Crystal Mangum's Arson Trial

Despite what many people in this city, state, and country seem to think Crystal Mangum is a human being, a child of god (for those of you who are religious) and a citizen of this country and, as such, is entitled to a fair trial. Also, Ms. Mangum has never been convicted (or for that matter even been charged) with any crime resulting from her accusations against the Duke Lacrosse players. NC Attorney General Roy Cooper cannot legally declare those young men “innocent” nor can he legally claim that Ms. Mangum’s accusations were/are “false”. The accused in the “Duke Lacrosse Case” were never tried in a court of law and therefore cannot be found innocent or, as the court would have put it, “not guilty”. The events of the Duke Lacrosse Rape Case should not intrude on Ms. Mangum’s current legal difficulties but we all know that the mere mention of her name inflames passions in many people’s minds.

Having said all that, it is abundantly clear that there is a lot of ill-will against Ms. Mangum for her role in the Duke Lacrosse Rape Case. Nonetheless, in this case, the one in which Ms. Mangum is charged with First Degree Arson (among other things) Ms. Mangum is entitled to the presumption of innocence – no matter how many degrading, insulting, inflammatory, racist, and incorrect statements members of the public may hurl at her on blogs such as this, on television, or in the newspapers.

I happen to think that Ms. Mangum is innocent of these charges. Therefore, as is my right under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution (that’s the one the guarantees our freedom of speech) I am, by writing this blog, exercising my right to speak out about this case.

I invite the public to engage in (hopefully) civil discussion about this trial. I’ll tell you right now that I set the bar pretty low as to what I consider “civil”. I can usually take a lot of abuse on this and other unpopular topics. However, I do reserve the right to not publish, for any reason whatsoever, anything that might be sent in.