A Prosecutor Run Amok
In the mass-media age, major news stories captivate us for a moment and then vanish. We revisit those stories to bring you the next chapter.
Starting Point
In spring 2006, after an African American stripper claims she was gang-raped at a Duke lacrosse party, Durham (N.C.) County District Attorney Mike Nifong charges three white players with rape and kidnapping. He calls them "hooligans" and says he has "no doubt" that a crime occurred.
Fever Pitch
The case consumes the national media, winding up on NEWSWEEK'S cover—but then it falls apart: the victim recants, and the D.A. becomes an icon of prosecutorial abuse. All charges are dropped.
Present Day
Disbarred after 28 years of practice, Nifong, 57, still lives in the Durham area, passing his time writing poetry and performing as a soloist in his church choir, according to an ex-colleague who didn't want to be named discussing a friend. "All he ever wanted to be was a prosecutor," this person says. "It was part of his identity. What's he going to do now?" For a while, at least, he'll be facing the tide of lawsuits against him.
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