The Duke Lacrosse saga will always be with us, a mirror to our predispositions. The latest episode: Crystal Gail Magum, bearer of false witness and sometimes (sort of) author, has been arrested for arson and attempted murder based upon allegations that she set afire her boyfriend’s clothing in the bathroom of his home, where his three hildren slept.

Magum will almost certainly receive something that comes far closer to resembling immediate due process for this alleged bathroom incident than did the three college students she falsely accused of raping her in a bathroom. The media’s narrative in this case — nutty girlfriend acts nutty — is far less powerful than the narrative in the Duke Lacrosse case — racist privileged white boys victimize poor black woman. Therefore, even though she is a black woman, and even though there will be some media interest in her case, the presumption of innocence will likely be applied somewhat more seriously.

I will be waiting eagerly for Amanda Marcotte’s take. It will be up any minute now.

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