Rape, physical assault, kidnapping and robbery were the items of the day. The talking heads of television the sonorous voices of the radio talk shows righteous men and women everywhere and civil rights advocates all over the nation came together to pass judgment, convict and push for harsh punishment. Even renowned religious leaders gave their pronouncements. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton called for demonstrations and actions to punish the guilty immediately. Duke lacrosse was in the crosshairs of the public.

Adding to this was a prosecutor named Mike Nifong who was running for re-election and would leave no stone unturned or turned to find these alleged perpetrators guilty as charged. The complainant was above reproach. The defendants were a raucous, rowdy group of misfits or hooligans who deserved to be hung or at the very least, sentenced to life.

There was no doubt about it: they were guilty. Guilty of being from families who could afford to send them to a prestigious university, guilty of belonging to of all things, the Duke Lacrosse team. They were guilty of wanting to attend a “kegger” in lieu of joining up to fight in the armed forces. They were guilty of playing loud music and guilty of noisy, boisterous parties. They were guilty of being young men who thought that the world was just like a text book definition, extolling the virtues of fairness, equal treatment and justice for those accused of a crime. As the case waned interminably onward, there were changes in the accusations. There were mock lineups. There were indictments handed down. There was expensive and expansive legal counsel to be brought on board. There was DNA evidence that was mishandled. There were time lines that did not match. There was never a thorough investigation of witnesses or the complainant.

Nifong’s public statements contained little lies, white lies and damned lies. When the attorney general and the ethics committee of the legal profession finally took charge, the defendants were totally exonerated.

Who can give back to these young men the 395 days they lost forever? Who can compensate their families for the mental anguish and the economic consequences they have suffered? Who can remove the scarlet letter that will follow these young men the rest of their lives?

Was it justice served or justice denied? Time will tell, but what is for sure, is that those who had power misused it for personal gain.

Columnist: Donna Webber - Photos: MCT Campus 04/26/07