Duke files motion to take down this website

Duke and other defendants have filed a motion to shut down this website. Click here to read it.

Complaint now available in a single file

It took some work, but the complaint is now available here in a single file.

News conference

To play video click on photo above. You will be taken to Google Video. Hit backpage to return here.

Here is the video from the news conference on February 21, 2008. It was held on at 1 p.m. at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The news conference is 49 minutes in length.

Speaking first is Robert Bork, Jr., spokesman for the plaintiffs and their law firm. Second, is Charles J. Cooper, Cooper & Kirk, PLLC, who represents the plaintiffs in this legal action. Third is Steven Henkelman, the father former Duke lacrosse team member, Eric Henkelman. Both are plaintiffs. Finally, there is a question and answer session with members of the news media.

Misquoted by the Raleigh News & Observer

I was misquoted. It isn't the first time and surely won't be the last, but this one is worth noting and correcting.

I was quoted out of context by the Raleigh News and Observer this morning:

The event was at the National Press Building in downtown Washington, a block from the White House.

"This is kind of a media center," said Bork, son of the Supreme Court nominee rejected during the Reagan years. "And Durham isn't. Sorry."

What I said was that we held it in Washington because the law firm representing the players and their families is located in Washington, D.C., many of the families live there and I chose the National Press Club because of facilities that make it a center for media events. Several reporters from North Carolina had complained to me about having to come to DC. So, I apologized by saying, “Sorry.” I never said “Durham isn’t.”

UPDATED, 7:20 pm:

Sorry, another misquote in the same story. I didn't notice it before until a blogger mentioned it this afternoon.

The players chose not to appear at the news conference, said Bob Bork Jr., the group's hired publicist, because they don't want to attract attention.

The blogger thought this was a stupid comment on my part because the players filed a lawsuit that was bound to attract attention. He would have been correct if that was what I had said.

Well, here's the reason I gave for the players' absence. You will see that what the paper reported can't be extracted from what I said.

None of the 38 players who are filing this lawsuit are here today. They considered participating, but many have jobs and some are still students and lacrosse team members at Duke. One is in Army Ranger school preparing to deploy to Iraq.

Know this -- the players are united behind this lawsuit. At the same time that they are understandably concerned about retribution and negative, maybe even slanderous media coverage. Who can blame them after what they endured for 13 months in 2006 and 2007. They are walking a fine line between trying to live normal lives in the wake of an unspeakable trauma and at the same time trying to get answers to questions that remain unaddressed by their university.

They need to have peace to heal, but there can be no healing without accountability.

Steven Henkelman's statement

Steven Henkelman, father of Duke lacrosse player Erik Henkelman, spoke at the news conference yesterday. The full text is available here.

Stuart Taylor on Fox

Here's Stuart Taylor, journalist and author of Until Proven Innocent, on Fox Thursday morning before the news conference discussing the lawsuit.

News conference

The full 50-minute video of the news conference today is being uploaded. We expect to have it on the site tomorrow.

In the meantime, here are a few links to news coverage with video from the news conference:

WTVD ABC11

CNN.com

Newsday

AOL Sports

The complaint is filed

Sorry for the delay. We had to wait for confirmation that the complaint was filed. Also, it is a large file and I am uploading it in parts.

• Complaint part 1 of 6
• Complaint part 2 of 6
• Complaint part 3 of 6
• Complaint part 4 of 6
• Complaint part 5 of 6
• Complaint part 6 of 6
  

News Release and Case Summary Posted

A News Release and Case Summary have been posted to the blog. The complaint will be posted as soon as it is filed this morning.

MEDIA ALERT

38 Duke Lacrosse Players to Announce Lawsuit Against Duke University, Town of Durham

On Thursday, February 21, 38 Duke lacrosse players and their parents will hold a news conference at 1 p.m. at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to announce the filing of a lawsuit against Duke University and a number of other entities and individuals.

Charles J. Cooper, attorney for the players will explain the complaint and answer questions from the media.

Only credentialed media will be allowed.

For more information, please email dukelawsuit@gmail.com.