My nomination for the “fucking understatement of the year by a fucked up politicain” (local government division) goes to Mike “those holligans” Nifong
oh. really. what was it this week that finally brought it to your attention? the fact you may loose your license to practice? So, it wasn’t the DNA results you managed not to turn over to the defense that was, oh, what was that phrase, ‘possibly exculpatory evidence’?
and this:
Once again - ‘not held in high esteem’? When the bar association brought charges against you, wasn’t that a clue the size of Alaska that you weren’t held in high esteem by members of your profession? Barring that, when the state took over the case and stated in a news conference that the charges would be dropped, not because of a 'lack of evidence but because
, didn’t that strike you as a possability that you weren’t held in high esteem?
…Are you watching? I’m juuuuuuust about ready to leap to his defense.
Annnny minute now.
Yep.
Wait, who again?
Uh, no. I cannot support this OP’s tragic rush to accuse Nifong of being a hemorrhoid on the anus of a zombie shark. How dare we attack him after only fourteen months of demonstrable incompetence. I’m just positive there’s exculpatory evidence out there somewhere that absolves Nifong of his tragic mental dysfunction.
Where does a disbarred attorney go for a job? I mean, he’s pretty notorious now, maybe he has to be Mr. Mom while his wife goes out and earns a living.
I predict a suddenly discovered substance abuse problem (alcohol, pills, what have you) followed by a stint in rehab, a public tearful confession and a book deal. Then comes talk radio.
Just because that’s such a nuclear bomb: it’s the end of your career. I think if they show that he lied about the DNA, which he adamantly states he did not, they will disbar him, but otherwise they won’t. Disbarment is usually for gross, repeated malpractice. One case? Probably not, IMO.
I don’t know if I buy that…a single malpractice case can end a doctor’s entire career (I’m thinking about the parallel between licensure). Okay, he didn’t kill anyone, but this seems like a pretty huge error. I’m kind of hard pressed to think up something much worse (for a lawyer) than lying about the evidence, pressing forward and ultimately being proven wrong to the entire nation.
I think he’ll get the ax. Even though it is only one case, it was a tremendously high profile one which is the reason the media misstatements were so relevant. He showed notable lack of candor to the defendants and the court, at the very least. More significantly, he did this in an apparent attempt to secure reelection, damn the course of justice. Even when it became patently obvious that the case had fallen apart, he refused to change course.
From the coverage of his testimony today, he didn’t seem particularly candid or credible – or remorseful. Frankly, I was shocked to find out today that he hadn’t resigned previously. I thought he was out. I don’t think that his tearful resignation at his hearing particularly helped his cause.
Most important, the core problem here is the gross abuse of his prosecutorial power. An ordinary lawyer who made inaccurate media statements and hid evidence in a single, high-profile case would probably get discipline short of disbarment. However, as a District Attorney (the elected official, not an ADA) who ignored the absence of credible supporting evidence and the substantial exculpatory evidence while continuing to prosecute for a serious crime, I cannot see how – assuming the accusations of ethical breaches are sustained – anything short of disbarment would be appropriate.
Yeah, he is really sorry - he plays the sympathy card: “I am so proud of my son and hope he is proud of me”. Why in the world would you want your son at your disbarment hearing?
And the asshole used the term “victim” repeatedly yesterday in reference to LW Crystal Magnum. He also stated he still believes “something happened” in that bathroom, even after the AG stated nothing happened.
His testimony yesterday either proves him a liar or a very, very sloppy lawyer. I sincerely hope they disbar his ass.
I’d say the chances are very high that he will be disbarred, given that the NC legislature has as much as told the Bar that, given past fuckups and the high level of national attention to this case, if they go easy on Nifong, they will have their power to regulate themselves taken away.
A cheap play for sympathy from the board. “Would you want this innocent little child to see his beloved father disgraced and destroyed before your very eyes? Can you really live with yourselves after destroying the family’s source of income that means so much to his future?” Etc. I trust they saw through it anyway.
Perhaps they’ll take into account the damage to the credibility of the justice system itself that he caused, and feel they have to throw the book at him to restore it.