quote:
N.C. State Bar: Nifong Guilty of Ethics Violations
Panel Reaches Verdict as Exonerated Duke Players Watch
By LARA SETRAKIAN and CHRIS FRANCESCANI
ABC News Law & Justice Unit
RALEIGH, N.C., June 16, 2007 — Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong has been found guilty by the North Carolina State Bar for a battery of ethics violations in the Duke Lacrosse case.
The penalty phase of trial began Saturday afternoon. Nifong's punishment could range from a written reprimand to disbarment. He already announced Friday his intention to resign as district attorney.
With that, the long saga of what was once known as the Duke Lacrosse rape scandal is over. Nifong's conviction was widely anticipated as justice for the three players who were indicted in spring 2006 on charges of rape, kidnapping, and sexual offense.
In April, the three were cleared of all charges and declared innocent by the attorney general of North Carolina.
All three exonerated Duke Lacrosse players -- Reade Seligmann, David Evans and Collin Finnerty -- were in the courtroom Saturday with their families. They listened intently as the decisions were read but showed little emotion.
The bar's three-member disciplinary panel unanimously found Nifong guilty of fraud, dishonesty, deceit or misrepresentation; of making false statements of material fact before a judge; of making false statements of material fact before bar investigators, and of lying about withholding exculpatory DNA evidence.
Nifong had been charged with seven counts of violating the rules of professional conduct that govern attorney conduct in North Carolina.
Just remains to be seen if he'll be disbarred or not. And of course, given the gravity of his misconduct, whether or not the accused players will sue.
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posted 16 June 2007 01:07 PM
