[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 9036-9037]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  THE DUKE CASE: POLITICAL PANDERING?

  (Mr. POE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, District Attorney Mike Nifong of North Carolina 
quickly prosecuted Duke University lacrosse players for an alleged 
sexual assault against a minority female. He sensationalized and fueled 
racial unrest, all to promote his reelection campaign. He made 
outlandish allegations, calling the players hooligans.
  Forget the presumption of innocence or due process. Forget the facts.
  Nifong is yet another example of a prosecutor gone wild, wild about 
publicity and win-at-all-costs mentality. Now the cases have been 
dismissed for lack of evidence.
  The damage is to the innocent players who cannot get their 
reputations back. The damage is to the bona fide sexual assault victims 
who may be reluctant to prosecute. The damage is to Duke University who 
acted too hastily by suspending the players due to media hysteria. The 
damage is to those who are actual victims of crime based on race.

[[Page 9037]]

  DAs who violate their oath to seek justice and then flaunt their 
power by relentlessly prosecuting people in spite of the facts, all to 
grab a headline, should be held personally liable in our courts and be 
accountable for their actions by removal from office and permanent 
suspension from the practice of law. There must be consequences for 
abuse of power.
  And that's just the way it is.

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