Nifong to Resign

After spending the week taking his last shots at the innocent men he falsely prosecuted and placing blame for the Hoax on the Durham Police, Dr. Brian Meehan, Linwood Wilson, Tara Levicy, and nearly everyone who helped his hijacked hoax, a tearful Defendant Mike Nifong announces his intention to resign as Durham County District Attorney.

.

Nifong followed his announcement with a vow to continue to defend his intentions before the DHC. "But I cannot admit I told I lie I didn't tell," said Nifong.

.

It remains unclear whether he will now admit to the lies that he did tell.

.

Updates

.

From Jon Ham:

Nifong: “My community has suffered enough...To the extent my actions have caused pain” to the families of the accused, “I apologize.”

To the extent he has brought shame on his community, the Bar, he also apologizes.

Nifong: “But I cannot admit that I told a lie I did not tell and I intend to defend myself from those allegations.”

From Mandy Locke, News & Observer:

Mike Nifong announced he would resign as Durham County's district attorney regardless of the outcome a disciplinary hearing on ethics charges against him.

.
In a tearful apology to the State Bar, Nifong said he never meant to hurt anyone or "bring disrepute to the State Bar."

.
He refused, however, to admit he lied by withholding evidence favorable to the
three accused Duke lacrosse players.

.
"But I cannot admit I told I lie I didn't tell," Nifong said before stepping out of his the witness stand.

.
It is not clear how the remainder of the hearing will proceed.

.
Today's testimony was charged and groundbreaking.

.
Nifong's announcement came at 3:50 p.m. and was quickly followed by a break. He said he was quitting in the interest of justice, regardless of the outcome of the disciplinary case.

.
"To the extent that my actions have caused pain to the Finnertys, Seligmanns and Evanses, I apologize," Nifong said, referring to the families of the three players. "To the extent that my actions have brough disrespect, disrepute to the Bar, to my community, I apologize."

From Joe Cheshire:

Too little, too late.

From Aaron Beard, Associated Press:

Facing the loss of his law license, a tearful Mike Nifong said Friday he will resign as district attorney, more than a year after he obtained rape indictments against three Duke University lacrosse players who were later declared innocent by state prosecutors.

"My community has suffered enough," Nifong said from the witness stand at his ethics trial on allegations that he violated rules of professional conduct in his handling of the case.

The North Carolina State Bar said Nifong withheld DNA test results from the players' defense attorneys, lied to the court and bar investigators, and made misleading and inflammatory comments about the three athletes, who were cleared of charges they raped a stripper at a team party in March 2006.

Nifong said he did not make all the mistakes alleged by the bar, "but they are my mistakes."

"It has become increasingly apparent, during the course of this week, in some ways that it might not have been before, that my presence as the district attorney in Durham is not furthering the cause of justice," Nifong said.

From Nifong's Trial:

Less than three hours after tearfully apologizing to his victims and their families, Defendant Nifong resumes his weeklong attack by declaring that he still believes "something happened in that room."

DHC Chair F. Lane Williamson Tries to Keep His Head From Exploding

After Listening To Defendant Nifong's Contradictions For Seven Hours

.

Additional updates may follow.