Duke Lacrosse

[brady_44]

I hadn't heard about this until now, but what a horrible story. Not to mention the tension it could cause in the city.

Players could face 16 to 20 years if convicted:

Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong, lead investigator in the alleged rape case involving the Duke men's lacrosse team, said Thursday that he expects to file charges including first-degree forcible rape, first-degree kidnapping, and first-degree sexual offense, if the case can be made based on the gathered evidence.

A conviction on those charges could result in a minimum prison sentence of 16 to 20 years. Nifong's office is investigating allegations made by an exotic dancer who was hired to perform at a private team party on March 13.

"Under North Carolina law, the only felony more serious than that is first-degree murder," Nifong told ESPN's George Smith. "These crimes are actually punishable at a higher level than second-degree murder."
Also Thursday, lawyers for the lacrosse players said that police and an outraged community will owe the team an apology after DNA tests are completed -- tests they said will prove no one on the team raped an exotic dancer.

Four attorneys representing nearly all the 46 players forced to give samples protested what they said was a presumption that their clients attacked the dancer or kept quiet about what happened.

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