Nor do I agree with Williamson that Nifong was "politically naive," or that, even if he were, this would be a mitigating factor. Nifong was the opposite of politically naive. He was politically astute: His gambit worked to advance his political ambitions, which is precisely what he intended. He implemented it not through naivete but a malicious and depraved heart, which resulted in untold, permanent damage to the wrongfully accused and their families and to race relations in North Carolina and elsewhere.
Long before you start feeling sympathy for Nifong, remember that during his disbarment hearing he steadfastly maintained, in the spirit of a true narcissistic sociopath, that "something happened," and that Mangum, even if not sexually assaulted, may have been "intimidated," whatever that means.
Nifong's insistence that he didn't intend to make improper public statements on the case or to withhold electrifyingly critical DNA evidence -- that these were somehow oversights or a product of mere negligence -- does more than strain credulity. It insults anyone with a capacity for reasoning and moral discrimination.
As University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill law professor Joe Kennedy said, "It almost doesn't get any worse than lying to the judge in terms of ethical violations, but lying to the judge about information that suggests the defendant is innocent is even worse."
Few things are more unjust than to be wrongfully accused. Few things are more terrifying than to be wrongfully pursued criminally by a prosecutor who, backed by the awesome power and resources of the state, is motivated by self-aggrandizement rather than justice.
Despite the multiple checks and safeguards against abuse built into our criminal justice system, in the end, the system is only as strong as the decency and honor of the people running it. We should never forget that in retrospect, little stood in the way of very different and life-changing results in this case.
Thankfully, the defendants didn't quit fighting in this case and the North Carolina State Bar and Disciplinary Commission ultimately exerted the courage to approach it with an open mind and an eye toward justice.