Duke Lacrosse Players: Case Closed

[Charon]

About damn time too.

RALEIGH, North Carolina (CNN) -- Free of sexual offense and kidnapping charges, three steely-eyed former lacrosse players at Duke University called Wednesday for reforms in the justice system and restraint in the media.

"This whole experience has opened my eyes to a world of injustice that I never knew existed," said Reade Seligmann, one of the exonerated athletes.

All charges against Seligmann, David Evans and Collin Finnerty were dismissed, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper announced earlier Wednesday. ("Today marks the end of a yearlong nightmare" Video)

The three were charged after an escort-service dancer accused them of raping her at a team party in March 2006.

The case prompted national outrage and discussion about racism and the rowdy behavior of privileged students at a prestigious university.

The accuser, a student at nearby North Carolina Central University, is black; the three accused men are white.

'To hell and back'

"All of the men of the Duke University men's lacrosse team have gone to hell and back, but I hope, and all of us sincerely hope, it was not in vain," Evans said at a news conference where the men and their families were greeted by prolonged applause. ("We are just as innocent today as we were then" Video)

The players and their attorneys acknowledged that innocent people go to prison because they can't afford high-powered legal teams.

"Many people across this country, across this state would not have the opportunity that we did, and this could simply have been brushed underneath the rug just as another case and some innocent person would end up in jail for their entire life," Evans said. "It's just not right."

Evans also criticized how news reports characterized him and his teammates.

"A great disservice has been done to the sport of lacrosse, and the stereotypes aren't true," Evans said. "They sell magazines and newspapers, but they're not anything that represents us as a sport, as a school, as a university and as a team. And they are wrong."

Finnerty thanked his family, friends and fellow students for their support. ("We have a bond that will last forever" Video)

Evans' attorney, Joe Cheshire, admonished the media not to judge suspects before the legal system does:

"Roy Cooper said a word today; the word is I-N-N-O-C-E-N-T. I wanted to make sure everybody got that." (Full story)

The players and lawyers urged reform in the legal system.

"There seem to be some flaws in the legal system that should be addressed," Finnerty said. "The fact that in North Carolina there are no recordings of the grand jury, and to establish checks and balances on district attorneys."

State pursuing case against local district attorney

In January, Cooper's office took over the case from Michael Nifong, the Durham County district attorney who had been handling it. Nifong faces multiple ethics complaints from the state bar over his handling of the case.

"In this case, with the weight of the state behind him, the Durham district attorney pushed forward unchecked," Cooper said. "There were many points in this case where caution would have served justice better than bravado, and in the rush to condemn a community and a state, [Nifong] lost the ability to see clearly. "

The North Carolina state bar filed ethics complaints against Nifong in December and January, accusing him of withholding DNA evidence from the players' defense attorneys and of "making misrepresentations to the presiding judge." (Read the charges against Nifongexternal link)

Other ethics complaints said Nifong had made inappropriate comments to the media about evidence, testimony, and the students' character and credibility. (Full story)

Nifong will be tried by the bar in June and could be disbarred if he's found guilty, The Associated Press reported.

On Wednesday, defense sources told CNN the defense plans to pursue lawsuits against Nifong.

The same sources said there were no plans to sue the accuser, who was described as "a troubled soul."

Cooper would not comment on possible lawsuits, but said, "I think a lot of people owe a lot of apologies to other people."

Case began a year ago

The dismissal of the charges ends a yearlong battle fought in the North Carolina courts.

The allegations of rape, which sparked controversy in the Raleigh-Durham area and quickly moved into the national spotlight, were made last year when one of two women hired to dance at a March 13, 2006, party accused the students of raping her.

The woman initially said the three raped her in a bathroom, but the rape charges were dropped in December after her story wavered. In addition, two DNA tests have found no evidence linking any of the three men to their 28-year-old accuser.

Cooper said inconsistencies in the accuser's accounts "were so significant and so contrary to the evidence" that investigators could not conclude that an attack occurred. (Watch Cooper exonerate the players Video)

The accuser will not face any charges, Cooper added.

When the case began, Seligmann, of Essex Fells, New Jersey, and Finnerty, of Garden City, New York, were sophomores. Evans, the team captain, who is from Bethesda, Maryland, graduated a day before turning himself in to face charges.

In January, Duke invited Seligmann and Finnerty to return for spring semester. They had been placed on administrative leave after the dancer made her accusations. Neither accepted the invitation, according to The Associated Press.

After Wednesday's announcement, Duke President Richard Brodhead said he welcomed the dismissal of the charges, and said Finnerty, Seligmann and Evans had "carried themselves with dignity through an ordeal of deep unfairness."