Remember Mike Nifong? You know, the overzealous prosecutor in North Carolina that basically convicted the Duke lacrosse players before the evidence had been examined.
Well, most of us probably thought he had hit rock bottom when he had to spend a night in jail for lying to a judge. However, that's not nearly as bad as having to claim bankruptcy because you're faced with "$180 million in liabilities".
In his bankruptcy filing, Nifong lists liabilities of $30 million for each of the cleared players as potential damages in that lawsuit. In addition, it lists a potential of $30 million each for three unindicted players who accused Nifong and dozens of others of inflicting emotional distress in a lawsuit last month.
It also lists roughly $300,000 in other debts, including $8,897.71 owed to the North Carolina State Bar for costs tied to his June disbarment trial.
Prosecutors generally have immunity for what they do inside a courtroom, though legal experts have said some of Nifong's actions - from calling the lacrosse players a bunch of "hooligans" to putting himself in charge of the investigation - might leave him vulnerable to a civil case.
I would like to say that I'm somewhat surprised, but really I'm not. Nifong mishandled this case from the very beginning, and anything bad that comes back on him is probably deserved.
