IMF Chairman Arrested for Sexual Assault by NYPD

[alfred russel]

Without the DNA evidence, there would be the possibility that the event never happened.

I suppose his version of events could make sense, if he could prove she was a hustler on the side ... but really, aside from pay-for-play, it's gonna be hard to get a jury to buy that a youngish working hotel maid was overcome with instant lust at the sight of this guy, and in the spot agreed to a vigorous mouth-fucking. 

What would be plausible (based on some of the stories to come out) is that he goes through life hitting on every service type woman with a pulse, and eventually one of them realizes, "Hey, I make $8 an hour, this guy is in a $3,000 a night hotel room, if I agree and then call the cops saying it wasn't consentual, I could probably get a settlement out of it."

That isn't a workable defense strategy, but I would be amused by the defense calling a long series of women to testify, "yes, the first time I met him, he made lewd comments about my ass and propositioned me."

... you might splooge on the maid ... you know, the usual. 

[The Brain]

I often get loud comments about my ass.

[DGuller]

I often get loud comments about my ass.

[Malthus]

Without the DNA evidence, there would be the possibility that the event never happened.

I suppose his version of events could make sense, if he could prove she was a hustler on the side ... but really, aside from pay-for-play, it's gonna be hard to get a jury to buy that a youngish working hotel maid was overcome with instant lust at the sight of this guy, and in the spot agreed to a vigorous mouth-fucking. 

What would be plausible (based on some of the stories to come out) is that he goes through life hitting on every service type woman with a pulse, and eventually one of them realizes, "Hey, I make $8 an hour, this guy is in a $3,000 a night hotel room, if I agree and then call the cops saying it wasn't consentual, I could probably get a settlement out of it."

That isn't a workable defense strategy, but I would be amused by the defense calling a long series of women to testify, "yes, the first time I met him, he made lewd comments about my ass and propositioned me."

... you might splooge on the maid ... you know, the usual. 

I like the "well, for $3,000 a night, I thought mouth-fucking the maid was included" defence. 

[citizen k]

NEW YORK (AP) — Former International Monetary Fund Leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn will have his pricey bail substantially reduced in his sexual assault case because of issues with his accuser's credibility, a person familiar with the case said Thursday.

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss matters not yet made public in court, said prosecutors have raised issues about the credibility of the hotel housekeeper who has accused Strauss-Kahn of raping her, but would not elaborate on what those issues were.

The New York Times first reported that the investigators uncovered major holes in the maid's credibility, citing two law enforcement officials. One of the officials told the Times that the woman has repeatedly lied since making the initial allegation May 14.

The woman's lawyer did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.

Another person familiar with the case, speaking on conditions of anonymity for the same reason, said earlier Thursday that Strauss-Kahn may get his pricey bail and house arrest arrangement eased in the case. The person declined to detail what the new bail arrangements might be.

Strauss-Kahn lawyer William W. Taylor would say only that the hearing was to review the bail plan. The Manhattan District Attorney's office declined to comment.

Strauss-Kahn has been under armed guard in a Manhattan townhouse after posting a total of $6 million in cash bail and bond. He denies the allegations.

Strauss-Kahn was held without bail for nearly a week after his May arrest. His lawyers ultimately persuaded a judge to release him by agreeing to extensive — and expensive — conditions, including an ankle monitor, surveillance cameras and armed guards. He can leave for only for court, weekly religious services and visits to doctors and his lawyers, and prosecutors must be notified at least six hours before he goes anywhere.

The security measures were estimated to cost him about $200,000 a month, on top of the $50,000-a-month rent on a town house in trendy TriBeCa. He settled there after a hasty and fraught househunt: A plan to rent an apartment in a tony building on Manhattan's Upper East Side fell through after residents complained about the hubbub as reporters and police milled around the building.

Under New York law, judges base bail decisions on factors including defendants' characters, financial resources and criminal records, as well as the strength of the case against them — all intended to help gauge how likely they are to flee if released.

Defendants and prosecutors can raise the issue of bail at any point in a case. It's common, if asking a judge to revisit a bail decision, to argue that new information or new proposed conditions change how one or more of the factors should be viewed.

The 32-year-old maid told police that Strauss-Kahn chased her down a hallway in his $3,000-a-night suite in the Sofitel hotel, tried to pull down her pantyhose and forced her to perform oral sex before she broke free.

Strauss-Kahn's lawyers have said the encounter wasn't forcible, and that they have unreleased information that could "gravely undermine the credibility" of the housekeeper. Her lawyer has said she is prepared to testify despite a "smear campaign" against her.

The Associated Press generally does not identify accusers in sex crime cases unless they agree to it.

Strauss-Kahn, 62, was in New York on a personal trip. He left the hotel shortly after the alleged assault — to have lunch with a relative, his attorneys have said.

During his initial bail hearings, prosecutors noted that Strauss-Kahn was arrested on a Paris-bound plane at John F. Kennedy International Airport, and that they could not compel his return from France if he fled. His lawyers have underscored that it was a long-planned flight, and they've said he wants to return to court to clear his name.

He resigned his IMF post after his arrest.

[MadImmortalMan]

Wow. Surprising. I totally didn't see that coming.

[DGuller]

Now we're not sure if she did see it coming either.

[The Brain]

Now we're not sure if she did see it coming either.

[Martinus]

I hope he becomes the next President of the Republic.

[Duque de Bragança]

I hope he becomes the next President of the Republic.

Almost too late to apply as a PS candidate, sorry. He has till July 13th

PS: edited

[jimmy olsen]

Wasn't it reported that there was significant physical evidence?

[CountDeMoney]

I bet Christine Lagarde was a wild bitch in the 70s.

[Brazen]

As reported by a friend in France:

Just saw that the woman who accused Strauss-Kahn of raping her is known to have lied on her asylum application and to have links with money laundering and organised crime....ooops! Prosecution says it needs to talk to the judge asap. Given that this man is, or was, the main contender to run against Sarkozy, France is watching all this like a hawk. If it DOES turn out to be ill-founded, it will be quite a blot on the escutcheon of US justice.

[garbon]

As reported by a friend in France:

Just saw that the woman who accused Strauss-Kahn of raping her is known to have lied on her asylum application and to have links with money laundering and organised crime....ooops! Prosecution says it needs to talk to the judge asap. Given that this man is, or was, the main contender to run against Sarkozy, France is watching all this like a hawk. If it DOES turn out to be ill-founded, it will be quite a blot on the escutcheon of US justice.

Like we care if France is unhappy.

[grumbler]

As reported by a friend in France:

Just saw that the woman who accused Strauss-Kahn of raping her is known to have lied on her asylum application and to have links with money laundering and organised crime....ooops! Prosecution says it needs to talk to the judge asap. Given that this man is, or was, the main contender to run against Sarkozy, France is watching all this like a hawk. If it DOES turn out to be ill-founded, it will be quite a blot on the escutcheon of US justice.

I can certainly understand the ill-founded assumption that, because facts later arise that throw the credibility of the complainant into question, it is somehow "quite a blot on the escutcheon of US justice" (after all, we daily see here such leaps of delusion), I don't see this as "news."  The fact is that the system is clearly working as it should - the current doubts should be raised, and are being raised by those who should raise them, as far as I can tell.  There was no "J'Accuse" needed in this case.

I also don't see that the woman "is known to have lied on her asylum application."  She misremembered what she put on the application, from what I can tell, but that's not the same as lying on the application itself.