Committee to Investigate the Durham Police Department in the Duke Lacrosse Case records

The Committee to Investigate the Durham Police Department in the Duke Lacrosse Case was convened in 2007 by the City of Durham. Its charge was to produce an impartial, thorough and fair account of the department's conduct in the investigation. Willis P. Whichard served as committee chair, and Wade Barber of Barber & Falcone, PLLC served as counsel. Other members of the committee included members of law enforcement, victim advocacy groups, and legal scholars and community members from across the state. The Duke lacrosse case was based on the events that took place on the night of March 13, 2006, at a party hosted and attended by many members of the Duke University lacrosse team. Two exotic dancers performed at the party and one alleged a sexual assault took place. In a case that was widely reported both locally and nationally, charges of first-degree rape, first-degree sexual offense and first-degree kidnapping were brought and ultimately dropped against three Duke University lacrosse players.