Michael Nifong
| Mike Nifong | |
|---|---|
| Former North Carolina District Attorney for Prosecutorial District 14 | |
|
In office April 27, 2005 – June 21, 2007 |
|
| Preceded by | Jim Hardin |
| Succeeded by | Jim Hardin (acting) |
| Constituency | Durham County, North Carolina |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Michael Byron Nifong September 14, 1950 Wilmington, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
Michael Byron Nifong (born September 14, 1950) is a disbarred North Carolina attorney. He was the district attorney for Durham County, North Carolina (the state's 14th Prosecutorial District) but was removed, disbarred and jailed following court findings concerning his conduct in the Duke lacrosse case.
Several criminal justice bills passed by the North Carolina legislature later that same year are believed to have been generated by Nifong's actions in the Duke lacrosse case.
Nifong was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) in 1971 with a degree in political science. He registered as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War era.
He participated in anti-war protests. After working as a teacher and social worker, he returned to UNC in 1975 and earned a law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1978. He was admitted to the North Carolina bar.
After a year as a per diem assistant DA with the Durham County DA's office, he was hired on a full-time basis in 1979. He eventually worked his way up to chief assistant. After District Attorney Jim Hardin was appointed to a Superior Court vacancy in 2005, Governor Mike Easley appointed Nifong to fill out the remainder of Hardin's term. Nifong was sworn in on April 27, 2005.
Before the most intense criticism of his handling of the Duke lacrosse case, Nifong won the Democratic primary on May 2, 2006 for Durham County District Attorney. Nifong won the general election in November 2006, receiving 49% of the votes, while Durham lawyer and Democrat Lewis Cheek received 40% despite the fact that he had said he would not serve if elected, and Republican Party Chairman Steve Monks got 11% as a write-in candidate.
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