The new charges by the North Carolina State Bar against Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong were announced Wednesday and could lead to his removal from the state bar, according to a copy of the updated complaint.
Nifong's office arranged for a private lab to conduct DNA testing as part of the investigation into allegations three men raped a 28-year-old woman hired to perform as a stripper at a March party thrown by the lacrosse team.
Those tests uncovered genetic material from several men on the woman's underwear and body, but none from any lacrosse player. The bar complaint alleges those results weren't released to defense lawyers in a timely fashion and that Nifong repeatedly said in court he had turned over all evidence that would potentially benefit the defense.
Nifong's actions constitute a "systematic abuse of prosecutorial discretion ... prejudicial to the administration of justice," the complaint read.
Last month, the bar charged Nifong with violating four rules of professional conduct by making misleading and inflammatory comments about the athletes under suspicion. Citing the conflict of interest created by the ethics charges, Nifong asked the state attorney general's office to take over the lacrosse case.
Attorney General Roy Cooper has pledged a thorough review of the remaining charges pending against lacrosse players Dave Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann. While Nifong dropped rape charges in late December after the accuser changed a key detail in her story, they are still charged with sexual offense and kidnapping.
All have strongly maintained their innocence.
Nifong was scheduled to appear with his attorney at a procedural conference at 10 a.m. to discuss scheduling and other administrative details of the ethics complaint.
Hopefully this clown's life is ruined, like the boys he falsly accused of rape. I hope Jackson gets a piece of the backlash. Rich mommy's and daddy's are gonna make sure Nifong pays, you can take that to the bank.
