The Race For DA in Durham

L L & S

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I would like to start a thread where we can keep track of the race for DA in Durham.

I'm hoping that Freda Black gets elected. Here is a link to an article I got today from Goggle Alerts.

~~ clip regarding candidate Tracy Cline

The other issue that continues to follow DA candidate Cline, the infamous Duke lacrosse case and her former boss Mike Nifong.

Flyers from Freda Black's campaign were handed out in the Bull City Tuesday with a warning from the past to voters.

Black calls it a reminder why there is a new election. Cline says it is dirty campaigning.

"I'm telling you why I want to be DA, I don't need to throw mud at anybody else," Cline said.

Cline has repeatedly said she had no direct involvement in the Duke lacrosse case. Her opponents have challenged her story at every turn.

"She was in Nifong's inner circle and we cannot ignore that reality," Durham DA Candidate, Keith Bishop said.

~~ end clip, my bold

please post any information or opinions about the DA race in Durham that you have here.

I am hoping that when Freda Black gets into office that Janet's case will finally start moving forward again. Not that it's not slowly moving now, I know that it is still being faithfully investigated.
 
Link

~~ clip
Duke case throws off district attorney term
Nifong's downfall spurs early voting
McClatchy Newspapers

DURHAM, N.C. --As the start of early voting approaches on Thursday, Durham residents are faced with what is said to be the largest and most diverse field of district attorney candidates ever.

Two men are in the running: Mitchell Garrell and Keith Bishop. Two women, Freda Black and Tracey Cline, also want the top prosecutor job.
Racially, the choices are equally broad.


Bishop and Cline are black; Garrell and Black are white.
All are Democrats.


It is an election that wasn't supposed to happen.



~~ more at link
 
LINK

~~ clip

"The only way to restore faith back in that office is for the next district attorney to have had absolutely nothing to do with the lacrosse case – not giving advice, not sitting in the courtroom," she [Freda Black] said. "Absolutely nothing."

Keith Bishop, an attorney with no ties to the district attorney's office or to Nifong, calls himself "a true outsider."

"It's time for us to clean house and bring someone in who is not burdened with the Nifong legacy, who is not burdened with the culture of deception," he said.

Because no Republicans are running, next week's primary will effectively be the election for the office of Durham district attorney. There will be a run-off if one of the candidates does not get 40 percent of the vote.
 
Link

~~ clip

Durham has four choices.

* Keith Bishop, 45, an unsuccessful 2006 candidate and a lawyer in private practice. He was censured by the State Bar in 2001 for making improper "speaking objections" during a deposition and instructing his client not to answer properly posed questions.


* Freda Black, 46, a former assistant district attorney who drew national attention in 2003 for helping prosecute novelist Mike Peterson for the murder of his wife. Black was forced out of the Durham office in 2005 by Nifong, and narrowly lost to him in the 2006 Democratic primary.


* Tracey Cline, 45, the chief assistant district attorney and a hard-ine prosecutor who has tried to distance herself from her former boss.


* Mitchell Garrell, 52, an assistant district attorney for 13 years who opposes the death penalty and says he would not prosecute any capital cases.
 
I would like to start a thread where we can keep track of the race for DA in Durham.

I'm hoping that Freda Black gets elected. Here is a link to an article I got today from Goggle Alerts.

~~ clip regarding candidate Tracy Cline

The other issue that continues to follow DA candidate Cline, the infamous Duke lacrosse case and her former boss Mike Nifong.

Flyers from Freda Black's campaign were handed out in the Bull City Tuesday with a warning from the past to voters.

Black calls it a reminder why there is a new election. Cline says it is dirty campaigning.

"I'm telling you why I want to be DA, I don't need to throw mud at anybody else," Cline said.

Cline has repeatedly said she had no direct involvement in the Duke lacrosse case. Her opponents have challenged her story at every turn.

"She was in Nifong's inner circle and we cannot ignore that reality," Durham DA Candidate, Keith Bishop said.

~~ end clip, my bold

please post any information or opinions about the DA race in Durham that you have here.

I am hoping that when Freda Black gets into office that Janet's case will finally start moving forward again. Not that it's not slowly moving now, I know that it is still being faithfully investigated.

..i'm definitely with you LL&S ----------i'm all for freda black. as i was with her even before the now 'infamous' duke lacrosse scandal...

..i'm positive that she will bring injustices such as janet's to light------
 
I wish I would have followed the Michael Peterson case. I would have liked to have seen Ms. Black in action.
 
I thought she was great in the Peterson case! The way that trial unfolded was just mesmorizing to me.
 
I thought she was great in the Peterson case! The way that trial unfolded was just mesmorizing to me.
Thanks Chico, I have heard that from other people but I personally don't know that much about the other candidates either. I don't want Cline in there for the only reason that she was so close to Nifong. I just want this case to publicly start moving forward again. I don't want this public forum to fade away.
 
Link

Early voting for Tuesday primary ends
voter-220x165.jpg

Posted: May. 2 6:43 p.m.
Updated: Today at 1:45 p.m.


~~ clip

Raleigh, N.C. — Voters got their last chance to weigh in early on the state primary during one-stop voting earlier Saturday.


One-stop voting polls throughout the state closed at 1 p.m., but those in line at that time will be able to vote, election officials said.


"Every vote counts in North Carolina, and we want to ensure that every person has a chance to be heard," Craig Shirmer, director of Obama's North Carolina campaign team, said.
 
Link

Ah, Ha moment for me.

~~ clip

Durham, N.C. — The Democratic candidates in this year's race for Durham County district attorney say they can bring trust and confidence back to the office, tarnished by former prosecutor Mike Nifong and his handing of the Duke lacrosse case.

Two of the four candidates, Tracey Cline and Mitchell Garrell, worked as assistant district attorneys under Nifong as he sought for nearly a year to prosecute three former Duke University lacrosse players who were eventually cleared of charges of rape, sexual assault and kidnapping.

Garrell, a 13-year veteran of the office
, said that overcoming the scandal is the biggest challenge the next district attorney faces.

He should have known better then, imo.


"My top priority is to restore confidence in the judicial system," he said. "I think this is a process that will take, frankly, over two years."

It sure will, buddy.

“I would want to lead by example," he added. "There has never been any issue with discovery, candor with the court, anything other than openness with the criminal defense bar in my history there

Complet BS, imo. I have nothing to back up this statement of mine, just a gut feeling.

Cline, a sex crimes prosecutor in Durham for more than a decade, said the case is part of the city's history.

"So, I don't think we can separate ourselves," she said. "I think we can learn from it and move on."

Neither do I. Therefore you're out!

--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

Bold and purple, points in the article that I wanted to bring out.

Bold and pink, my personal snarky remarks.

______________________________________________


 
Link

Ads spice DA's race, Two rivals target Nifong assistant

~~ clip

Both Cline and Mitchell Garrell, the other assistant district attorney seeking the elected post, have been forced to answer questions about their ties to Nifong, their former boss.
Black, a former prosecutor who was pushed out of the District Attorney's Office by Nifong, has not been satisfied with Cline's assertions that she had nothing to do with the lacrosse case.

In one campaign mailer, Black tries to win over voters with pictures of Cline and the slogan "Don't Get Nifonged Again."



~~ end clip
 
Wow, so I'm trying to keep an eye on the race and you know how things get a bit over-shadowed when it comes to Janet, isn't it a bit ironic that both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama showed up Monday in North Carolina.

At this point nobody is on top of the DA Race and this race is more important to me than the race between Clinton & Obama. I would love to see a woman president one day and I would love to see an African American President, Just not sure if these two are the ones I want.

Now to the nitty gritty of my feelings for DA.

Tracey Cline I have strong feelings against because it has been shown that there were ties to Nifong and that she was directly involved in the Duke case on more than one occasion. I do not think she has the qualifications to be a DA.

Mitch Garrell has quite a bit of experience in prosecuting murder cases and though he worked for the DA's office, just looking at the dockets, he was too busy to be involved with all that and I think his record shows he's an upstanding guy.

My only issue with Mitch Garrell is his aversion and his unwillingness to prosecuting "Capital Punishment" cases. Janet and her unborn child were both murdered, though at this point the law doesn't see Janet's unborn child as a separate murder in North Carolina (yet...) however the guy that killed Janet and Janet's baby deserves the most severe punishment allowable and hopefully Life without the Possibility of Parole would do it. If he wins, can he turn the DA's office around and get rid of the Nifong taint!

As long as the cold-blooded murderer is behind bars forever, that's all I care about and Mitch Garrell does have expertise in prosecuting murders.

Keith Bishop has spent most of his time filing law suits some petty some not, I just don't see him as someone that will be tough on crime and he has no experience when it comes to the tough job of being a DA.

Freda Black, is tough as nails and outspoken and I think she could also do the job and has expertise like Mitch Garrell. Freda Black doesn't back down from hard cases and doesn't fear hard work.

My biggest worry is that the men in government can handle such a strong outspoken woman. Seems like there is such a good ole boy system and that women's thoughts, opinions are not regarded as highly as a mans out there and if she wins can she get the respect a DA deserves to have everyone working together.

Right now it's anyone's race and I just pray whoever becomes the DA finds it in their heart to look into Janet's case with open eyes, a strong desire to prosecute and has the full capabilities of prosecuting this case to the fullest extent of the law.
 
Oh, Trix, I knew you would have good/bad opinions of each of the candidates. Thanks for chiming in. It feels strange to be following an election so far away from me.

I just want the whole thing to be over and for Durham to have an outstanding DA who isn't afraid to do the right thing.
 
Looks like Tracey Cline is winning the elections with 68% in.

Here's hoping that those in the know really believe she is the best candidate. I hope she is not afraid of taking on circumstantial evidence cases and not afraid of giving it her all and does everything in her power to show that she is a woman of integrity and does want to do what is best for the City of Durham, the People of Durham and that she will fight for Justice for those that really truly deserve Justice like Janet and her unborn child.
 
http://www.wcnc.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D90GJ3BG3.html

Two years after Mike Nifong began his ill-fated pursuit of the Duke lacrosse rape case, voters in Durham County are turning to one of his colleagues to lead the district attorney's office past the scandal.


Tracey Cline — an assistant to the prosecutor who resigned in disgrace for his handling of the investigation — won the Democratic primary for district attorney Tuesday night, beating three challengers in an election that focused as much on a trouble-filled past as the future.


With all but one precinct counted, Cline had 46 percent of the vote in unofficial results. Former prosecutor Freda Black was second with 34 percent, while private practice lawyer Keith Bishop was third with 13 percent. Mitchell Garrell, also an assistant district attorney, had 7 percent.


No Republicans are in the race, making it likely Cline will claim the office made infamous by Nifong and his disastrous prosecution of three Duke lacrosse players falsely accused of rape.



snipped you can read the rest of the story at link above
 
Back to my favorite Durham blogger KC Johnson at Durham-in-Wonderland

~~ clip

While North Carolina Democrats embraced change in their presidential primary, Durham County Democrats resolutely and defiantly clung to the status quo. The last time Durham Democrats had a primary for district attorney, they marched to the polls to nominate a man who had indicted a demonstrably innocent person (the videotape of Reade Seligmann at the ATM machine was shown on newscasts the night before the primary); then, in the fall, Durham County voters elected a man who—thanks to the 60 Minutes broadcast—had become a national symbol for prosecutorial misconduct.

You’d think with such a record, the city’s leadership and voters would have insisted upon an ethically pristine chief prosecutor this time around. But, of course, Durham operates under its own set of rules. Bolstered by the exact same coalition that propped up Mike Nifong (the Herald-Sun, the Independent, the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, and the People’s Alliance), Tracey Cline won last night’s Democratic nomination. She’s unopposed for the general election.

~~ end clip

Well, I guess we'll have to wait and watch. Prayers for strength for her, her family and the people who are going to depend on her for change. I pray for all the families waiting for justice in Durham.
 
"Well, I guess we'll have to wait and watch. Prayers for strength for her, her family and the people who are going to depend on her for change. I pray for all the families waiting for justice in Durham"...

..very well said----------janet's family/friends have been waiting for justice for 3 years now----------do you think that she will make a difference ?

..i don't see a web site for tracey cline------------any link to send messages to her about janet's case ?

..naive of me perhaps, but doesn't any new DA get all of the un- prosecuted / unsolved cases to go over-----?--boxes and boxes no doubt-------janet's will be "in there somewhere"............

..to me, it's clear as day that raven and raven alone committed this crime-------TOD for one thing, and the very fact that there is no evidence of anyone else there at all-------i just cannot understand why durham DA will not proceed, arrest this guy, and put him away.

..i'm hopeful b/c there is now a new DA, to have a new set of eyes look at this case, certainly there will be an arrest and conviction soon.
 
That's all we can do, that and pray that she has what it takes to do the best job she can and that she's not afraid of giving it her all and that she's not afraid to take on a murderer that has gotten away with it for over 3 years now.

Obviously the people of Durham have spoken and know more about Tracey Cline that we do, and all we have to go by is what we read on the Internet. Tracey Cline has a lot of knowledge of Sex Crimes and is very interested in getting rid of Gang crimes and is very interested in taking it to the Youth of Durham and working with the Youth,which in the long run could be very beneficial to Durham.

This case was not about Sex Crimes (though we've heard that Raven has had more than one encounter with an underage girl in his past) and this was not a gang related crime, a random act of violence, a chance encounter by break-in case. This was a premeditated murder case by someone who knew the victim, and it was a personal crime. The use of a knife to kill the victim assures of this.

Hopefully DA Cline will also see it.

The people know her and they have spoken. Hopefully she will look at Janet's case with a clear perspective, keen eye and she will see what we here see.
 
Nice post Trix. I was letting my own feelings from 1000s of miles away get to me. After following the whole Nifong thing I just couldn't see the people of Durham voting her in.

I hope she's ready to dive in and lead Durham to a better future.
 
LL & S. I was thinking the same thing as you. All we had was the news to go on since we don't live there.

Then again if we lived there maybe there would probably be a lot more interest in Janet's case because both of us are very vocal, strong women that are determined to see Janet's murderer behind bars.

It's obvious that we both are both completely appalled by the apparent lack of Justice for Janet and her unborn child.

This must be just a nightmare for Janet's family & friends. How hard it must be for Mrs. Christiansen going through Mother's Day with the loss of two of her own Children. Kaiden not having his Mommy on Mother's Day and Janet not being able to watch Kaiden and her unborn child play together.

This is not just a case to so many of us here at Websleuths, LL&S, it's become personal. You have put a lot of heart into Justice for Janet along with so many other's here.

We all just want to see Justice for Janet and her unborn child, Kaiden and all Janet's family & friends and I'm proud to be involved in seeking Justice with so many wonderful people here at Websleuths.
 

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