Duke district attorney apologizes to lacrosse players
4/12/2007DURHAM, N.C. The local prosecutor who charged three Duke lacrosse players with raping a stripper apologized to the athletes today, a day after North Carolina s attorney general dropped the entire case.
To the extent that I made judgments that ultimately proved to be incorrect, I apologize to the three students that were wrongly accused, Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong said in a statement.
On Wednesday, Attorney General Roy Cooper not only dropped all remaining charges against the players Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty and David Evans, but prononced them innocent and said they were the victims of Nifong s tragic rush to accuse.
Cooper branded Nifong a rogue prosecutor who was guilty of overreaching.
I also understand that whenever someone has been wrongly accused, the harm caused by the accusations might not be immediately undone merely by dismissing them, Nifong said. It is my sincere desire that the actions of Attorney General Cooper will serve to remedy any remaining injury that has resulted from these cases.
Nifong refused to answer any questions after handing the statement to an Associated Press reporter outside his office in Durham.
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