re: Report: Vanderbilt alleged rape victim says the rape never happened

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There are rumors of racial stuff on the video. But just rumors to this point.

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That was from an official who'd seen the tape - IIRC, the DA but it may have been an LEO. At any rate, I don't exactly consider it a rumor because the person who said that was someone in authority who had seen the tape. As Semo mentioned, they wouldn't elaborate. And yes, what's on the tapes and surveillance is said to be awful.

I have my own theories about the sort of fantasy a guy like Vandenberg (white) who was the ringleader in all of this may well have been playing out and if they're anything close to what happened the DA describing any of it to the press would be wrong/unethical and not just for her sake either. As a Tennessean, I want my state playing by the rules even with creeps like this and a DA saying too much tips the scales of justice too far against a fair trial. Vandenberg and crew deserve a fair trial and there's no reason to contaminate the jury pool ahead of time with evidence that is so inflammatory. If the DA started spilling everything in the press before trial, that would create a biased jury, limit the ability to put a jury together, might force the trial to another part of the state like East or West, TN and depending on how bad it is even give them grounds for an appeal against a conviction.

All parties, the victim, the accused, and the citizens of the state, are better served by the DA saying as little as possible before trial.

The news media is freer to report on their own what they learn but there's no way they get access to the tapes prior to trial - text messages and transcripts of interviews and other documents yes but not the the tapes.