Brodhead Statement Regarding Friday's Court Hearing in Lacrosse Case

In the aftermath of Friday’s hearing, Duke University President Richard H. Brodhead made the following statement:

“Under American law, the legal system is the place to establish the facts and bring a case to a just resolution. For that reason, it is of the essence that everyone involved in the legal system act fairly in pursuing the truth and protecting the rights of the individuals involved. As I told Ed Bradley during a ‘60 Minutes’ interview last summer, given the concerns that have been raised, when it goes before a judge and jury, the DA’s case will be on trial just as much as our students will be. In the meanwhile, as I have said before, our students must be presumed innocent until proven otherwise.”