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Blog and Media Roundup - Thursday, March 31, 2011; News Roundup
Topic Started: Mar 31 2011, 05:08 AM (505 Views)
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http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_story_news_durham/12564896/article-One-in-10-Duke-applicants-get-word-they-wanted-to-hear?instance=main_article

One in 10 Duke applicants get word they wanted to hear
The Herald Sun
03.30.11 - 09:40 pm
By Neil Offen

noffen@heraldsun.com; 419-6646

DURHAM -- Only one out of 10 got the message they had been waiting for Wednesday.

They heard that they had been accepted to Duke University.

Three thousand ninety-four high school seniors went online at 6 p.m. and discovered that Duke wants them to be members of the class of 2015 and that they had defied the odds.

"This was an incredibly challenging year, both for the applicants and for the staff of the admissions office," said Christoph Guttentag, the university's dean of undergraduate admissions. "All of us were deeply impressed with the exceptional academic and personal qualities of the students who applied,"

The 3,094 students were chosen from a record 29,689 applications this year -- an 11 percent increase in applicants over last year and a 46 percent increase over just three years ago .

The accepted students have until May 1 to make their final decision. For the first time, students will be able to reply online to offers of admission or the opportunity to be placed on the waiting list.

Students who are placed on the waiting list or denied will be sent printed letters on request, or if they have not viewed their decision online within 72 hours

In December, 645 students were admitted to Duke under the university's binding Early Decision program. More than 2,200 students had applied for early admission, 220 more than the record set in 2009.

Students admitted through early decision this academic year will represent around 38 percent of next fall's incoming class, which is expected ultimately to include 1,705 students.
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http://williamlanderson.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-far-should-prosecutorial-immunity.html

Wednesday, March 30, 2011
How far should prosecutorial immunity go? Apprently, SCOTUS believes into infinity. Or, Liability for Thee, but not for Me!
Because this blog deals with prosecutorial misconduct, the issue of immunity is front-and-center. Years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled that judges and prosecutors have absolute immunity from civil action, which means that for the most part, they are not liable for pursuing wrongful convictions.

Because the various state bars are very, very reluctant to discipline prosecutors, the typical prosecutor knows he or she pretty much is invulnerable. Yes, they can be criminally prosecuted, but no prosecutor in the history of this country ever has been convicted of criminal malfeasance for conduct in the "line of duty," even though it has been obvious that at least in some cases, the criminal behavior was deliberate and cold. Thus, armed with that knowledge, a prosecutor knows that he or she does not operate with the same set of personal restrictions that hold back the worst behavior in other occupations.

The SCOTUS ruled in the Imbler v. Pachtman case (1976) that district attorneys or prosecutors were found to have full immunity from civil suits resulting from their government duties. Unlike the qualified immunity that was given to many public officials, the justices reasoned that while a wrongly-charged defendant would not be able to seek legal satisfaction against a prosecutor who engaged in outrageous conduct, nonetheless the immunity would better fit a broad "social good" as the court saw it.

Obviously, the court opened a huge can of worms, as it basically said that as long as a prosecutor can claim he or she was doing something within the scope of prosecutorial duties, then that person cannot be sued, even if he or she deliberately withheld evidence. Furthermore, the SCOTUS declared that

alternative sanctions to civil lawsuits against prosecutors were available to deter a prosecutor’s malicious and dishonest behavior. Indeed, the availability of bringing criminal charges against a prosecutor, as well as the availability of professional discipline by bar associations, would “not leave the public powerless.” “These checks,” said the Court, “undermine the argument that the imposition of civil liability is the only way to insure that prosecutors are mindful of the constitutional rights of persons accused of crime.”

People who saw that decision as overreaching had some hope in a case Pottawattamie County v. McGhee in which prosecutors clearly framed innocent people for a murder. In fact, prosecutors claimed in their defense the following outrageous statement: there is no constitutional "right not to be framed.” That's right; prosecutors were claiming that even if they framed someone, that was OK, as the Constitution does not forbid it.

Unfortunately, the case was settled before the Supremes could rule on it. However, they gave what I hold to be a partial answer in Connick v. Thompson, declaring that the DA's office of New Orleans Parish could not be held liable for failure of its prosecutors to turn over exculpatory evidence. In other words, the SCOTUS ruled that violation of the Brady Rule inferred no particular responsibility upon the people who were responsible for violating it.

Keep in mind that most readers of this post are not prosecutors, nor are public officials. That means that the laws regarding liability are imposed differently upon them than upon those who are sworn to uphold the law and who hold special powers in bringing people to trial. The people with greater responsibility have less liability than everyone else.

If that seems to be an outrage, that is because it IS an outrage. What SCOTUS has done once again is to declare that prosecutors are a special class of people who, de facto, do not have to obey the law. And, guess what? There are lots of prosecutors who take advantage of that privilege and, surprise, surprise, violate the law with impunity.

The Rule of Law is supposed to mean just that: rule of law. A nation that has Rule of People Who Do Whatever They Want cannot survive as a decent society.
Posted by William L. Anderson at 1:00 PM
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http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/nevins-defends-duke-response-flawed-data

Nevins defends Duke response to flawed data
By Zachary Tracer [3] and Tullia Rushton [4]
March 31, 2011

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The mentor of discredited Duke cancer researcher Dr. Anil Potti provided the first public account of his thoughts and actions as the cancer research he developed with Potti and other scientists came under fire.

In an hour-and-a-half-long presentation to an Institute of Medicine committee, Joseph Nevins, Barbara Levine professor of breast cancer genomics, defended his and Duke’s handling of criticisms about the research that mounted over several years. But he acknowledged that he failed to identify problems with the underlying data Potti used to conduct cancer research at Duke’s Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy, which was regarded as groundbreaking when it was published.

“I didn’t recognize that a critical flaw in the research effort was one of data corruption, an apparent manipulation of validation data,” Nevins told the committee.

The IOM committee is working to establish standards for genomics research and other medical science based on large quantities of data. The committee was established in response to the Potti affair.

In a curt exchange with committee member Thomas Fleming, a professor of biostatistics at the University of Washington, Nevins refused to say how he believed the data problems occurred.

Fleming pointed out that because the problems in the data improved the experimental results, it seemed that they were introduced intentionally.

“I can’t address it,” Nevins responded. “I just can’ft get into a position of speculating on how it happened.”

He noted that Duke is conducting a research misconduct inquiry to investigate how the data errors occurred. And although Potti has resigned and accepted responsibility for problems with the data, Nevins never mentioned his former colleague’s name during the presentation.

‘Too good to be true’

Nevins did attempt to explain why it took years for Duke to address the criticisms of the research.

He said he initially thought that the disagreements were about the statistical methods used to evaluate the data not the validity of the studies. He believed that Duke researchers in his group at the IGSP addressed those concerns by adjusting their methodology.

Nevins said he was also heartened when other studies appeared to confirm the initial findings. But he eventually learned that all the studies—focused on determining whether individuals would respond to cancer treatments—also had problems in their underlying data.

Duke’s reaction to criticism about the research was the focus of some harsh words from the chair of the IOM committee.

Dr. Gilbert Omenn, director of the University of Michigan Medical School Center for Computational Medicine and Biology, criticized the “dismissive nature” of Duke’s response to the complaints.

“The lack of investigations when things were brought up raises the question of how do you deal with something that looks too good to be true and might be,” he said. “It went on for three to four years until the problem was acknowledged. That’s something that’s got to be dealt with internally, I think.”

Nevins disagreed with Omenn’s characterization of Duke’s response.

“I frankly would suggest that the institution did a very good job of addressing this, of paying attention to the issues that were raised,” he said. “I fully appreciate the extent to which this has had a very negative impact on investigators not only outside of Duke, but also within Duke.”

More data issues

Still, Duke scientists were conducting clinical trials based on the flawed research until a July 2010 report in the Cancer Letter, an independent newsletter, revealed that Potti had falsified portions of his resume, including falsely claiming to be a Rhodes Scholar.

Following that revelation, enrollment in the clinical trials was halted and investigations into Potti’s work, some of which were already underway, gained new energy. Duke reviewers, including Nevins, soon found more data issues.

“Further analyses revealed corruption of multiple datasets compiled by Dr. Potti,” a Duke background report provided to the IOM committee states.

In at least one case, the incorrect data provided support for Potti’s research, but the correct data did not.

Potti resigned Nov. 19 and accepted responsibility for the problems in his research. A research misconduct investigation, which may answer questions about how the errors in the data occurred, is ongoing. The clinical trials have since been stopped, and four papers based on data handled by Potti were retracted.

Lessons from the Potti affair

Nevins offered several lessons from the Potti affair as the IOM committee considers its implications for future research.

He said it is important to ensure the accuracy of all data used in clinical trials, possibly by using software that ensures that data is not manipulated. He noted, however, that it can be difficult to prevent malicious individuals from modifying data.

Nevins also recommended that researchers make public all the information they use to draw their conclusions.

“Ensuring that all data, methods and software are made available in publications is a must,” he said. “To the extent that we didn’t do so, it was a mistake.”

However, many panel members said that making all experimental data publicly available is unrealistic, because it would take up a lot of digital storage space.

“The issue is that we are generating more data than we can actually store,” said Veronique Kiermer, executive editor and head of researcher services for Nature Publishing Group. “What data do we store, and what can we afford to lose?”

The massive quantity of data that scientists are generating poses other challenges as well.

Scott Zeger, vice provost for research at Johns Hopkins University, said the amount of data that scientists are generating is growing much faster than researchers’ ability to interpret or store it. Ultimately, he said, more data does not necessarily help researchers or doctors gain a better understanding of how to treat patients.

Zeger noted that Duke has one of the best approaches to genomics studies, combining researchers from many disciplines in the IGSP and encouraging them to collaborate with each other. Often, institutions do not provide enough financial support for genomics research because it does not fit well into any established academic department.

“In some ways, Duke was a model,” Zeger said. “The question to you is what went wrong.... Was it a misunderstanding about the science or a bad actor that got in the way?”
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http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/swain-draw-connections-durham-leaders

Swain to draw on connections with Durham leaders
Eliza Bray/The Chronicle : Sophomore Alex Swain will work to involve Duke students more in the Durham community by publicizing local events on campus.

Eliza Bray/The Chronicle

Sophomore Alex Swain will work to involve Duke students more in the Durham community by publicizing local events on campus.
By Tong Xiang [4]
March 30, 2011


Alex Swain has a vision to bring Duke and Durham together.

Swain, a sophomore, is running uncontested for Duke Student Government’s vice president for Durham and regional affairs position. She is currently finishing her first term on this committee, which aims to advocate for student interests in Durham as well as build working relationships with community leaders.

“If elected, I would [want] to make the Durham and Regional Affairs Committee of [DSG] a resource for students that are interested in engaging in the Durham community,” she wrote in her platform. “I want to also make [DSG] a strong presence in the Durham community.”

Swain said she wants DSG to forge a deeper connection between students and their community by involving them in Durham events and affairs.

Next year, she intends to work with regional businesses and the Durham Convention and Visitor’s Bureau to publicize events through social media and on-campus advertising. Additionally, to make local politics more accessible to students, Swain wants to promote participation in municipal elections with such initiatives as candidate lectures, poster campaigns and voter-registration drives.

During her first year on DSG, Swain organized an event bringing Mayor Pro Tempore Cora Cole-McFadden and State Rep. Larry Hall, D-Durham, to speak on campus. She said she is looking to further DSG’s relationship with the city’s elected officials by having Durham and regional affairs committee members attend community meetings.

Swain said she has gained valuable experience this year through working with the Duke Office of Durham and Regional Affairs.

“Alex Swain is a native of Durham with a strong commitment to improving Duke-Durham relations,” Phail Wynn, Duke’s vice president for Durham and regional affairs, wrote in an email. “During the 2010-2011 academic year, she has been involved in a number of community outreach and engagement initiatives and she has developed an understanding of how DSG can work with my office to better connect with the Durham community.”

In the coming year, Swain also wants the Durham and regional affairs committee to make it easier for students to live off campus by facilitating dialogue between student groups and relevant neighborhood leaders.

“I want to build a good working relationship with student organizations that have a stake in off-campus housing, like [the Panhellenic Association] and [the Interfraternity Council], and really make the transition to living off campus easier for student groups,” Swain said. “This means maybe having programming about what it means to be a good neighbor or just sitting down and talking.”

Junior Ubong Akpaninyie, the current vice president for Durham and regional affairs, said Swain’s familiarity with Durham makes her the strongest candidate for the position.

“She was... very helpful with my vice presidency because she’s very well-connected with city council members and the mayor, and she helped me to develop a relationship with city officials,” Akpaninyie said. “I think she has a really good vision for next year.”

Along with the support of Akpaninyie, Swain has also secured the endorsement of Mayor Bill Bell, currently serving his fifth term in office. In an open letter, Bell said Swain had expressed her goals to him, and he recommended her candidacy.

“I feel very confident in Alexandra’s abilities to lead the [Durham and regional affairs committee] to realize these goals for the benefit of Duke University and [the] City of Durham if elected to be vice president,” Bell wrote.
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http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/3739-offered-spots-class-2015

3,739 offered spots in Class of 2015
Duke admits 10.8% of regular decision applicant pool, a new record
Chronicle Graphic by Courtney Douglas

Chronicle Graphic by Courtney Douglas
By Melissa Dalis [3]
March 31, 2011

Duke admits 10.8% of regular decision applicant pool, a new record

For eager high school seniors, the wait is finally over.

The University offered 3,094 applicants the chance to join Duke’s Class of 2015 yesterday. Combined with the 645 high school students already admitted under Duke’s binding early decision program in December, a total of 3,739 seniors have been admitted this year. The acceptance rate for regular decision applicants was 10.8 percent.

Overall, including the 29 percent early decision acceptance rate, the admissions department extended offers to 12.6 percent of applicants, representing a 2.2 percent decrease from last year’s overall acceptance rate. In addition, 2,300 students were offered a spot on the waitlist, which is 1,000 fewer than last year, admissions officials said.

“This was an incredibly challenging year, both for the applicants and for the staff of the admissions office,” Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Christoph Guttentag said in a Duke news release. “We wanted to ensure that every application received a thorough review, while being aware that we had a limited amount of time to do so.”

In an interview, Guttentag said the department is hoping for a yield rate in the mid-40 percent range and is aiming for 1,705 incoming students­­—a slight decrease from last year’s large class of 1,750.

“We always have an exact target,” Guttentag said. “We don’t expect to be able to hit the nail right on the head, but we always like to have a number that we’re shooting for. The size of the student body and the size of the class is determined by the Trustees [and] the Allen Building.”

This year, Duke received 29,689 applications, which represents an 11 percent increase from last year’s pool and a 46 percent increase from three years ago. This year’s high number of applicants required the admissions department to hire more first readers to get through applications more quickly and efficiently. The swell of applications also affected prospective students as some experienced technical difficulties logging on to the online portal where decision were posted. While some were able to access their decisions at exactly 6 p.m., others had to wait almost an hour until they knew Duke’s final answer.

“It was the longest two minutes of my life,” said Aneesha Sehgal, an accepted student from Cary, N.C. “I’ve been a Dukie since I was born, so it’s in my blood.”

Among those offered admission, California and North Carolina are the most represented states, followed by New York, Florida and Texas, Guttentag said. He added that overseas would be considered number two in the list if it were considered one state.

“In the ways that we measure whether [the incoming class] is geographically diverse, whether it’s by citizenship, ethnicity, all the different imperfect ways that one measures diversity, I expect that this class will be pretty similar to the classes that preceded it,” Guttentag said.

Duke’s admissions decisions were released one hour after Ivy League schools released their decisions, though Duke does not consult those schools when determining its release time, Guttentag said. Compared to Duke’s 12.6 percent admit rate, University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University and Cornell University recorded 12.3 percent, 6.2 percent and 18 percent acceptance rates, respectively.

Melissa Chieffe, an accepted student from Ohio, said she was surprised by Duke’s low acceptance rate this year but understands given the rates of peer institutions.

“[The admit rate] is lower than I thought—that’s pretty crazy—but I’ve seen other news stories and it seems like a ton of schools have really low acceptance rates this year,” she said.

Cheiffe and her peers have until May 1 to decide whether or not to becoming a Blue Devil. For those who want to learn more about the University, Blue Devil Days, a recruiting program for admitted students that showcases Duke’s academic and extracurricular opportunities, will be held four times in the coming month: April 11-12, April 14-15, April 17-18 and April 25-26.
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http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/blue-devils-top-bears

Blue Devils top Bears
Eight different players score in easy win
Caroline Rodriguez/The Chronicle : Bill Connors scored his first career goal in Duke’s win yesterday.

Caroline Rodriguez/The Chronicle

Bill Connors scored his first career goal in Duke’s win yesterday.
By Sports Staff [4]
March 30, 2011

Eight different players score in easy win

There’s been no place like Koskinen Stadium for the Blue Devils since last season, and Tuesday was no exception, as they defeated Brown 12-7 to extend their home winning streak to 14 games. Those 14 wins comprise the longest active streak in men’s lacrosse.

Balanced offense was the name of the game for No. 3 Duke (8-2) against the Bears (3-4), as eight players scored goals and five recorded multi-point games. The team’s top three scorers—senior Zach Howell and freshmen Jordan Wolf and Christian Walsh—each scored twice in the contest, and junior Robert Rotanz also tallied two goals.

Brown’s Teddy Daiber netted a goal early in the first quarter to put the Bears up 1-0, and they held that lead for four minutes before a three-goal Duke run put the Blue Devils ahead just after the start of the second period.

Brown would tie the game at 3-3 behind two goals from leading scorer David Hawley, but Duke reprised its earlier 3-0 run to go ahead 6-3 and remain in the lead for the rest of the contest.

The Blue Devils outshot the Bears by nearly 20, and dominated the faceoff battle by taking 14 out of 21. Senior Tom Montelli led the defense with four turnovers caused, and sophomore goalie Dan Wigrizer stopped eight shots as Duke allowed its second-lowest scoring total this season.

Duke won’t get a chance to extend its home winning streak until Apr. 11 against Presbyterian, but they’ll have a far bigger test on the road Sunday against No. 1 Syracuse.
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http://www.dailyorange.com/sports/mlax-5-years-later-duke-rebounds-from-crippling-scandal-to-return-to-top-of-college-lacrosse-1.2133689

MLAX | 5 years later: Duke rebounds from crippling scandal to return to top of college lacrosse

By Zach Brown

Staff Writer

Published: Thursday, March 31, 2011

Updated: Thursday, March 31, 2011 04:03


Duke lacrosse 5 years later

The Daily Orange


For C.J. Costabile, an embrace stood out more than anything else from Duke's first-ever lacrosse national championship.

Not his game-winning goal against Notre Dame, which came just five seconds into the extra period. Not the mob of white jerseys that piled on top of him in celebration inside the net. Not hoisting up the national championship trophy.

It was the tearful hug from defender Tom Clute that Costabile called "the coolest thing that happened" that day.

"He came up to me after the game, kind of crying and stuff out of joy," Costabile said. "But he's not a very emotional kid, so that really took me back to see him like that."

After his dramatic goal in last year's championship game, Costabile talked with a bevy of Duke lacrosse alumni, ranging from former teammates to the Blue Devils who played in the mid-1990s.

Still, Clute's reaction stuck with Costabile above the rest.

"He didn't necessarily get to play a lot of minutes on game day, but he gave it his all every day and wanted to be around the program," Costabile said. "He's a guy that everyone looked up to."

Clute was one of seven fifth-year seniors last year who experienced Duke lacrosse's highest point in the national championship win. He also experienced its lowest point in 2006 when three team members were accused of raping a woman who was hired to strip at a house party. Although all three were declared innocent of the charges in 2007, the damage was done to the rising program in the form of a swarm of negative attention.

The 2006 season, which started with the Blue Devils as a leading contender for the national championship, was canceled. Head coach Mike Pressler was fired. Players were given the option to leave.

But after all that, 33 of those Blue Devils chose to stay, and the next chapter of Duke lacrosse arose. And it culminated in Costabile's goal, which delivered the program its first national championship just four years later.

"I think it meant a lot," Costabile said. "Turned the page, finally. It gave Duke kind of that storybook ending, if you will."

Prologue

John Danowski remembers exactly when the idea was planted in his head.

He had finished up one of his best seasons coaching lacrosse at Hofstra. The Pride won a NCAA record-tying 17 games before losing in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament.

But on a Sunday night in June 2006, his son Matt was on his mind. Sitting out on the swing on his front porch, the elder Danowski talked on the phone with Larry Lamade, whose son Peter played lacrosse with Matt at Duke. Both were on the team amid the scandal.

"We were just talking about what was going on," Danowski said. "Why was this happening? Everybody was so dumbfounded. We were all just trying to make sense of it."

Lamade then proposed the idea.

You know there's only one guy these kids would play for, Lamade told him. You.

It made sense. Danowski knew the players. He knew the parents. He knew the program.

"And that did get me thinking," Danowski said in a phone interview Wednesday. "That one conversation."

That discussion came shortly after Duke reinstated its lacrosse team on June 5, 2006. About one month and a few interviews later, Danowski took over as the Blue Devils' new head coach.

"The other part is, how many times in your life do you get a chance to truly do something good?" Danowski said. "And when I say good, I mean good in capital letters."

Chapter One: The first season

Twenty-four years of head coaching experience couldn't prepare Danowski for his first season at the helm of Duke.

"It was really, really, really different," he said. "Everything that you did every day, you walked on eggshells."

Cameras flooded the season-opening press conference, and it was a sign of things to come. Danowski said it seemed like there were interviews every day that year. And it also seemed like the questions were never, ever about lacrosse.

He would get phone calls from parents questioning or challenging a quote from him they had seen or heard on any given day. He said the school paper and local papers made some references to the scandal almost daily.

"But one of the things I would constantly realize was there was no blueprint for this," Danowski said. "I tried to trust my instinct a little bit."

And his instinct told him to let the players vent.

He held meetings just to allow the team to talk about their feelings. The whole group would sit in a big circle on the field, and each player would get the opportunity to say what made him angry. The next week, they would circle up again, but talk about what made each player feel good.

And it was those types of strategies, combined with Danowski's laid-back persona, that make his players believe no one else could have handled the job better.

"I think he's the perfect guy for the job, to be honest with you," Costabile said. "The kind of intangibles that he brings, I think was necessary to handle the situation."

Chapter Two: New faces

Zach Howell leads Duke with 33 points this year. He watched Costabile's championship-winning goal from right next to the crease and was the first player to jump on him in the celebration.

But after the news broke in 2006, Duke was barely even an option for Howell.

"To be honest, when the program was in limbo, I kind of put it in the back of my mind," said Howell, a high school junior at the time. "It was more of an afterthought."

Costabile said the scandal never played much of a role in his decision to play for the Blue Devils. But that didn't stop people from reminding the long-stick midfielder about it after he committed in 2008.

"Sure, when I told people about it, I'd get my balls broken a little bit," said Costabile, now a junior. "Acquaintance people you meet random, like one time, that try to throw you a little joke or something like that, and it's like, ‘All right, cool, dude. It's really not that funny, but whatever.'"

Danowski said the allegations had the biggest influence on the 2007 recruiting class. Duke lost many of those recruits because there wasn't any guarantee of a program until July.

But since then, there have not been many problems, mostly because of the way he handles them.

"I bring it up," Danowski said. "I'm fully transparent when it comes to those things. I tell them exactly the truth and exactly what transpired."

He tells recruits and their families that there was a party. He tells them all three of the former Blue Devils were declared innocent of the rape charges they faced. He tells them about the investigators and the district attorney and everyone else "whose careers burned as a result of their involvement in this situation."

And from then on, it's about playing lacrosse.

Chapter Three: Moving on

Duke lacrosse has taken a backseat this year to football, men's basketball and women's basketball. Danowski said the sport is truly under the radar when it comes to local media attention, despite the team's No. 3 ranking and 8-2 record.

The media circus dwindled from year to year as the Blue Devils finished no worse than national semifinalists every season. This year, it's practically nonexistent.

"Winning did represent maybe a little bit more than it should in general," Danowski said. "It maybe represented a chance to get back to normal. Maybe it did mean more than winning a championship in a particular year."

There are no remnants of that 2006 roster still playing for the Blue Devils this year. But there were plenty of them at that championship game victory a season ago.

A small group that had graduated watched from the Duke sidelines. Seven of them played on the team as fifth-year seniors.

And Costabile's goal five seconds into overtime not only gave those players the storybook ending, but also allowed the rest of the country to move on to the next chapter of Duke lacrosse.

"Those people on the outside who don't know much about lacrosse might have seen us win the national championship," Howell said. "And that might have erased their only thought of Duke lacrosse being 2006.

"That would be my hope because we've come a long way since then."

zjbrown@syr.edu
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http://www.dailyorange.com/sports/mlax-dynamic-duke-attack-provides-steep-challenge-for-orange-defense-1.2133750

MLAX | Dynamic Duke attack provides steep challenge for Orange defense

By Michael Cohen

Asst. Sports Editor

Published: Thursday, March 31, 2011

Updated: Thursday, March 31, 2011 03:03



It took three games for John Danowski to stop being "dumb." After the Duke lacrosse team limped to a 1-2 start, its head coach finally moved freshman Jordan Wolf out of the midfield and back to his normal position at attack.

"The head coach was dumb enough to play him at midfield for the first three games," Danowski said of himself in a phone interview. "While I thought on paper it was a good move, we moved him back to attack where he was more comfortable."

He can't explain what happened next.

Since his team's third game of the season — a dismal 7-3 loss to then-unranked Pennsylvania — the Blue Devils (8-2, 2-0 ACC) have become arguably the hottest team in the country. They've surged to seven consecutive wins and a No. 3 national ranking behind one of the nation's best attack units. The third highest-scoring team in the country matches up with No. 1 Syracuse's vaunted defense Sunday at New Meadowlands Stadium as part of the Konica Minolta Big City Classic. This matchup of top-five teams has all the makings of an upset with the recent struggles endured by the Orange (7-0, 2-0 Big East).

Wolf is one-third of a Duke attack unit that has already scored 14 or more goals six times this season. He and fellow freshman Christian Walsh join senior leader Zach Howell in one of the most potent and dynamic groups of this season.

"Losing two in a row and only scoring three goals, I think everybody did a lot of soul searching — including the coaching staff," Danowski said. "And I think practice just became different. I think it became more focused.

"I can't explain it. I wish I could."

The defending national champions were hit hard by graduation and saw more than the departures of Duke legends Ned Crotty and Max Quinzani. Sixteen seniors left the program, and as a result, three freshmen grace Danowski's starting lineup this season.

Wolf and Walsh have proved to be more than able supporters on that front line. They have combined for 29 goals and 17 assists while putting more than 72 percent of their shots on goal.

Wolf, in particular, has caught the eyes of many around the nation. Danowski said Wolf is the fastest and quickest player he's ever coached. The Syracuse defense has certainly taken notice as well.

"We didn't hear much about him at all in the beginning, and that's what happens when you're a freshman until you have a breakout couple games," SU goaltender John Galloway said. "We're going to have to look to stay top-side on him. We're going to have to look to help John (Lade) if he needs it. He's a very talented player."

As Galloway mentioned, it will likely be Lade who draws the assignment on Wolf. He has the task of shutting down the freshman who has tallied 15 points in his last three games alone.

But he's accustomed to the role. Each and every week this season, Lade has drawn the assignment of the best player on SU's opponents.

So far, he's done well. But so far, he's never faced anyone with the pace of Wolf.

"He's one of the quickest we've seen," Syracuse long-stick midfielder Joel White said. "John is the best one-on-one defender I've ever seen. But we always know that we have his back if he happens to slip up. And the rare times that he does, we're there for him."

Take away Duke's two losses in February, though, and the Blue Devils lead the country in goals per game at more than 14.8. Howell's 25 goals and Wolf's 18 have led the way.

Sunday's matchup might be a game in which the Syracuse defense has to bail out its offense once again. It's an offense that was held to just 10 combined goals in its last two contests.

Nonetheless, Danowski doesn't think an up-tempo game necessarily favors his high-scoring Blue Devils. He recognizes the veteran talent SU has and calls the Orange a "sleeping giant" that can "explode" at any time.

But being able to put 15 to 20 goals on the board never hurts. And Duke is certainly capable of it.

"You don't really look at those two slipups in the beginning of the season," White said. "You look at the games they've played (since then), and they've played very well. The film that we've watched, they've shown that they're the best — one of the best in the country."

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http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2011/03/two_former_nopd_officers_recei.html

Two former NOPD officers receive stiff sentences in Henry Glover case
Published: Thursday, March 31, 2011, 10:27 AM Updated: Thursday, March 31, 2011, 1:41 PM
The Times-Picayune By The Times-Picayune NOLA.com

Former police officer David Warren was sentenced to more than 25 years in prison this morning for the shooting of 31-year-old Henry Glover in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

New Orleans Police officer Greg McRae, accompanied by his wife, enters the U.S. Federal Courthouse Thursday morning for sentencing in his involvement in the cover-up of the death of Henry Glover. Glover was shot by officer David Warren in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina; McRae admitted burning a car containing Glover's body.

Former officer Greg McRae, who admitted burning a car parked on the Algiers levee that contained Glover's body, was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison.

McRae, who had been free on bond, was taken into custody immediately. Warren has been in prison since shortly after his indictment in June 2010.

Both sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Lance Africk, who delivered stern speeches to both men before rendering his judgment.

Warren was convicted in December of violating Glover's civil rights by shooting him, as well as using a gun in a crime of violence. A rookie police officer at the time of the storm, Warren had been guarding a police substation in Algiers on Sept. 2, 2005.

Warren shot Glover as he approached the substation, which was located on the second floor of a strip mall. Glover and a friend had gone to the mall to retrieve some items looted by friends.

More on this story

* U.S. District Judge Lance Africk's reasons for McRae's sentence
* U.S. District Judge Lance Africk's reasons for Warren's sentence
* Greg McRae's letter to U.S. District Judge Lance Africk

Africk told Warren that his use of deadly force against Glover was unnecessary. He used the word "spurious" to describe Warren's claim that Glover charged at him in a menacing way.

"You killed a man ... Henry Glover was gunned down because you believed he was a looter," Africk said. He added that every day Warren has lived since September 2005 is one more day than Glover had.

Africk said Warren's conduct contrasted with that of most NOPD officers, who helped people and saved lives in the aftermath of the storm. Actions like Warren's, he said, erode confidence in law enforcement, making a harsh sentence necessary.

Africk noted that he had received many letters saying that as a result of Warren's conviction, officers will be more apt to question their right to protect themselves during chaotic events.

"I reject that argument." Africk said. "You were not forced to respond to Mr. Glover with deadly force," he told Warren.

Before imposing Warren's sentence, Africk said that he had "given tremendous thought to this case. I can promise you, not everyone will agree with the sentence I impose," he added.

He said, however, that the sentence would be fair.

In letters sent to Africk, friends and family members asked the judge for leniency. "David is a man of God... a devout Christian," said one friend who spoke in open court.

"He is not an evil man. He is not a racist," the friend said.

Warren is white, while Glover is black. During the trial, prosecutors sought to show that race played a role in the event.

Members of the Glover family, visibly devastated, also took a turn at the podium. They asked Africk to issue the maximum sentence allowed by law.

"I forgive these men," said Edna Glover, the victim's mother, while holding a picture of her son. "If I don't, Jesus won't forgive me."

Africk ordered Warren to pay about $7,600 in restitution to the Glover family to cover his funeral costs.

After Glover was shot, he was picked up by William Tanner, a good Samaritan who drove him to a nearby police encampment for medical aid. Tanner and others said police there took them into custody instead of providing aid to the wounded Glover.

Later, officers drove away in Tanner's car, with Glover's body inside. McRae admitted during the trial that he parked the car on the levee and burned it.

It took nearly a year for Glover's remains to be identified, and it wasn't until after the publication of a series of news articles starting in December 2008 that the manner of Glover's death was known.

McRae's lawyer, Frank DeSalvo, argued that Africk should consider the circumstances of the storm as a mitigating factor when sentencing his client. He said McRae saved many lives during the hurricane.

Glover carries a picture of her slain son Henry Glover as she and other family members leave federal court after sentences were handed down to two former NOPD officers in the slaying and burning of the body her son in the days after Hurricane Katrina.

DeSalvo also said McRae never knew that Glover had been shot by fellow officers. Burning the car at the time didn't seem so serious, DeSalvo said, adding that McRae now understands the implications of what he did and has taken responsibility for it.

McRae, clad in a tie and a blue blazer, addressed Africk directly, saying he realized the error of his ways.

"I acknowledge my mistake," he said. "I apologize directly to the Warren family ... excuse me, the Glover family." McRae added that he also apologized to the Warren family.

Later, he said, "I pray for the Glover family daily. I also pray for all the victims of Katrina."

But Africk told McRae that his actions contributed as much as those of Warren to the distress of the Glover family and their inability to get over Henry's death.

The judge called McRae's conduct "barbaric," saying it was "unforgivable" to burn Glover's body -- particularly for a 26-year police veteran. Africk ordered McRae to pay $6,000 in restitution to Tanner for burning his car.

Because of McRae, Africk said, the last photo the Glover family has of him is that "of a pile of bones," a description that provoked a gasp from the victim's family members sitting in the audience.

"At some point, you lost your compass," Africk said.

This story was reported by Laura Maggi and Brendan McCarthy.
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http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=8046381

Gov't re-interviews Edwards witness
Updated at 07:44 PM today


WASHINGTON -- Prosecutors investigating former Sen. John Edwards are taking another look at the man who posed as the father of Edwards' out-of-wedlock baby while he pursued the White House.

The Associated Press spotted Andrew Young leaving his attorney's Washington office after prosecutors interviewed him for more than four hours Thursday. The timing suggests they are weighing the strength of their chief witness before deciding whether to indict the two-time presidential candidate.

Their investigation centers on payments made by two top Edwards donors to keep Young and Edwards' mistress, Reille Hunter, in hiding during the 2008 campaign.

Young's attorney, David Geneson, did not return a call for comment on the meeting, and the Justice Department declined to comment. But a person familiar with the investigation said Justice Department officials requested the meeting.
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http://www2.nbc17.com/news/2011/mar/31/nc-dems-want-independent-crime-lab-ar-909275/


NC Dems want independent crime lab
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