A Reminder of the Importance of Due Process and the Wisdom of Not Rushing to Judgment
Under the legal system of the United States, those accused of a crime are presumed to be innocent until they are proven guilty in a court of law. The police investigate and make arrests. Prosecutors decide whether or not to press charges and they prosecute criminal cases in court. But until a guilty verdict is rendered, a suspect is considered to be innocent of any charges. Sadly, this has not stopped Americans from being unfairly and unjustly tarred in the court of public opinion. More troubling, it seems that some Americans object to the accused receiving due process.
One of the most egregious examples of this played out in the circus that surrounded the infamous Duke Lacrosse Rape Case. Then-Attorney General Roy Cooper famously declared the defendants to be innocent of the charges against them and we subsequently learned that then-Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong had conducted himself disgracefully. The lack of evidence to support such serious charges was an understandably shocking revelation to many. It was a disturbing travesty of justice to put three men and their friends and family members through that ordeal. But a very public rush to judgment was on display as members of the Durham community openly demonstrated and Duke University faculty members treated the guilt of their student-athletes as a forgone conclusion.
Now the men’s accuser, Crystal Mangum, has confessed to having falsely accused the men of rape. Mike Nifong’s reprehensible conduct should again be spotlighted. But it shouldn’t end there. Crystal Mangum’s confession should result in the spotlight being shined on Richard Brodhead and the Duke University faculty members known as the “Group of 88.” Duke University itself should again be made to acknowledge the disgraceful way that members of the Duke University community treated their student-athletes.
Below are a couple videos that look at the case, the rush to judgment, and the rather frightening assault on due process then and now.
“Woman admits to phony rape claims against '06 Duke Lacrosse players nearly decades later”
“Presumed Guilty: Due Process Lessons of the Duke Lacrosse Case”
“The ‘Group of 88’ and Richard Brodhead”
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