Campaign aide faces counts

DURHAM -- A manager of Freda Black's campaign for district attorney is on probation for domestic violence and has a second assault charge pending.

Darrell W. Luster, lead singer for the gospel group the Sensational Nightingales, is a campaign manager for Black. He pleaded guilty in September to grabbing his estranged wife, Anita Luster, by the neck and pushing her against a boat. One month later, Darrell Luster was arrested and charged with holding a knife to her throat, busting her lip and threatening to kill her, according to court records. He also is accused of breaking her telephone when she tried to call 911.

Those cases are set to go to court in June, more than a month after the primary Tuesday in which Black, lawyer Keith Bishop and District Attorney Mike Nifong are seeking the job.

Luster's attorney on the new charges is Jerry Clayton, a partner in the firm where Black went to work after leaving her job as a Durham prosecutor.

Luster said that he has known Black for a while and that she was not aware of his charges. He said that he and the group were trying to help Black's campaign, particularly with black voters. The group, which has performed around the world and has been making records for 60 years, has performed two campaign concerts for Black.

"She asked me to help her in the black community, seeing that I sing with the Sensational Nightingales," Luster said. "I think that the candidates should be judged based on who they are and what they have done ... . To hurt her in any way, I would have rather stayed out of it."

At a candidates forum Tuesday, Nifong referred to Luster's past.

"I am proud to have the support of the Sensational Nightingales. I am proud that he is my black campaign manager," Black said at the forum.

Black has not returned phone messages seeking comment throughout the campaign and one left Wednesday was not returned. A campaign spokesman provided a written response to questions about Luster.

"Looks like Nifong learned more than throwing baseballs from his Little League days. He's a master of mudslinging. From the start that's about all his campaign -- if that's what you call a clique of desperate assistant DAs -- has come up with. We'll see what Durham says on Tuesday," according to the statement from the spokesman, Brad Dixon.

Luster has been a presence at Black's campaign events since he introduced her at a February news conference announcing her candidacy.

Luster, 42, pleaded guilty Sept. 28 to assault on a female. He had been accused of grabbing his wife around the neck and pushing her, causing a bruise and torn skin under her arm, according to court documents. He was placed on probation for a year, according to court records.

Anita Luster said in an interview that the couple had been married for 13 years. On Oct. 31, they were having an argument over whether they could patch things up, she said. Luster thought they could. She disagreed, and he lost his temper, she said.

According to an arrest warrant, Luster held her down on the couch, with a 12-inch knife to her throat. He is accused of hitting her in the mouth with his elbow, busting her lip. He also is accused of telling her, "I will kill you."

When she tried to call for help, authorities say, Luster broke the phone in half.

Darrell Luster declined to comment on the case, which is set for June 21.

"We have not been to trial on it," he said.

Clayton did not return a phone message Wednesday afternoon.

(Staff writer Nikole Hannah-Jones contributed to this report.)