From this morning's column by Thomas Sowell
If there is a smoking gun in the Duke University rape case, it is not about the stripper who made the charges or the lacrosse players who have been accused. The smoking gun is the decision of District Attorney Michael Nifong to postpone a trial until the spring of 2007.That makes no sense from either a legal or a social standpoint, whether the players are guilty or innocent. But it tells us something about District Attorney Nifong.
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The Constitution of the United States includes a right to a speedy trial, to keep people from being jerked around by unscrupulous or vindictive prosecutors who cannot prove that they have committed any crime. Prosecutors have to put up or shut up.This is not a federal case, however, and the laws of North Carolina do not require a speedy trial.
Justice delayed is justice denied, whether the players are guilty or innocent.
Up until now, I had suspected that either Nifong has convincing evidence that he has yet to reveal or that he is simply incompetent. We usually ignore cases such as this. They drag on forever; give the TV shows endless opportunity for audience attracting sensastionalism; and enable the media to ignore more basic issues. This case, however, has attracted our attention because it is bizarre. It says something about false ideas of masculinity. When prosecutors do their jobs properly they can protect a city and build respect for the law. it appears that Nifong is damaging both.
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