Timesuck with Dan Cummins Short Suck #50: Presumed Guilty: The Duke Lacrosse Scandal
Jan 23, 2026
A revisiting of the 2006 Duke lacrosse scandal and how a rush to judgment overwhelmed due process. Examination of DNA evidence, problematic police and prosecutorial procedures, and campus outrage that fueled the narrative. Coverage of the collapse of the case, legal fallout, later lives of the accused, and the accuser's subsequent admissions and criminal troubles.
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Rush To Judgment Fuelled The Scandal
- The Duke lacrosse case shows how quickly public opinion can lock onto a narrative of privilege and violence.
- Dan Cummins notes he and many others rushed to judgment before facts emerged.
Context Of Sexual Violence Shapes Reaction
- Rape is common and underreported, which fueled outrage in the Duke case.
- Cummins gives statistics showing how rare false reports are compared to unreported assaults.
The Party That Sparked Everything
- Dan recounts the March 13, 2006 Duke party where dancers Crystal Mangum and Kim Roberts were hired.
- He says two dancers arrived and Crystal later became the accuser in the case.
