Durham, N.C. — Mike Nifong's attorney said Wednesday that he plans to file a motion to dismiss a civil a lawsuit filed by the three former Duke lacrosse players the former district attorney sought to prosecute last year.
Durham attorney Jim Craven said they anticipate filing the request within the next three weeks.
Jan. 15 is the deadline for defendants named in the 155-page complaint to respond to the allegations.
Collin Finnerty, David Evans and Reade Seligmann filed the federal lawsuit Oct. 5 alleging Nifong, the city of Durham, former police Chief Steve Chalmers and several police detectives and officers conspired to keep a weak case alive as Nifong faced election in the Democratic primary for district attorney.
Evans, Finnerty and Seligmann are asking for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, attorney fees and numerous changes in the way the Durham Police Department handles criminal investigations.
Several other defendants are expected to also file motions to dismiss the suit.
Finnerty, Evans and Seligmann were charged in April and May 2006 after exotic dancer Crystal Mangum claimed she was raped at an off-campus party hosted by lacrosse players.
Even as the case unfolded, Nifong pursued charges of first-degree rape, kidnapping and sexual assault until last December, when he dismissed the rape charge against the three men.
Less than a month later, he recused himself from the case and asked for a special prosecutor to handle it.
In April, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper dropped the case, saying his special prosecutors had found no grounds to proceed.
Three other members of the 2006 men's lacrosse team have also filed a federal lawsuit, accusing dozens of defendants of fraud, negligence and conspiracy for pursuing the case despite evidence that Mangum's allegations were false.
Nifong Wants Civil Lawsuit Dismissed
Copyright 2009 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
0 Comments
-
- Fourth victim of Ocracoke Island fireworks blast dies
Updated 1 minute ago |
- N.C. tax overhaul still alive in budget talks
Updated 18 minutes ago - N.C. State student drowns in Jordan Lake
Updated at 3:34 p.m. - Man dies in Lillington house fire
Updated 16 minutes ago |
- Cape Fear hospital worker tests positive for swine flu
Updated 2 minutes ago
- Fourth victim of Ocracoke Island fireworks blast dies
- Most Viewed Slideshows
- Ocracoke Island fireworks truck explosion
Updated at 3:05 p.m. - Summer Fun 2009
Updated at 10:50 a.m. - Your photos: Fourth of July celebrations
Updated at 12:41 p.m.
- Ocracoke Island fireworks truck explosion
top-voted stories
(17 votes) n.c. state student drowns in jordan lake
(9 votes) missing wallaby found
(6 votes) man dies in lillington house fire
(6 votes) tribe wants name change for lumber river
-
Cityscapes of the TriangleTake a tour through the urban landscapes of the Triangle's cities and towns.
-
Michael Jackson (1958-2009)The life and death of Michael Jackson in video and photos.
-
A year of N.C. Drought MapsView a time lapse animation of drought conditions during the last year.
-
'Antiques Roadshow' in RaleighThe "Antiques Roadshow" taped Saturday, June 27, 2009, at the Raleigh Convention Center, where over 5,000 ticket holders lined up to learn what…
-
The week in entertainmentA look at the top entertainment stories this week through the lenses of Associated Press photographers.





STORIES
VIDEOS
SLIDESHOWS

Welcome to GOLO, where WRAL.com visitors can comment on stories and create profile pages, blogs and photo galleries.
You must be a registered WRAL.com user to use these tools. Click here to register or log in.