Duke Non-Rape: Nifong Wants Out--UPDATE

UPDATE: Here's a newsflash that's not so flashy--Paula Zahn is a dull-witted bottle-blond and shall from henceforth and hereon serve as the arbiter of race relations in Durham, North Carolina. I think she is perfect for the job.

And a prominent Psychiatrist agrees with me. Well, I'm quite sure he does:

Mike Nifong has recused himself from the Duke rape case.

More than likely, he will begin to prepare his campaign as a candidate for election to Congress. It is clear to all North Carolinians his behavior and ethical violations as the Durham District Attorney have more than qualifed him as their representative in Washington, DC.

It is just as clear that many North Carolinia voters that will overlook the fact that he has not yet driven off a bridge and killed anyone.

All in all, there has been some good news, thank Allah.

Paula Zahn and Durham people of all colors deserve one another. May the peace, love and reconciliation ensue posthaste.

***********************
I'm not surprised that Mike Nifong wants out. I've been pondering all afternoon as to why. Before going to any other blogs about this, here are my guesses (and then I'll provide links):

1. He thinks there is an actual case and wants it tried but knows he's irreparably harmed the case.
2. He's too proud to dismiss the charges and wants someone else to do the dirty work.
3. He fears for his life if he dismisses the case for insufficient evidence after deceiving the Durham black community.
4. He fears for his life legally and wants to be rid of a hot potato. (Too late, by the way.)
   

OK, those are my guesses. Now, I'll go see what the smart people are saying. Be right back. Here's the "official reason" given by the New York Times:

The district attorney in the Duke lacrosse sexual assault case asked the state attorney general on Friday to take over the troubled prosecution, saying he faced a conflict of interest because of ethics charges filed against him by the state bar, officials involved in the case said.

Here's what Liestoppers says:

One day after details of the latest re-re-re-invention of the Hoax was made public, Defendant Nifong has sent a letter to Attorney General Roy Cooper asking to be recused from the case. Coincidentally, Defendant Nifong’s decision also comes one day after meeting with the accuser.

I'm guessing that the editor over there was being tongue-in-cheek about the "coincidence". KC Johnson says there are a couple reasons Nifong chose now to get out besides the "official" one:
the defense motion exposed the case once and for all, the state bar's next meeting is next week, several DAs met with Nifong December 19th urging him to recuse himself, his timing follows his lame pattern of dropping the bomb late on a Friday, and finally, Johnson suspects that Nifong's campaign manager has damaging knowledge about him and he's afraid of that knowledge coming out.

There are also calls for a Federal investigation by Democrats and Republicans. This might just happen. This is more bad news for Nifong.

I think it's possible that all these factors together are squeezing Nifong like a vice. Johnson mentions that a new prosecutor would more thoroughly look at all the evidence and gather some of his or her own which could take months.

So, in a strange turn of events, the Lacrosse players could find themselves standing trial while Michael Nifong prepares to stand for his. Given how Nifong warped justice, I think this is a distinct possibility.

Perhaps it's the pessimist in me, but I worry about this case going to trial in Durham. I don't think the guys could even get a fair trial. I don't think it would be possible to find an untainted jury.

It's interesting, Johnson thinks that political pressure would have Roy Cooper (NC Attorney General) try the case (which I believe to be true) because the black vote is a huge demographic and he could kiss his electoral chances good-bye if he dismisses the case, but Betsy Newmark believes just the opposite and says to "stick a fork in it"--it's done:

He's asked North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper to take over the case. Cooper has ambitions to run for governor one day. I don't think he's going to want to be tarred with this sucker of a case and will move to dismiss it after a short period of pretending to study all the papers.

Well, she's a smart lady. It has the potential to be a tar-pit of a case for whomever tries it. The politics in North Carolina can't be denied. In fact, politics seem to be all anyone cares about in that state.

Truth and justice? An afterthought.