N.C. STATE BAR STATEMENT
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: L. Thomas Lunsford II
June 16, 2007
Executive Director, N.C. State Bar
919-828-4620
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N.C. STATE BAR STATEMENT ON DISCIPLINARY ACTION
AGAINST MICHAEL NIFONG
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Steven D. Michael, the president of the N.C. State Bar, issued the following statement on the Disciplinary Hearing Commission’s action today disbarring Michael B. Nifong, the former prosecutor in the Duke lacrosse case, for violations of the State Bar’s Rules of Professional Conduct:
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“I am satisfied that justice was done in the Nifong case and am proud to say that our system of self-regulation worked well. Mr. Nifong received a fair trial. All interested parties – but especially the citizens of North Carolina – were finally able to see all the evidence relating tothis extremely unfortunate case of professional misconduct.
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“I was very impressed with the effective and thoroughly professional presentation made bythe State Bar’s lawyers, Katherine Jean, Doug Brocker and Carmen Hoyme. I also thought Mr. Nifong was well represented.
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“The members of the DHC’s Hearing Committee deserve thanks and commendation as well. They presided over a very difficult case in a fair and extremely competent fashion.
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“In my experience, misconduct of the sort Mr. Nifong engaged in is very rare and not at all typical of prosecutors in our state. We deeply regret the serious harm caused to these youngmen and their families. We hope the decision today will lessen the likelihood that anything like this will happen again.
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“The Bar’s strong response to this situation made clear that the ethical rules restricting pretrial public comment and requiring prosecutors to turn over exculpatory evidence will be strictly enforced. Those rules are important because they ensure the fundamental right to a fair trial that every citizen is guaranteed in our constitution.”
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The North Carolina State Bar
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
L. Thomas Lunsford II
208 Fayetteville Street Mall
Post Office Box 25908
Raleigh, North Carolina 27611-5908
(919) 828-4620
4 comments:
Do I get to try the lacrosse hooligans yet? Okay, how about the blog hooligans? sic semper tyrannis
Okay, I'll take the traffic court job back and we'll just call it even. Okay? Hello? Anybody there? sic semper tyrannis
Nifong's appearance before the Bar, will be studied as an example of what not to do.
Mikey probably at home asking his wife:
"Why would Williamson believe the AG (whose investigators question the FA) instead of me (who never spoke with the FA)about what happened that night?
It must have been rigged!"
06-16-07
Ok ABC News.com, sure I have a comment,
Hey what about us little people, like myself? Just because I did not and could not afford to attend a world renowned college or university (Duke Univ.) and was unable to hire a high powered law firm (Hunton and Williams). Doesn’t mean my case or former case should not be investigated. Or better said, swept under the rug.
But it was and still is today:
Unlike Mr. Nifong my former attorney, Roger W. Rizk was not even close to being fully investigated by the N.C. Bar for some of the same acts and events that Nifong performed, according to this website and your TV newscast. This includes “violating the rules of professional conduct by allegedly withholding evidence lying to bar investigators and unethical conduct”, see (http://www.ncbar.com/discipline/orders.asp?page=5&fname=r&lname=rizk). There was not even a hearing unlike is previous hearings. Rizk’s actions were played down so badly compared to what he has “purposely” done to me and my family, his punishment, censure, can only be considered a joke. Hey N.C. Bar, what happened to my claims of fraud and tampering with my evidence? Swept under the rug.
Not to mention the defendant’s attorney, Wood Lay, representing Hunton and Williams, who in fact did, withheld my evidence and did lie to a sitting judge among other “violating the rules of professional conduct” like fraud and tampering with my evidence. Swept under the rug.
This began with case M.D.N.C. 02-CV-01124 and onto case M.D.N.C. 04-CV-01032 and beyond where absolute frivolous decisions were awarded to the defendant.
Not only were my constitutional and civil rights violated by the above attorneys, unlike the three falsely-indicted Duke Lacrosse players, the local E.E.O.C. Office, twice, documented their false and misleading information about my claims (140A200400). Therefore, my constitutional and civil rights were violated over and over, again and again. Swept under the rug.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court just recently turned down my request for a rehearing in my case (06-683) I, again, had to turn to my local Congressman, Mel Watt, for help/an investigation in this matter. And again, but worst this time, his offices recently gave me the cold shoulder (or no shoulder) in the worst way. They again made me feel like an idiot. However, I now realize the entire legal system, for a person like myself, is designed to make one fail in his or her legitimate fight for justice and equality (please don’t get discouraged and don’t give-up). Get out from under the rug.
Nonetheless and besides my non-existence stature in life and how those attorneys help destroy my cases, can someone tell me how one attorney gets disbarred for the acts he performed? Whereas my former attorney with a history of, "dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation" and that is "prejudicial to the administration of justice.", performs the same, yet worst and even more acts and only gets censured. Still yet, while notifying almost the entire the federal justice system of another attorney performing the same type offenses and nothing happens to him? Swept under the rug.
Is it a double standard, plain bureaucracy or white-collar crime at its best? Can someone please tell me?
Present and future North Carolina attorneys beware of how you practice here…unless, of course, you’re plaintiff-discrimination attorney.
J. B.
Charlotte, North Carolina
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