Witt: Did you ever contemplate sitting down with them? Nifong: No. He’s never done that.
Calls Seligmann “a very impressive young man.” Says he thinks if he had met with Reade and if he’d presented himself the way he did today he might very well have interviewed Mangum again and re-evaluated the case.
He almost started crying again. This is a big moment. He knows he screwed up and he’s finally admitting it.
Says he’s always tried to do the right thing. Says he made mistakes, “But the allegations that I’m a liar are unjustified.” Says he felt it was important to come here and defend himself. [He’s trying to keep from breaking up.]
“But I do not take responsibility for a lie that I didn’t tell.” OK, he’s getting combative again. Nope. Just momentary. Now he’s crying, discussing his wife and his son. Tears are flowing. “I’m proud of my son and I want him to be proud of me.” Has made mistakes but always tried to do the right thing.
Says it has become apparent this week that “my presence as district attorney in Durham is not furthering the cause of justice.” Not fair for the people in Durham to be represented by someone who is “not held in high esteem by the members of the community or of the profession.”
“I will go to my grave being associated with this case. And that’s OK. I have no problem with that.” He brought it on himself. “Whatever mistakes I made are my mistakes.”
