Nifong found in contempt of court

DURHAM, N.C. - A judge holds former Durham County prosecutor Mike Nifong in criminal contempt of court for his actions in the Duke lacrosse case.

Nifong faces up to 30 days in jail and a fine of up to $500. Nifong pleaded not guilty to the charge. Nifong’s attorney, Jim Glover, has said Nifong never intentionally tried to mislead the court and believed he gave all DNA test results to defense attorneys.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20529618/

about how "unfair" the system is to him again. :eyes:

He's getting what he deserves.

disbarment was completely deserved

a maximum of 30 days in jail? much less than he should get.

But, realistically there's only so much they can or are willing to do to him. At least he was disbarred.

Big black mark on his record in addition to the disbarment that should keep him out of certain types of employment and justly so.

The report presents in exhaustive the defense argument as to why Nifong was not guilty of contempt of court without a single shred of logic or evidence or argument as to why he would be found anything but completely innocent of the charge.

I'm still wondering how the judge found him guilty.. even though I sure as hell wouldn't accept excuses from him.

I didn't see that at all. The story says:

In fact, Smith found, Nifong had provided the defense with a report on the DNA testing that he knew to be incomplete. The omitted data contained test results showing that DNA of multiple men, none of whom were lacrosse players, was on a woman who said she was attacked at a March 2006 party thrown by Duke’s lacrosse team."

Seems to me that knowingly giving incomplete evidence over while saying he didn't would be an excellent basis for contempt charges.

Nifong says he had no idea that the report was incomplete and that he thought it was complete, and everyone else was covering for him saying that there was a misunderstanding, a misinterpretation somewhere, without saying anyone was specifically to blame... and... no reason for Nifong's word having been untrue is provided. The reader is left completely in the dark on this because the reporting is thin and VERY heavy on detail from the defense, and virtually devoid of it from the prosecution and the judge's side of the matter.

Now, the judge having found this - for reasons unknown to the reader, mind you - absolutely that's a good reason to find the jerk in contempt. I don't accept this 'it was a mistake' thing at all. And even if it was, it's his responsibility to know that something as critical as this submission to the court, in the biggest profile case on his plate, was literally true in all respects. He either did it on purpose or didn't care that it might be wrong.

Thanks for explaining. :)

:applause:

22 years? Ha! What a grossly unfair justice system!

not that i'm in any way trying to defend Reed Walters mishandling of the charge, but to my knowledge, he hasn't withheld any evidence.

he'll just lose when he tries to prove all the elements of aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy.