DECEMBER 28—In a stunning rebuke to the North Carolina district attorney handling the Duke University rape case, the state bar today filed an ethics complaint against the prosecutor, claiming that he has made numerous press statements that were “prejudicial to the administration of justice” and also “engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation.” The North Carolina State Bar’s complaint, a copy of which you’ll find below, is filled with dozens of comments D.A. Mike Nifong (pictured at right) made following the alleged March rape of a stripper who had performed at a party attended by members of Duke’s lacrosse team. The complaint charges that Nifong’s comments violated state ethics rules barring statements that “have a substantial likelihood of heightening public condemnation of the accused.” Nifong, the complaint adds, should have known that his media statements “had a substantial likelihood of prejudicing the criminal adjudicative proceeding.” Criticism of Nifong’s handling of the Duke case has increased following his decision last week to drop rape charges against three defendants, while allowing kidnapping and sexual offense counts to stand. (17 pages)
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