Duke lax and accusations

[ScriptOhio]

Updated: May 18, 2006, 7:46 PM ET
Duke lacrosse case judge says he won't fast-track trial


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<!-- begin text11 div --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top><!-- begin leftcol --><!-- template inline -->DURHAM, N.C. -- One of three Duke University lacrosse players charged with rape wants the case resolved in time for the next school year, his attorney said in court Thursday. But the judge warned he will not fast-track the proceedings.

AP Photo/Harry Lynch, Pool
Seligmann and his attorney told the court they'd like the case resolved before the fall semester begins.



The case "is not going to jump ahead of the line and be handled any differently," Superior Court Judge Ronald L. Stephens said at a hearing for sophomore Reade Seligmann.
During the hearing, District Attorney Mike Nifong said he intends to try all three players together. He has said previously that he does not expect any trial to begin before next year.
Seligmann, 20, of Essex Fells, N.J., and Collin Finnerty, 19, of Garden City, N.Y., were indicted last month on charges of sexually assaulting a woman who had been hired as an exotic dancer for a team party in March. A third player, co-captain David Evans, was indicted on Monday.
"We want a trial as fast as we can," said Seligmann attorney Kirk Osborn. "This young kid wants to go to school in the fall, and he can't until this is resolved."
Duke has not confirmed that it suspended Seligmann and Finnerty, although the university has said its practice is to issue an interim suspension when a student is charged with a felony. Evans had graduated by the time he was charged.

Seligmann was stoic as he entered the courthouse for his first court appearance, passing in front of TV cameras and photographers. He endured taunts from members of the New Black Panther Party, one of whom yelled, "Justice will be served, rapist!" The defendants are white, and their accuser is black.
The defendant was not asked any questions during the 20-minute hearing in the packed courtroom and did not speak. Like the other defendants, Seligmann is free on $400,000 bail. The judge refused to lower that amount Thursday.
Seligmann's lawyer had planned to ask the judge for all evidence collected by the prosecution, but before the hearing the district attorney provided the defense with a copy of his entire case file, including 1,278 pages of evidence, two videotapes and a compact disc containing photos.
Evans, the only defendant to speak publicly about the charges, has called the allegations "fantastic lies" and declared that he and the two other athletes are innocent
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http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2449311

 

[Folanator]

For those of us involved in the game these are quality thoughts. LAX is doing great and will continue to grow no matter who is lying at Duke.

Lax rules.

<H2>Publisher's note: Now more than ever

May 23, 2006
Bob Carpenter

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CHECK IT OUT​

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</TABLE>Heard about Inside Lacrosse Magazine but never seen what the buzz is all about? Check out the new free ONLINE INSIDE LACROSSE DEMO.​

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</TABLE>Now more than ever, it is time for the sport of lacrosse to show some solidarity.
If I've heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times:
What a black eye this Duke thing has given the game.
One reader literally suggested our next cover be the close-up of a man's face - with a black eye - representing what has happened to the sport of lacrosse.
Forget the fact that I'd myself have to have a black eye (and a concussion to go along with it) to put that on our cover...
A black eye for the game?
I'm not going with that message because I personally don't see it.
My take on this matter is that if District Attorney Mike Nifong hadn't made this story walk the plank to the drama-starved media sharks below, this thing wouldn't even BE a story.
Because it wouldn't even be a case. If all the facts we now know were laid on the table when this thing broke, 9 out of 10 people would assume these kids were innocent.
Unfortunately, the information was released in a way that resulted in 9 out of 10 people assuming guilt. And, as we all know, you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. It has taken a mountain of forensic evidence, nearly air-tight alibis and an accusor's credibility unravelling like a ball of yarn to sway people back to what it should have been in the first place.
This mountain of data favoring the defense first swayed one or two people and some renegade media pundits. But by now, my opinion is that today about 3/4 of the public is giving the lacrosse players the benefit of the doubt.
Most recently David Evans' stellar speech on the court's front steps put a major crack in the dam. That night on the shows, I heard pro-prosecution people who haven't ever acknowledged the possibility these crimes did not happen screaming things like, "Nifong had better have something MAJOR up his sleeve as far as evidence or this guy is in trouble."
The majority of panels have almost completely flipped. Sean Hannity has been on a mission to bail these guys out.
Yet in spite of it all, I am out there in meetings and talking to folks every day, and I still get these "black eye" comments - one after another.
The incident has changed our mindset at the magazine. As we contemplate new projects and the directions in which we're looking to head next, a lot of development ideas were involved in aspects of lacrosse other than men's college.
We're now thinking about re-routing those plans.
Men's college lacrosse is a great sport. One of the greatest... But the men's college lacrosse championship weekend? The final four as we all lovingly (though improperly) call it? The men's lacrosse championship weekend is plain and simply one of the gems in all of athletics.
Instead of some of the stuff we were planning, I can tell you that we're going all chips in with the men's college game right now, very much a result of this whole "black eye" fallacy.
Among several different things we're trying to work out with the NCAA, one of these new projects is going to be another coffee table book. It's going to look and feel just like LACROSSE: North America's Game. But this one is going to be more specific. From cover to cover, this one will be all about the men's lacrosse championship weekend. We're going to talk about the dynasties, the coaches, the personalities, the moments, the overtimes, the parking lot. We're going to go year by year and provide recaps of each final four of the past, from Piscataway to Delaware to the Dome.
It will be a celebration of the event.
Another book isn't necessarily a "sure thing" for us as a business concept, but it's worth doing. And it will be fun as hell to write. As I said, the men's lacrosse championships are the best thing the sport has going for it, and nobody has ever TRULY told its story.
In fact, the men's lacrosse championship weekend is why I am writing this editorial. I am writing this to encourage everyone to get in the car and come to Philly for the championships this weekened.
Now more than ever.
Now more than ever, we need you to come to the championships. Now more than ever, we need you to bring your friends. Bring your parents. Now more than ever, we need to expose the REAL game of lacrosse to as many people as we can.
We have this chance to show the world how amazing our community is. If you think about it, it's really an incredible opportunity.
Let's show solidarity. Let's be nothing short of proud of this game. Let's make sure that what's happened this spring won't be a black eye for the game. Let's make it a rallying cry for the sport.
Let's make this a record-breaking weekend.
Let's go and have fun. Let's cook out, whip the ball around the lot, get wicked farmer tans and have as much fun tailgaiting as ever. We are no different from other big "tailgating" sports, whether it's the NFL or NASCAR. Let's just hold ourselves to a slightly higher standard than those "other" sports.
The Duke committee's report said that athletes need to be held to a higher standard than the rest of the student population at a university. Consider this along the same lines. Let's be on our best behavior.
There will be 10 times more media present than ever before, you can be sure of that. At the Towson quarterfinals this past weekend, a news crew showed up and cornered each coach for an interview. Not a question about lacrosse. Not one. The crew was there hammering the coaches about Duke and Duke alone.
They will be there with cameras next weekend, too - many of them waiting for people to mess up.
Which is really no big deal. In fact, that's just dandy. We want all of the media out there to record how unbelievable an event this weekend of ours really is. We want the media out there to see the REAL type of person that plays and has a passion for this game.
So show up en masse. Enjoy the fresh air and the amazing stadium. You know you'll enjoy the quality of lacrosse. And, as always, enjoy being around those within this community. There is nobody like them on the face of the earth.
Let's enjoy the games the way they are meant to be enjoyed.
Now more than ever.
Robert Carpenter
Publisher,
Inside Lacrosse Magazine

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[Folanator]

I love this. Shows what the woman closest to the situation think about it.

By JACK DALY : The Herald-Sun
[email protected]
May 23, 2006 : 10:22 pm ET
DURHAM -- Even after a tumultuous spring, the bond between the Duke men's and women's lacrosse programs remains as strong as ever.
It's a relationship the women's team hopes to honor when they face Northwestern at the Final Four in Boston on Friday.
"Obviously we want to win a national championship for ourselves, but definitely also for the university and the men's team," junior Leigh Jester said. "They don't really have a chance to play their season, which is a shame.
"We'd love to bring it home not only for ourselves, but also for them."
As a show of support for the three men's players who have been indicted on rape, kidnapping and sex-offense charges, the Blue Devils' players plan on wearing sweatbands with the word "innocent" on their arms or legs when they face Northwestern.
And women's coach Kerstin Kimel also had former men's coach Mike Pressler -- whose resignation on April 5 was welcomed by Duke's top leaders -- speak to the team after practice on Tuesday.
"I think his message was a little bit more believing in themselves and looking at the year we had in spite of the difficulties that Duke and the lacrosse program have seen," Kimel said. "Our kids have been a real pillar of strength. They haven't let this be a distraction; if anything they've used it to motivate. I think our kids have done a great job of supporting the men's team and the players."
Through a spokeswoman, Duke's senior public relations official said the university wouldn't comment on the women's plan to wear "innocent" bands or on Pressler's role in helping motivate the women's team until it investigated the matter.
The women's team has compiled an 18-2 record this season, beating Holy Cross and James Madison in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament to advance to their second consecutive Final Four.
Should the women's team defeat Northwestern and then the winner of the Notre Dame-Dartmouth semifinal on Sunday, it will capture its first ever NCAA title.
Beyond the selfish satisfaction that a championship would bring, the team also hopes it would reclaim part of Duke's -- especially Duke lacrosse's -- good name.
"When all this started happening, we kind of talked about being the bright spot and shining," Kimel said. "Being a team that everybody at Duke could rally around and to utilize any attention that we got to focus a positive light on Duke and on Duke lacrosse, both men and women.
"Without a doubt, do I think that that's something we're going to look forward to in Boston in the national spotlight? Absolutely. We're going to take advantage of it."
Coming into the fall, Duke made noise about winning national championships in multiple sports. Women's cross country, men's soccer, women's field hockey, men's basketball, women's basketball and, of course, men's lacrosse all were national contenders. Some came excruciatingly close but none delivered.
That's why this week is a multi-dimensional opportunity.
"I think the entire spring -- or everything since the guys' team came out -- we've really talked about being a bright spot and really shining and using the opportunity to play to show what Duke athletics is really about," senior women's lacrosse goalie Megan Huether said.
Meanwhile, the Duke women's golf team is also coping with the scandal as it competes in postseason play this week in Columbus, Ohio. As the NCAA's top-ranked team and defending champions, the Blue Devils are even-money favorites at the NCAA Championships.
"One of the first things we'll hear when we're out playing in a tournament is, 'Sooo, how about your lacrosse team?' freshman Amanda Blumenherst said. "You almost have to tell them, 'Innocent 'til proven guilty.' "We're surrounded by it, but to hear an outsider's perspective of it, you're kind of flabbergasted [and say], 'Not all of them are bad guys.' You're trying to defend the Duke athletic teams."

 

[jimotis4heisman]

i forgot this was going on this week

Meanwhile, the Duke women's golf team is also coping with the scandal as it competes in postseason play this week in Columbus, Ohio. As the NCAA's top-ranked team and defending champions, the Blue Devils are even-money favorites at the NCAA Championships.

 

[ScriptOhio]

Updated: May 24, 2006, 6:20 PM ET
Duke women's lacrosse to wear 'innocent' sweatbands

Associated Press

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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top><!-- begin leftcol --><!-- template inline -->DURHAM, N.C. -- In a show of solidarity with the Duke University's men's lacrosse team, members of the school's women's team plan to wear sweatbands with the word "Innocent" written on them.
The university canceled the rest of the season for the highly ranked men's team because of a woman's complaint she was sexually assaulted in March at a team party where she had been hired to perform as an exotic dancer.
The women's plan to wear sweatbands on their arms or legs was reported Wednesday by The Herald-Sun of Durham. The teams plays Northwestern in the NCAA semifinals Friday.
"We want to win a national championship for ourselves but definitely also for the university and the men's team," junior Leigh Jester told the newspaper. "They don't really have a chance to play their season, which is a shame."
The women also invited former men's lacrosse coach Mike Pressler to speak to the team after a practice Tuesday. Pressler resigned last month amid the scandal.
Women's coach Kerstin Kimel told the newspaper that Pressler's message to her players included believing in themselves and looking at their season aside from the troubles faced by the men's team.
A university spokesman said Wednesday that the school had no objections to either the sweatbands or the invitation to Pressler.
"They don't clear those things with us ever," said John Burness, Duke's vice president for public affairs. "We're not sitting here looking over people's shoulders quite that much."
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http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2456262

 

[BB73]

There was a report that the Duke LAX team was going to be reinstated, probably at a press conference held this coming Monday, but that has been denied by officials at Duke.

 

[sandgk]

Yep - that was from AP, the past assistant coach being first in line to take on the head coaching spot.

The Duke University men's lacrosse program, which was suspended from play following accusations of rape, will be reinstated next week, ESPN's George Smith reported Friday.
A news conference is expected Monday.
On Friday night, Duke spokesman John Burness denied that the school planned to announce the team would play next season.
Former three-time Duke All-American Kevin Cassese, 25, who served as an assistant Blue Devils coach last season, will run the program pending a national search for a head coach, Newsday reported.
Duke University President Richard H. Brodhead announced on March 28 that the university was suspending future games of the men's lacrosse team until there was a clearer resolution of the legal situation involving team members.
On May 1, a Duke University committee recommended that the lacrosse program be reinstated.
Three Duke lacrosse players -- Reade Seligmann, 20, Collin Finnerty, 19, and co-captain David Evans, 23, -- have been charged with raping a woman hired to dance at a March 13 team party. Coach Mike Pressler resigned shortly after the accusations were first made, ending a 16-year tenure marked by three Atlantic Coast Conference championships and a trip to the 2005 national final.
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In an unrelated incident, a member of the team was charged with driving while impaired and possession of marijuana last week in Chapel Hill.
Matthew Peter Wilson, 21, a midfielder, was stopped by Chapel Hill police early the morning of May 24 after he allegedly ran a red light, according to police documents.
Police said Wilson twice registered a blood alcohol level of 0.21 on a breath test, nearly three times the 0.08 legal standard for presumption of impairment in North Carolina.
Police said they found less than half an ounce of marijuana and a glass pipe when they searched Wilson's car after he was arrested.
Wilson is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 1.

 

[Folanator]

Duke University President Richard H. Brodhead announced on March 28 that the university was suspending future games of the men's lacrosse team until there was a clearer resolution of the legal situation involving team members.
On May 1, a Duke University committee recommended that the lacrosse program be reinstated.

May I say that this fucking douche-bag should have his testicles cut off with a rusty coke can and shoved up his ass. What a slimy motherfucker. Holds a press conf on FRIDAY at 6:30 so it will not make the national Newspapers.

This Fucking chicken shit son of a whore decides to believe a stripping slut that has THREE sets of jiz in her over 30+ DUKE students with minor prior issues????

Now you have three men whose LIFE HE HAS RUINED WITH not credible evidence before due process has taken place????? The rest of the team cannot transfer because the other schools will no take them because of the stigma associated with Duke Lax???

No shit, if I was a parent I would pay a million dollars to have 15 min with some pipe wielding motherfuckers to get mid-evil on his ass.

I hope Nifong and Brodhead get his by a bus. Fucking assholes.

But all is right with the world, we will let the team play now. Well hey Brodhead...FUCK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Steve19]

May I say that this ...hey Brodhead...FUCK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Feel better now?

 

[methomps]

May I say that this fucking douche-bag should have his testicles cut off with a rusty coke can and shoved up his ass. What a slimy motherfucker. Holds a press conf on FRIDAY at 6:30 so it will not make the national Newspapers.

This Fucking chicken shit son of a whore decides to believe a stripping slut that has THREE sets of jiz in her over 30+ DUKE students with minor prior issues????

Now you have three men whose LIFE HE HAS RUINED WITH not credible evidence before due process has taken place????? The rest of the team cannot transfer because the other schools will no take them because of the stigma associated with Duke Lax???

No shit, if I was a parent I would pay a million dollars to have 15 min with some pipe wielding motherfuckers to get mid-evil on his ass.

I hope Nifong and Brodhead get his by a bus. Fucking assholes.

But all is right with the world, we will let the team play now. Well hey Brodhead...FUCK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What are you talking about?

 

[Folanator]

What are you talking about?

I am not sure. That was my evil twin that wrote that this morning.

Really, my rant (and yes I do feel better) was aimed at the people that have botched this from the get go, assumed that these boys were guilty with little evidence, cancelled a season for the best team in the country, and ruined 3 boys life before they had a chance to defend themselves. Then on top of that they have zero testicular fortitude by holding a Friday Press Conf to say that now Duke has investigated and the team is welcome back, (traditionally the time that you announce something when you want the least backlash possible).

The whole thing is wrong and I hope they get their ass sued.

 

[methomps]

I am not sure. That was my evil twin that wrote that this morning.

Really, my rant (and yes I do feel better) was aimed at the people that have botched this from the get go, assumed that these boys were guilty with little evidence, cancelled a season for the best team in the country, and ruined 3 boys life before they had a chance to defend themselves. Then on top of that they have zero testicular fortitude by holding a Friday Press Conf to say that now Duke has investigated and the team is welcome back, (traditionally the time that you announce something when you want the least backlash possible).

The whole thing is wrong and I hope they get their ass sued.

They haven't held a press conference. What happened Friday afternoon was a journalist reported that the school was going to reinstate the team next week:

The Duke University men's lacrosse program, which was suspended from play following accusations of rape, will be reinstated next week, ESPN's George Smith reported Friday.


A news conference is expected Monday.


On Friday night, Duke spokesman John Burness denied that the school planned to announce the team would play next season.

 

[Wingate1217]

Unfortunately with the all high profile assumed criminal behavior events being tried in the media you are guilty until proved innocent. :( And I thought it was supposed to be the other way around.

The administration of Duke has shown no backbone whatsoever. Typically in situation like these (potentially damaging and political) the bastions of higher education usually take the tact of ready, fire, aim all to offer a sacrifice to the altar of political correctness.

I have seen it up close as my son's suite mate was accused of something and instead of taking the time to do a through investigation the university showed complicity in helping damage the boy's life. I think he is still waiting for the apology from the school (don't hold your breath) after he was eventually cleared off the charges. We as a society have to stop having these knee jerk reaction (myself included) and collect fact before developing an opinion. With any case being tried in the press you risk hearing only one side of the story. Fortunately for me living in North Carolina I probably hear more of the Duke story than most BP members. Having said that I still don't have a clue what really happened that night, although the scientific evidence is starting to stack up all on one side.

 

[Folanator]

They haven't held a press conference. What happened Friday afternoon was a journalist reported that the school was going to reinstate the team next week:

By PETE THAMEL
</NYT_BYLINE>Published: June 3, 2006
<NYT_TEXT>Duke University is expected to announce Monday that it will reinstate its men's lacrosse program next season, more than two months after the season was canceled in the wake of a woman's accusation that she was raped at a team party.
Virginia Coach Dom Starsia confirmed last night in a telephone interview that he had spoken with a Duke official about the logistics of the program's return to competition.
"I couldn't be more pleased," Starsia said. "I'm sure there will be some parameters for them to return, but it's a step in the right direction for our sport."
Duke officials refused to acknowledge the team's return.
"Media reports to the contrary, President Brodhead has not yet made a decision on the future of men's lacrosse at Duke," John F. Burness, the senior vice president for public affairs at Duke, said in a statement on the university's Web site yesterday afternoon. He was referring to Duke's president, Richard H. Brodhead.
Three members of the team were arrested and charged with the rape, assault and kidnapping of a 27-year-old woman who had been hired to dance at a team party March 13. The players have denied the charges.
Starsia said he expected Duke to unveil a code of conduct.
"What I'm guessing they're going to do is introduce a code of conduct that's been hammered out over the past few weeks," Starsia said. "Duke is in a position where they can assume a leadership role and provide a model for lacrosse teams and college teams in general."
Newsday reported yesterday on its Web site that the Duke assistant Kevin Cassese would become the interim coach. A 25-year-old Long Island native, Cassese was a three-time all-American player at Duke. Mike Pressler, who was the team's coach, resigned April 5.
"I've talked to him on and off the past few weeks," Starsia said of Pressler. "He considers this good news and is very much in favor of this. My own sense is that he comes out of this looking hirable."
The return of the program would be embraced by the lacrosse world, as it would mean the return of one of the game's strongest programs. It would also be a logistical boost for the Atlantic Coast Conference, which has just four teams in lacrosse and was unable to run its regular tournament this year in Duke's absence.
"I think it's a fresh start for Duke and good news for the rest of us," Starsia said.
A Duke faculty committee, appointed by Brodhead, recommended May 1 that the lacrosse program could be reinstated with appropriate oversight.

I stand corrected. A friend told me it had been done.

The thing that is BS, is while I am aware of the fact that a stripper at a team function is not a good idea, it is not reason for the team to be satanized in front of the entire world with no due process. On top of that, the Rules of conduct that they are going to unveil makes it look like they were all guilty and that the University is stepping in to clean it up. It is a chicken shit maneuver and a heavy handed ruse to cover their ass for their cluster fuck..

 

[jimotis4heisman]

just heard on the radio, evans the captain (the guy who came out and spoke publicly) has lost his job with jp morgan.