4 More Named to Panel Reviewing Duke Lacrosse Case

Durham, N.C. — The Durham City Council on Thursday named four more people to serve on a 12-member panel to conduct an independent review into the police department's handling of the Duke lacrosse case.

Durham attorney Ken Spaulding, former Sheriff Roland Leary, former Mayor Wib Gulley and victims advocate Aurelia Sands-Bell join the panel headed by former state Supreme Court Justice Willis Whichard.

Three more people are needed for the panel, which was approved by the City Council two weeks ago.

Last week, the Council named retired Chapel Hill police Chief Gregg Jarvies, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Chief Darrel Stephens, Winston-Salem Chief Patricia Norris and High Point Chief Jim Fealy to the panel.

Mayor Bill Bell has said it should consist of a diverse group of individuals and hopes the panel can begin its work by June 18.

He called for the outside probe almost immediately after the police department released its own report on the Duke lacrosse case, which found no wrongdoing in the wrongful yearlong prosecution of David Evans, Reade Seligmann and Collin Finnerty.

Bell said the report lacked focus and left questions about the investigation unanswered.

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Latest Comments

Geesh, the people of Durham are really taking this one in the shorts.

Rabid Wolf
June 8, 2007 1:51 p.m.

Unfortunately, Durham is going to be paying for Nifong's antics for a very long time. I for one did not vote for him, but I hope those that did are sorry now.

whocares
June 8, 2007 1:38 p.m.

SEND THE BILL TO NIFONG!

bythelake
June 8, 2007 10:37 a.m.

just find out how in the world a DA can tell the police how to do a line-up when state law clearly states how it should be done, thus causing the line-up to be done illegally. Durham needs new leadership.

LibertarianTechie
June 8, 2007 8:23 a.m.

Mayor Bell I hope you are paying for this out of your own pocket – I don’t feel I should pay – I wasn’t part of the ‘old boy network’ that caused this fiasco. Now you have added Ken Spaulding and a victim’s advocate; this is just going to turn into another lame discussion of how Blacks are abused by the legal system, not about what went wrong with the ‘investigation’ and ‘prosecution’ of this case. The issue of the handling of the Duke case was clearly about how the Black community along with a corrupt DA made hay at the accused expense. Be honest, examine that reality.

seankelly15
June 8, 2007 12:00 a.m.