Mike Nifong has sought to recuse himself in the Duke Rape Frame-up Case after nine months of ethically and factually challenged corrupt handling of the case.

After months of stinging criticism about his handling of the Duke University sexual assault investigation, Durham District Attorney Michael B. Nifong sought to bow out of the case yesterday, requesting that the North Carolina Attorney General's Office handle the prosecution.

His decision to recuse himself was welcomed by the defense team representing the three Duke lacrosse players initially accused of raping a 28-year-old stripper at a team party.

"We feel very good about this. It's a fresh set of eyes looking at the case," said William Cotter of Raleigh, one of three attorneys for Collin Finnerty of Garden City, N.Y. "We think it's more likely that they will listen to us and we will certainly be cooperative with him or her."

The defense believes that another prosecutor would, after reviewing the contradictions of the alleged victim's accounts and the paucity of physical evidence, drop the case.

Attorney General Roy Cooper's office deferred questions about Nifong's action until a news conference scheduled for Saturday.

The defense is pleased by this move, but wants more than Nifong’s removal.

Speaking of the recusal, Joseph B. Cheshire, the lawyer for David Evans, one of the defendants, said: “We’re very heartened by it. He should have done it weeks or months ago. For the first time, someone who is honest and objective and doesn’t have an agenda will look at this case. We feel confident that when they do, these young men will be exonerated and this case will be dismissed.”

Mr. Cheshire added that the attorney general should also look at possible obstruction of justice and manipulation of evidence by Mr. Nifong.

Quite frankly, the time has come for this tragic farce to be brought to a close with the dismissal of all charges and the complete exoneration of the accused young men. Furthermore, criminal charges need to be brought against Nifong, the DNA lab that conspired to withhold results, and the false accuser in this case. Civil damages need to be sought against all three, as well as others who ramped-up the hysteria and the lynch-party atmosphere that pervaded the early days of this case.

Rape is a serious crime – but so is the peddling of false accusations of rape.

UPDATE: Captain Ed offers this juicy, link-filled analysis.