A grand jury issued sealed indictments Monday against two members of the Duke University lacrosse team in connection with allegations that a stripper was raped last month at a team party, a defense attorney said.
“Today, two young men have been charged with crimes they did not commit,” attorney Robert Ekstrand said in a statement. “This is a tragedy. For the two young men, an ordeal lies ahead. … They are both innocent.”
Ekstrand, who represents dozens of players, did not say which players were indicted or what charges they faced.
The grand jury adjourned around 2 p.m. Monday, handing up indictments a short time later to Superior Court Judge Ronald Stephens. A filing at the courthouse said the judge had sealed at least one indictment, citing a state law that allows an indictment to be “kept secret until the defendant is arrested or appears before the court.”
A 27-year-old black woman told police she was attacked March 13 by three white men in a bathroom at a party held by the lacrosse team. The school canceled the highly ranked team’s season and accepted the resignation of coach Mike Pressler after the release of a vulgar and graphic e-mail that was sent by a team member shortly after the alleged assault.
