"tragic rush to accuse" now in court...

It has not gotten as much publicity as the original case did, but Mike Nifong the now infamous prosecutor in the Duke lacrosse case is now facing a trial of his own that could lead to his disbarment depending on the outcome. According to this AP News article, the courtroom was packed today in what is expected to be a four or five day trial.

Some selected parts of the article of note:

Freedman (Nifong's attorney) recounted the very early days of the case, highlighting evidence he said led Nifong to believe a crime had occurred. "It is not unethical to pursue what someone may believe to be an unwinnable case," he said.

The bar also alleged that Nifong withheld evidence from defense attorneys and that he lied to both to the court and bar investigators.

In her opening, Jean detailed Nifong's meetings with the director of a DNA laboratory he hired, at which she said Nifong learned that none of the players' DNA matched that material found in and on the accuser. The bar has accused Nifong of keeping those test results from the defense.

Nifong asked the North Carolina Attorney General's office to take over the lacrosse prosecution in January. By then, most experts and legal observers had long since concluded the case could not be won.

North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper agreed in April and dropped all charges against the three players. In a stunning rebuke, Cooper said there was no rape or attack, calling the indicted players "innocent" victims of a rogue prosecutor's "tragic rush to accuse."