Duke Accuser Update
[Guest post by DRJ]
The accuser in the Duke University lacrosse case that led to the downfall of DA Mike Nifong has published a book in which she maintains she was assaulted:
“Crystal Mangum, who appeared publicly Thursday for the first time since making the allegations more than two years ago, says in her forthcoming book she is not “looking forward to opening old wounds” but that she had to defend herself.
“Even as I try to move on with my life, I still find it necessary to take one more stand and fight,” she writes in the book, “The Last Dance for Grace: The Crystal Mangum Story.”
“I want to assert, without equivocation, that I was assaulted. Make of that what you will. You will decide what that means to you because the state of North Carolina saw fit not to look at all that happened the night I became infamous.
***
Mangum declined to answer specific questions about the details of the case on Thursday, and the publisher of the book said repeatedly “the case is closed” and she accepts the conclusions of state prosecutors.“At this point, it doesn’t really matter,” she said Thursday. “What matters is for people to know my account of what happened and for all of us to learn from it.”
The three Duke lacrosse players — Seligmann, Finnerty and Evans — filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Nifong, the city of Durham, police investigators and others but they apparently did not sue Mangum. They may reconsider that decision now.
— DRJ
A hooker will do anything for money.
Scrapiron (d4a22f) — 10/23/2008 @ 10:58 amThat is a known fact so who’s surprised she would write a book? There are a lot of crazies who will buy it. A dollar is a dollar to some folks, no matter how it is earned.
I feel bad for her, in some weird way.
JD (6248dc) — 10/23/2008 @ 11:01 amYou can bet that the faculty put her up to “writing” the book and perhaps wrote it (she is only semi-literate). The so-called “Gang of 88” that tried to ruin these guys are obviously next in line for the families to sue. Dare I hope?
Howard Veit (cc8b85) — 10/23/2008 @ 11:04 amHoward – Suing the Gang of 88 would be exquisite.
JD (6248dc) — 10/23/2008 @ 11:05 amWhat would be even better would be that as part of any settlement with Duke, the university would have to terminate all of the “Gang of 88”, plus pay damages.
Another Drew (b4e6e5) — 10/23/2008 @ 11:07 am“Even as I try to move on with my life, I still find it necessary to take one more stand and fight,” she writes in the book, “The Last Dance for Grace: The Crystal Mangum Story.”
“Last Dance for Grace”? The publisher needs better proofreaders. They misspelled “Disgrace” in the title!
L.N. Smithee (ecc5a5) — 10/23/2008 @ 11:27 amI’m pretty sure that Duke University and the players already reached a settlement. See, Duke, ex players reach terms of private settlement
Ira (28a423) — 10/23/2008 @ 11:44 amMy question is about who is publishing this. She is obviously suit-proof but a publisher wouldn’t be. Maybe it is a vanity publisher but I can’t imagine anybody touching this thing with a ten-foot pole.
Mike K (531ff4) — 10/23/2008 @ 11:47 amOops. There appears to be at least one other suit, with plaintiffs being at least some Duke lacrosse team members besides those accused of rape
Ira (28a423) — 10/23/2008 @ 11:49 amFurther to #10, see
Three players not originally charged file suit against school, prosecutor
Ira (28a423) — 10/23/2008 @ 11:51 amWhose going to buy this book? How many people bought Mary Mapes’ book after she was disgraced? I don’t understand what the publisher is thinking.
aunursa (1b5bad) — 10/23/2008 @ 12:04 pmOops: “Whose” — should be “Who’s”
aunursa (1b5bad) — 10/23/2008 @ 12:05 pmIt’ll be required text for Women’s Studies programs at Instituitions of Higher Learning across the country.
SevenEleventy (9fd170) — 10/23/2008 @ 12:20 pmHow utterly perfect. Remind everyone in North Carolina of what happens and what’s really going on when Democrats like Mike Nifong, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and Barack Obama start screaming “racist”.
North Dallas Thirty (efe6ff) — 10/23/2008 @ 12:21 pmI can hardly wait to read Amanda Marcunt’s review of the book!
daleyrocks (d9ec17) — 10/23/2008 @ 12:53 pmIt’ll be required text for Women’s Studies programs at Instituitions of Higher
LearningDumbing across the country.Fixed that for you.
Another Drew (b4e6e5) — 10/23/2008 @ 12:59 pmProving once again that the concept of shame is entirely lost in these times.
Dmac (e30284) — 10/23/2008 @ 1:13 pmThe Messiah probably has a place for her in his cabinet.
Old Coot (1ee5b7) — 10/23/2008 @ 3:20 pm“My interest wasn’t in any monetary gain. And I wasn’t interested in hurting anyone. My only interest was to testify and to have a real trial which I didn’t. For what reason, I don’t know.”
The author at a press conference. I’m happy to know she did it for uh, noble purposes.
Dana (658c17) — 10/23/2008 @ 5:37 pmLemme guess, she’ll be using the profits from the book to go back to college and resume her life long ambition; to be a nuclear physicist. Guys, you can purchase the book using only one dollar bills.
pottymouth (8e26a2) — 10/23/2008 @ 8:24 pmI think her book is supposed to serve a larger, political interest.
The court’s adverse ruling on her case put a stop to the narrative that the case was designed to further: “rich white jocks are racist rapists.” So, her advisors have designed a work-around that gets the intended political “message” out there again – and in an election year!
At this point, the main audience for the book will the nation’s university and media professionals. The meme-makers need to shore-up the Gang of 88’s credibility among their professional colleagues nation-wide. Their public demonization of the Lacrosse Players, before conducting even cursory diligence, left the Duke professors’ accounts of this crucial essence a little low.
It’ll take several years of literary, repeated assertion of their rectitude to make a dent. But, if the book gets out there early, and if it can get some prominent exposure, such as a feature on Oprah’s Book-of-the-Month Club, the America-is-Racist meme-makers will succeed in rescucitating the Gang’s creds.
Then it’s back to business as usual.
steveaz (7da0bf) — 10/24/2008 @ 7:27 amI still want to know who the publisher is. O’Reilly brought this up last night and told his producers to find out. He may have something tonight. I’m sure this is part of the Gang of 88 activity but it may backfire by making them all liable to suit.
Mike K (2cf494) — 10/24/2008 @ 7:33 am“I’m sure this is part of the Gang of 88 activity…”
Yup, Mike. Books don’t write themselves, doncha know? I wonder what the advance was, and who paid it?
And, was the book rushed to the presses by anyone? You know, to get it out in enough time “to make a difference.”
steveaz (88087a) — 10/24/2008 @ 8:27 amMerry Christmas KC Johnson.
Uncle Pinky (834163) — 10/24/2008 @ 12:46 pm