duke lacrosse case

this will be brief and really to just put out an idle thought. I have no presumption about the players' guilt and assume they are innocent.
however, i wonder what the result would have been if the accused were black or hispanic; if they were not children of the well-connected; if they were not athletes; if it were a predominantly black university and the accuser was white?
my guess - immediate trial, conviction or plea bargain. certainly no charges would have been filed against the da involved. probably bush's federal attorney would have been involved, limbaugh would have had orgasms attacking the accused, etc, etc, etc,

•  What would have happened?

  See, the funny thing is that it is not uncommon for white Duke students to be raped by African American men of Durham.  What happens?  The men aren't always caught.  Those who are caught aren't always convicted.  It rarely if ever makes it to the press.   It is not news when a white woman is raped by black men.  Limbaugh wouldn't be orgasming over it because he would never have heard of it.

  This case only became a case because Nifong (the DA) used it to poke at the class/racial boundaries in Durham in order to gain support of the African American community in his upcoming election.

  by Pumpkinlove on Fri Apr 13, 2007 at 06:41:18 PM PDT

•  There was no investigation

  The DA created a racial aspect to a HOAX to win an election.

  As for your scenerio, please read this.  

  They investigate real crimes.

  by xy109e3 on Fri Apr 13, 2007 at 06:52:09 PM PDT

  •  Sounds like Duke...

    ...has some pretty "interesting" fraternities:

    Marijuana, cocaine and Oxycontin were found in the house, according to the DPD police report. Neighbors told The Chronicle Sunday that police officers also found a gun in the house, but police have not reported that a gun was present.

    by Free Spirit on Fri Apr 13, 2007 at 07:14:09 PM PDT

    •  Please explain your TR against me

      by Pumpkinlove on Sat Apr 14, 2007 at 03:27:54 PM PDT

      •  Racist crap

        it is not uncommon for white Duke students to be raped by African American men of Durham.  What happens?  The men aren't always caught.  Those who are caught aren't always convicted.

        Right. You know it is common even thought they "aren't always" convicted, or even caught. In other words, all evidence of this phenomenon exists only in your bigoted little mind. Don't tell me...you know this is a common occurrence because your white female Duke student friends have told you so, right, Pumpkinhate?

        How many white female Duke students reported they were raped by African American men in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004?  Wait...don't tell me.  They "aren't always" reported, either.  Except to you, apparently.

        by Free Spirit on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 09:15:21 AM PDT

        •  TR for personal attack.

          Right. You know it is common even thought they "aren't always" convicted, or even caught. In other words, all evidence of this phenomenon exists only in your bigoted little mind

          Rape only happened if there was a conviction?  That's bullshit.  Rapists are not always caught and when they are caught, they are not always convicted.  

          . Don't tell me...you know this is a common occurrence because your white female Duke student friends have told you so, right, Pumpkinhate?

          I base this upon my husband's experience as a Duke student.
          I base this upon my experience living in a nearby city.
          I base this upon my own experience as a patient in Duke med center which underwent lockdown due to a sexual assault.

          It is not safe to walk parts of Duke's campus at night, not so much because of fellow students (not that htey don't rape but those rapes tend to be different circumstances) but because men and women are frequently attacked by people from off campus and it almost never makes the news.  Duke also works very hard to keep this stuff quiet as all universities do.   No one wants to pay $40,000+ per year to send their kids somewhere unsafe.

          Durham has significant town & gown issues and significant racial issues as well.  If you knew anything about Durham at all, this would not be a surprise to you but you would rather insult people

          by Pumpkinlove on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 10:15:11 AM PDT

          •  NO

            Rape only happened if there was a conviction?  That's bullshit.  Rapists are not always caught and when they are caught, they are not always convicted.

            Of course that is bullshit.  What is equally bullshit is that you have any idea how commonly it occurs...

            ...not based on your husband's experience as a Duke student (what did he do, sit out on the porch drinking beer and watching all the rapes taking place out on the sidewalk, keeping a little scorecard?)

            ...not based on your experience living in a nearby white enclave (what do you do, sit out on the porch drinking beer and watching all the rapes taking place miles away with your trusty binoculars, keeping a little scorecard?)

            ...not based on one incident at Duke hospital, however exciting it might have been to be present for and to be able to tell all your white friends about.

            ...not based on campus rumors, either.

            I'm a white woman who has lived alone in Durham for over 25 years; I know it far better than you do, obviously.

            by Free Spirit on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 12:02:32 PM PDT

            •  You live in Durham?

              Do you walk down Berkley at night alone?
              or Englewood?
              or Dacian?
              Why not?

              Why are there magnetic card readers on the dorms?  It isn't because of other students; they installed them because of constant attacks and break ins.
              Have you had to take friends to the ER after assaults by a Durham resident?

              Did you have gunshots going off outside your campus rental on a regular basis?

              A white woman living alone in Durham?  Huh.. do you live near the cemetary? or South of Chapel Hill Street?  Why not?  

              by Pumpkinlove on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 01:40:08 PM PDT

              •  Enough already

                I have lived a number of places in Durham, including south of Chapel Hill street for five years, within walking distance of the cemetery.

                The only person I've known personally who as been assaulted while I lived in Durham wasn't assaulted in Durham, she was assaulted in that nice safe white enclave next door. She immediately moved to Durham and never moved back. I've also know personally one woman who was murdered here in Durham...by her white husband. And no, I'm not talking about Kathleen Peterson. My, my...there are just so many white men murdering their wives over here in Durham, it's hard to keep track.

                by Free Spirit on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 11:35:03 PM PDT

•  First of all, no way a federal US Attorney

  would have been involved.  No federal crime was alleged.

  Second, in any prosecution where the DA was not trying to inflame racial tensions no charges would have been filed prior to the DNA results being available and once they were available, the case would have been dropped altogether.

  In fact, in this case, the accused did want a speedy trial, and it was Nifong who refused.

  by Drgrishka1 on Fri Apr 13, 2007 at 06:52:56 PM PDT

•  Depends on your prejudices

  If you are inclined to assume that someone who attends a black university is not "well-connected," can't afford decent legal representation, and would be tried before a white judge and a white jury, all of whom would be certain to indulge their own bigotries, then you might be correct about the conviction or plea bargain.  I am not sure what your basis is for assuming an immediate trial, given that this is a rarity in the American justice system nationwide.

  by Free Spirit on Fri Apr 13, 2007 at 07:09:37 PM PDT

•  What I have wondered

  If the MSM is so right-leaning, why did they take the side of a young black exotic dancer over a bunch of wealthy white kids, probably most, if not all, of whom were from Republican families?

  by Free Spirit on Fri Apr 13, 2007 at 07:16:45 PM PDT

  •  because its not a right left issue

    It's a racial issue.  Mainstream media loves hyping racial issues.  They had to take the side of the victim to justify hyping the story so much.  

    by duha on Fri Apr 13, 2007 at 07:40:19 PM PDT

    •  How true!!! If this keeps up though,...

      ...the media might get a hell of a lot more than what they are bargaining for....

      by xc1427 on Fri Apr 13, 2007 at 10:37:33 PM PDT