"It is a great day for North Carolina," attorney Wade Smith said outside the North Carolina Court of Appeals building following Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong's disbarment Saturday.
Many agree that it was also a great day for the University, bringing some closure to the lacrosse saga and offering an opportunity for healing in the aftermath of a prosecutor with an agenda.
"We take no joy in this proceeding," said David Evans, father of former lacrosse player Dave Evans, Trinity '06. "It brings closure to a very sad period in our lives and we're gratified to the North Carolina criminal justice system for seeing to it that justice has been done."
President Richard Brodhead also expressed relief that the criminal proceedings had concluded and that the University could begin detaching itself from the episode.
"The only thing worse than what we have gone through would be to continue to be entrapped in it," Brodhead said. He also issued a statement on the decision.
"One fact stares us in the face: The ordeal of the last 15 months was wholly unnecessary," it read. "It was not the result of reasonable differences of legal opinion or honest errors of judgment. Our students were accused by the community's senior law enforcement officer with no credible basis in fact."
Law professor James Coleman said the North Carolina State Bar's findings were appropriate and expected, although disbarment is rare.
"The only thing surprising was Nifong's testimony, which I found was not credible," he said. "I really didn't think he had a defense, and then to take the stand and try to lie-I was surprised by his statement that something had happened in that house. It was gratuitous, mean-spirited and inconsistent with his apology."
The Bar's findings may also help restore confidence in relationships: between Duke and Durham and within the Duke community itself.
"It's much more comfortable being a Duke student in Durham knowing that Mike Nifong isn't the DA," said senior Paul Slattery, president of Duke Student Government. "I think this makes it possible for both Duke and Durham to move on."
Brodhead said part of moving on is to consider the unique circumstances and recognize that the University and community, under duress by an abuse of power, meant no harm to each other.
"The actions Duke took caused consternation to many in the University family, which I profoundly regret," his statement read. "As Duke University's president, I resolve to do my part to repair the harm unleashed by Mr. Nifong's actions and to move forward from this painful episode."
Coleman also noted that much could be learned from this case which could help establish a precedent to prevent a similar situation.
"Hopefully, after this, the attorney general and the public will take more seriously complaints of prosecutorial misconduct and take action when evidence shows such misconduct has occurred," he said. "This is how innocent people end up in prison and sometimes on death row."
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