Micheal Nifong, the former Durham District Attorney is going to go to jail. For one day.
Nifong was sentenced Friday to a single day in jail, having been held in criminal contempt of court for lying to a judge during his pursuit of rape charges against the three falsely accused lacrosse players.
Superior Court Judge W. Osmond Smith III could have sentenced Nifong, who had already been stripped of his law license and had resigned from office, to as many as 30 days in jail and given him a fine as high as $500. Instead, he opted for a largely symbolic punishment—the public humiliation of sending a prosecutor to jail—that he said would help protect the integrity of the justice system.
“If what I impose with regard to Mr. Nifong would make things better or different for what’s already happened, I don’t know what it would be or how I could do it,” Smith said.
Well how about making the punishment for fitting than merely the symbolic. I’m thinking of something involving a rail, tar and feathers.
Lets be clear here. Nifong lied repeated to the judges involved in the case, he manipulated them and abused his position. I find it rather disappointing the same court that Nifong abused is cutting him slack on this. But as usual, the law profession has a disturbing tendency to protect their own.
