Nifongool

The season for lessons is abundant, for those who pay attention. A genuinely pathetic case is that of Mike Nifong, former prosecutor for Durham County in North Carolina. This sad tale started when Nifong, a lifelong prosecutor, ran for the top spot against heavy opposition,. Nifong wanted to prosecute a group of college kids in what were obviously spurious rape charges. The case had explosive elements, such as race. Nifong played up the bit about rich White kids and a poor Black girl. That was enough to magnetize voters. The case was be enough to get him re-elected.

            The case fell apart because Nifong deliberately held back evidence, lied and ignored evidence. It was obvious he wanted to frame the White kids, at least long enough to win the election. The college boys were innocent, however, and the North Carolina attorney general dismissed all charges. The upshot so far is that Nifong was tried by the legal ethics board of North Carolina and was summarily disbarred. The families of the college boys spent a lot of money to defend their sons against bogus charges, and that means there will be lawsuits. Worse, a man who had been a respected civil servant with a reputation for integrity is now a disgraced shlub with no prospects for the future. In trying to get elected through a cheap trick, Nifong lost everything.

            The whole thing started because a good man sold out his principles. I do not think Nifong was villainous until the election came up. It was a tight race and he might very well have lost. Well, folks, who amongst us has not lost once or twice? The man’s duty was to do right by the State of North Carolina, by the victims and by those college boys. Learn the lesson: better to keep your reputation than sell out for a quick break.

            Nifong’s actions put three families into turmoil, sullied the reputations of three innocent men, and made the accuser look like a cheap whore. It also diminished trust in the justice system. We see clearly the results of tarnishing one’s own reputation. It sheds more light on the advice of the Havamal to keep an honorable reputation by being an honorable individual.

            What is left for Mike Nifong? Shame, loss of his profession, and the inevitable lawsuits that will chip away at everything he ever accomplished. This episode illustrates why we should always stick to our principles rather than entertain cheap, unscrupulous short-term gains.