JONATHAN TURLEY

Three former Duke lacrosse players filed a lawsuit today against disgraced prosecutor Mike Nifong, the city of Durham and the police detectives who handled the investigation. It is a positive development in deterring such prosecutorial misconduct. People who elected Nifong (and then reelected him) need to know that such misconduct comes at a cost — not just to the accused but to the city. It is a way to force the internalization of the costs of abuse on those (the citizens) who can prevent it. Notably, the accuser and the supporting witness (both strippers at the party) are not included. They also have been spared any criminal charges, which is surprising. Their testimony from the outset appeared conflicted and inconsistent. Making a false charge of this kind is a crime. In this case, it costs these players and the communitty dearly. For the full story, here