Though Nader Baydoun, Trinity '71, said the theme of rushing to conviction in the Duke lacrosse case was central to the title selection for his book, "A Rush to Injustice," (Thomas Nelson, Inc., $25.95) the most glaring priority seems to have been a rush to publication.
Billed as an attempt to give "a behind-the-scenes account of the Duke lacrosse rape case. and [shed] light on the real victims in a case that gripped the nation," the book suffers from an inconsistent style and a cursory edit.
Baydoun, the narrator, and co-author R. Stephanie Good jump between facts and statements by the accuser, Crystal Mangum, making it difficult for readers unfamiliar with the case to distinguish between what happened and what Mangum alleged.
Much of the research and many interviews were done second-hand, and Baydoun spoke to neither the indicted players-David Evans, Trinity '06, Reade Seligmann and Collin Finnerty-nor University administrators to gather information for his book.
"I didn't even attempt to speak to the players," Baydoun said in an interview with The Chronicle this week. "As a lawyer, I knew that it wouldn't be appropriate because these players were still under indictment."
Indeed, Baydoun does not take advantage of his position as a former Duke athlete (football) and current lawyer to fully analyze the case or offer a unique perspective.
He takes up the cause of students as if he still were one, and has clear affection for his alma mater. He emphasizes his frustrations-with President Richard Brodhead, the Board of Trustees and the Group of 88 in addition to Durham District Attorney Michael Nifong and the Durham Police Department-as an alum and supporter of the lacrosse players, but these observations seem recycled and inarticulate.
Because the co-authors are both practicing attorneys, a reader would expect their book to offer more legal perspective on the case. However, they neglect to completely address the precedent and legal implications beyond the charges being dropped.
The authors also make no real attempt to analyze the documents from which the facts are compiled. Although the first few chapters mirror facts included in the internal investigation of DPD done by Chief Steven Chalmers in May, the inquiry done by Chalmers and the impending investigation into DPD are not discussed.
Most helpful, perhaps, is the inclusion of the timeline compiled by Durham Lawyer Bob Ekstrand, Law '98, for March 13-14, 2006, which gives insight into the players' alibis.
The authors also provide background on each of the people involved in the case, detailing DPD's apparent prejudice against Duke students and disclosing information about Mangum, which offers some insight into her mental health and her unreliability as a witness.
Baydoun's musings also make some attempt at reconciling a crime that he says did occur-a rape of the "Duke Three's" lives the night of the party. He points out that Mangum made no rape allegation until being asked by a nurse at Durham Access, arguing that this suggestion may have inspired her accusations. He also frames the case alongside another on-campus rape that occurred in February 2007, expressing some outrage at the reverse racism Baydoun believes was at play.
Baydoun said he has no plans for writing other books, but he should perhaps consider a second printing simply to correct the distracting errors in this quick read.
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