July 1 - Prosecutors agreed to release former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn on his own recognizance, two people familiar with the matter said. Strauss-Kahn, accused of a sexual attack on a hotel maid in New York, would still be subject to travel restrictions and will have his bail returned, these people said.
The Manhattan District Attorneys office plans to tell a New York state court judge today that its investigation raised doubts about the victims credibility, said a third person familiar with the matter. Prosecutors disclosed the information to Strauss-Kahns lawyers, the person said. At that 11:30 a.m. hearing before New York State Supreme Court Justice Michael Obus, the bail issue is scheduled to be discussed.
When the district attorney outlined the charges voted on by the grand jury, he said the office would continue to investigate the facts of this case, wherever they lead, Erin Duggan, a spokeswoman for Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., said in an e-mail today in response to questions about the handling of the case. That is exactly what the office has done.
There will be certain disclosures made about the credibility of the witness, Benjamin Brafman, Strauss-Kahns lawyer, said yesterday in a phone interview.
The hearing scheduled for today will include a request for substantial modifications to Strauss-Kahns bail conditions, Brafman said. He declined to comment further.
Strauss-Kahn, 62, is accused of attacking a housekeeper, a 32- year-old from Guinea, at the Midtown Manhattan Sofitel on May 14, grabbing her breasts and trying to pull down her pantyhose, prosecutors have said in court papers. The former IMF chief attempted to rape her and forced her to engage in oral sex, according to the indictment.
In a May 25 letter to the Manhattan district attorney complaining about media leaks in the case, Brafman and co- counsel William Taylor III said that, if they wanted to feed the media frenzy, they could release information that would gravely undermine the credibility of the woman.
The prosecutors office responded in a letter May 26 saying it was troubled by the defense lawyers claims they possessed information that might negatively affect the case and the womans credibility.
We are aware of no such information, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon wrote. If you really do possess the kind of information that you suggest that you do, we trust you will forward it immediately.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/01/2011 11:37 ||
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#1
OK, I'm losing the plot here. Is Dominique the man or the woman?
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/01/2011 12:25 Comments ||
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#3
It is bugging me that his representatives seem to be trying to establish that the woman is Without Honor (tm) and thereby establishing his supposed innocence.
The NYT has a story that says that the accuser in the Kahn case may have an agenda, may have lied about multiple issues, and may be involved in a drug ring. The AP has a similar story with what are said to be different sources.
This puts a very different twist on the story. It doesn't mean Kahn is innocent or guilty. It means that the accusation is a mess.
As in the Duke rape case, it always pays to let a thorough investigation play out. Those of us, including me, who were quick to assume things about Mr. Kahn may owe the man (whatever kind of jerk he may be with regards to other women) an apology.
1) a lot of other women are coming out of the woodwork to talk about him
2) there are limits to what a 'Socialist' can do in public, and he's exceeded those limits with his lavish lifestyle
But I've already been wrong once on this one.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/01/2011 1:05 Comments ||
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#3
willing to let it play out, however, the multiple sources, the buy-out offers by DSK friends, et al, lean me toward "arrogant asshole who thinks hotel staff is his plaything". See: "algore - crazed sex poodle". Irregardless, this is an unstable predator-like personality who should be domestically beaten, if not jailed.
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/01/2011 1:12 Comments ||
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#6
Early on, it was suggested that his best defense is to use his wealth and connections to destroy his accuser.
Examine the story. If indeed they are citing police investigators, who are anonymous in the story, then those investigators are unethical. And since the NYT seems to have no problem fabricating its stories to support its friends and attack its enemies...
The forensic evidence is that her clothing had his semen on it.
She is an illegal alien, with little education, and likely no great comprehension of legal trickery or linguistic tricks that create the appearance of lying on the part of a witness.
Then assume she is involved in a drug ring, uses drugs, etc. Can a drug user be raped? It is an apples and oranges argument.
Likewise, the idea that a hotel maid would be part of a grand conspiracy to tear down a great and noble internationalist banker, just because he likes to rape peasants a little.
#7
A "maid" with hundreds of dollars worth of phone charges every month, who has had many "individuals" make deposits to her bank account totalling over $50,000 per year?
This reminds me of the story about the old hooker who came back with $13.25.
#8
I personally think the NYT is on a mission to save their precious DSK and the reputation of the IMF. My goodness, that bastion of internationalism and socialist principals has to be saved at all cost, so what if it costs a poor maid her reputation?
Of course, the press will always go over the top initially on any kind of high profile sex crime. AND all of the police departments of every major city have political agendas that require press time to get television time, foster the perception of "tough on crime" and get votes.
Now that everyone has taken a deep breath and the NYT is running cover for Strauss-Kahn, this will disappear under the media rug.
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
07/01/2011 10:49 Comments ||
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#9
...the NYT seems to have no problem fabricating its stories...
That was the first thought to cross my mind. But, whatever, this case needs to go to trial and until it does DSK needs to be considered a flight risk.
#12
Court ends house arrest for former IMF chief
Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who has been under strict house arrest on charges of attempted rape of a hotel housekeeper, was released on his own recognizance today after prosecutors called the accuser's credibility into question.
Update at 12:48 p.m. ET: District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. says the charges against Strauss-Kahn have not been dismissed and the investigation will continue.
#14
The New York Times is not above a smear to help a fellow socialist. Whether or not the victim, to call her what she is, lied or had bad friends or took money illegally ultimately make, or at least should make, little difference to the matter at hand: rape.
It is entirely possible for a person receiving the proceeds of illegal activity to be raped. The apparent thrust of the article is that it matters.
Jerome Kersland, the guy who shot the kid in the farmacia robbery last year, had lied to police in the initial interview about having military experience, which he in truth did not. That he lied in an interview about matters that had nothing to do with the crime he was eventually convicted of did not make even the smallest difference as to whether to prosecute the case. It was a little detail the cops had no business releasing to smear Kersland, as if they needed this tidbit to charge him.
If they cut this Frog f*cker loose, every case, and I mean every rape case I read from here on about I will point out every tiny bad thing about the victim to show why the accused must be released.
If they release this frog f*cker, it will change how rape law are pursued, or at least how they should be pursued:
She did ganja? She must not have been raped!
She slept with her college professor five years before the incident in question? It must mean she wasn't raped!
#16
Bad., it's not so much as he didn't rape her as she will not make a credible witness. The burden of proof is on the prosecution and with a proven liar & probable criminal, this woman will not (and should not) be able to make an accusation that is "beyond all shadow of a doubt".
The Department of Justice sent out a memo Wednesday instructing the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration and leading officials in the U.S. Attorneys Office to treat medical marijuana shops as top priorities for prosecutors and drug investigators.
"Persons who are in the business of cultivating, selling or distributing marijuana, and those who knowingly facilitate such activities, are in violation of the Controlled Substances Act, regardless of state law," the memo reads. "Consistent with resource constraints and the discretion you may exercise in your district, such persons are subject to federal enforcement action, including potential prosecution. State laws or local ordinances are not a defense to civil or criminal enforcement of federal law with respect to such conduct, including enforcement of the CSA."
The memo, authored by Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole, "clarifies" a memo released in 2009 that declared medical marijuana sales in states that have legalized it to be a low priority for law enforcement and prosecutors. The so-called "Ogden memo" first appeared to drug law reformers as evidence that President Obama was dialing back the war on drugs. The DEA and U.S. Attorneys office continued to raid and prosecute state-legal grow operations and marijuana shops after the memo was first circulated, leading reformers to conclude that Obama was lying when he said that his administration would not be doing those things. Seriously? This is your top priority with the economy in the shitter, your ATF and DOJ doing gunwalker and you starting a 6th war in Somalia with drone strikes? Does he just realized he killed a large portion of is rabid fan base with this shit? As a person with a wife on the program and it has been the only pain killer that allows her to have some quality of life this just further pisses me off. These little consortiums aren't the enemy. They follow the state law, pay their taxes and then get the fucking black helicopter and SWAT team raiding their houses. They are mostly Obama supporters and feel very betrayed. To me this just seems like any sovereignty the states try to exude, whether this or thumbing your nose at the EPA leads to a massive crackdown by the Feds. I am starting to feel like the Colonists complaining about the Stamp act.
#7
The California Correctional Peace Officers Union is the most powerful union in California, politically even more powerful than SEIU, and it is adamantly opposed to any form of marijuana reform. It wants the longest possible sentences for marijuana users.
Other prison guards unions are equally opposed to any decriminalization or medical marijuana.
#2
Minnesota has more often than not been "progressive" camp over the years. That is part of their problem. The other thing going on is hardball politics. The usual sleezy response of politicians; shut down most visible services that affect taxpayers--at the same time crying "Woe is us, see we need more money! Harbinger of government shutdowns to come across the U.S.?
#4
Every Pub. Rep. campaigned and won on the promise to balance the budget (5 Bill. deficit) by reducing the rate of spending. Gov. Dayton (BiPolar MN) campaigned and won by promising the unions and special intrests to "invest" more by taxing the rich. Sound familliar?
#5
The disgusting thing is they had an agreement last night at 8:00 PM and Governor Bipolar rejected it.
In order to work out an agreement, we have to wait for the governor to get to the right pole, and keep him from switching personalities till he signs the agreement.
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
07/01/2011 11:25 Comments ||
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#6
So, they are losing money on $18 admissions?
Ever since the animals voted to join a union...
Cut 'em a little slack, these wern't Indian elephants like in the Atlanta Zoo, these card counters were damn serious --- with ivory backed up by Hippo torpedos ready to do what hippos do.
Posted by: S ||
07/01/2011 11:34 Comments ||
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#7
Critical functions such as state troopers, prison guards, the courts and disaster responses will continue.
So then it's easy. These are the things we need the state to do. They can stop doing everything else. The state has no business trying to run a zoo.
#8
Meanwhile, GREEN LANTERN Fans, over in Califerney ways ....
* DRUDGEREPORT > [Southern California]SOCAL LOOKS TO SECEDE FROM CALIFORNIA | OFFICIAL CALLS FOR RIVERSIDE, 12 OTHER COUNTIES TO SECEDE FROM CALIFORNIA, to form the new State of South California as proposed by Riverside County SUpy Jeff Stone vee better management, resolution of local budget, econ woes???
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
The Department of Justice sent out a memo Wednesday instructing the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration and leading officials in the U.S. Attorneys Office to treat medical marijuana shops as top priorities for prosecutors and drug investigators.
