book notes: Until Proven Innocent by Stuart Taylor and KC Johnson

In the 80's and 90's, Duke wanted to build up some departments into #1 or #2 status. It's really expensive to do that with science departments, so Duke tried to get high prestige on the cheap by building up the English Department and other humanities. That involved recruiting some major left-wing loonies (i.e. Stanley Fish)

Nifong would not meet with the complainant/rape accuser or the defense attorneys because he already knew early on that the Lacrosse players were innocent. Exposing himself to exculpatory evidence would increase chances of disbarment and lawsuits against him later on.

"It was only because the Duke defendants had extraordinarily talented, hard working and expensive lawyers that the Nifong-Meehan DNA cover-up conspiracy was ever cracked. In this and other respects the lacrosse case opened a window into how helpless the vast majority of criminal defendants are when in the hands of unscrupulous and overzealous prosecutors."