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Lax Update - Evans Indicted & Links

By DBR Archives

On Monday, Duke lacrosse captain David Evans was indicted and charged with first-degree
rape, first-degree sex offense and first-degree kidnapping in the Duke lacrosse
case. He spoke publicly afterwards and proclaimed his innocence.

District Attorney Mike Nifong issued a statement saying
that "[a]t the outset of this investigation, I said that it was just as
important to remove the cloud of suspicion from the members of the Duke
University lacrosse team who were not involved in this assault as it was to
identify the actual perpetrators..."None of the evidence that we have
developed implicates any member of that team other than those three against whom
indictments have been returned."

Evans' attorney, Joe Cheshire, said that he had tried to
meet with Nifong to present exculpatory evidence but had been rebuffed, a charge
which Evans repeated in his public statement. He also said that the
alleged victim said that Evans had had a mustache the night of the party but
that, according to Cheshire, Evans has never had a mustache.

Local attorney Mark Edwards told the Herald-Sun that
"I think this new evidence was something that Mike [Nifong] desperately
needed for his case, and it corroborates the woman's version of what happened
that night. But I still think Mike has a very tough case and the defense
has a very good case."

Meanwhile, attorneys for Reade Seligmann are demanding
that Nifong turn over
any evidence he may have in the case, arguing that exonerating evidence
could spoil before trial and suggesting that Durham officials are placing
pressure on investigators which could contribute to the problem they say may
exist.

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