Heightened Anticipation of Duke LAX Decision

(03/22/07-- DURHAM) (WTVD) -- From anonymous tips phoned into Triangle newsrooms to website postings, the public anticipation of a decision on the Duke Lacrosse case appears to have reached a fever pitch. The Attorney General's Office has confirmed its investigation would wrap up soon.

Today FOX News is reporting sources close to the case say an announcement to dismiss charges against all three former players will be made Friday. However, Attorney General Roy Cooper's office is refuting that claim.

"We don't expect to make an announcement tomorrow," said Spokeswoman Noelle Talley. "Our review of the case, including reviewing documents and conducting interviews, is continuing."

There has been wide speculation about the future of the case since Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong asked the Attorney General's Office to step in. Special prosecutors James Coman and Mary Winstead have spent weeks pouring over thousands of pages of legal documents. They've met with defense attorneys, District Attorney Mike Nifong and key witnesses including the alleged victim and the defendants.

Last week, Attorney General Roy Cooper and the special prosecutors surveyed the alleged crime scene at 610 North Buchanan Boulevard in Durham. The exotic dancer hired to perform at a Duke Lacrosse party last March initially claimed she was raped and beaten inside a bathroom at the house.

Veteran criminal defense attorney Karl Knudsen told Eyewitness News the visit to the house is proof the special prosecutors are conducting a thorough investigation. Knudsen says legal documents and pictures alone do not compare to visiting the actual scene of an alleged crime.

"Until you've been in that bathroom and seen how big it is or how small it is or whether two or three people can fit inside it," Knudsen explained. "You'll never be able to know if it's true what someone is telling you.

Rape charges against Collin Finnerty, Reade Seligmann and David Evans were dropped in December 2006 after the accuser told an investigator she could no longer recall being raped as defined by state law. All three defendants still face kidnapping and sexual assault charges. Their attorneys maintain their innocence citing a lack of DNA evidence and conflicting versions of the accuser's story.

Despite the growing speculation on the outcome of the case, Knudsen says the special prosecutors are highly respected in legal circles. He believes the looming decision on the Duke Lacrosse case will be one the public can believe in.

"James Coman and Mary Winstead are known as top flight attorneys," Knudsen said. "I know that whatever decision they reach about whether to prosecute the case or drop the case, it's going to be based upon their experience and not on anything else."

Get more News »

• Email
• Print
• Report a typo
•