me to
Bulldog Pundit's analysis of the case:
Now to the legal part of the case. There are stories that the person who made the 911 call complaining of racial harassment outside the house was the second stripper at the party. The problem is that on the 911 call she identified herself as a "passer-by".
That's a huge, huge, hurdle for the prosecution to overcome. If this second stripper is the main witness against the defendants then the defense attorney's will have a field day with her because the first thing she did was lie. Further, if you've heard the 911 call you know that it's very unusual and odd to say the least. For one thing she changes between speaking calmly and matter-of-factly to crying at the drop of a hat. And the crying/upset part is when she talks about the racial epithets. Given the racially charged nature of the situation, that becomes a major factor both in terms of credibility, and moving the trial out of county.
