DURHAM, N.C. (AP) -- District Attorney Mike Nifong issued an apology to the three former Duke lacrosse players cleared of attacking a stripper.

Nifong acknowledges the decision by state prosecutors' to dismiss all charges against them was correct.

In a statement, he said: "To the extent that I made judgments that ultimately proved to be incorrect, I apologize to the three students that were wrongly accused."

Nifong's apology came the day after Attorney General Roy Cooper dropped all remaining charges against Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty and David Evans.

Cooper also declared them innocent and said they were the victims of Nifong's "tragic rush to accuse."

Nifong also said he understands "that whenever someone has been wrongly accused, the harm caused by the accusations might not be immediately undone merely by dismissing them."

The prosecutor says he hopes Cooper's actions "will serve to remedy any remaining injury that has resulted from these cases."

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)