Duke Lacrosse Debacle and Accuser’s Credibility
Tad Nelson, former prosecutor, criminal defense attorney featured on Fox News to give opinion on the Duke Lacrosse rape case after the accused changed her story and contradicted past statements.
Transcript between Fox News and Tad Nelson
Q. Does the prosecution have any case left?
“Actually, no. There’s just no way. This case has gone from the ridiculous now to the comical. He [Mike Nifong] should probably do the right thing and go in there and file some dismissals, move on and count his losses and prepare for his own little hearing in May.”
Q. Do you feel sorry for the alleged victim?
A. “Well, it depends who you are calling the victim. I think there are three students at Duke right now who are the victims of this fiasco. As far as the alleged victim…I don’t know how much of a victim she is. Everything she said has been contradicted. It’s clear that the DNA that was taken from the vaginal and rectal smears were from males that were not involve with the Duke Lacrosse team. I think that Duke was the victim. I do not think that the victim is legit here.”
Q. Nifong could wind up disbarred…do you think that will happen?
A. “I don’t see him getting disbarred. I think he will get some kind of reprimand. The fact is, within a week of this case coming to fruition, he was immediately calling these students hooligans and calling them other names. That’s not what a DA is supposed to do, and whatever comes his way is well deserved in all honesty.”
Q. Do you think all charges will ultimately be dropped and what happens to Nifong?
A. “They definitely should be dropped. The alleged victim, she’s had five opportunities. She’s talked to an investigator, she’s talked to a sergeant, she’s done a hand-written statement, she’s talked to a nurse and now she’s talked to a DA. There are so many contradictory statements that have been made. She’s had her opportunity…and if she can’t talk and get her story straight while they are not trying to cross examine her, just imagine how messed up it would be once they did try to cross examine her.”