Consent is Strauss-Kahn's likely defence, but the battle will be ugly

[steve2470]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/18/strauss-kahn-defence-likely-consent

As Dominique Strauss-Kahn continues to contemplate the vagaries of fate from his prison cell on Rikers Island, legal experts have begun to amass on either side of what promises to be a long and potentially ugly court battle.

Teams of lawyers for the prosecution and defence are starting to muster their arguments, dispatching investigators around the globe. The cases they compile over the next few days and weeks are likely to set the tone for any future trial.

The prosecution side is led by the Manhattan district attorney's office and its special victims bureau, one of the oldest units in the US to deal with rape and other sex crimes. Closely advised by the New York police, it put together the charges against Strauss-Kahn, which include two counts of committing a criminal sexual act, attempted rape, sexual abuse, forcible touching and unlawful imprisonment.

The charge sheet accuses the IMF chief of having locked a maid in his room at the Sofitel hotel in Manhattan on Saturday, after which he grabbed her chest without consent, attempted to strip her and make further sexual contact with her.

[TheWraith]

1. He probably pretty much screwed himself by going from denying it happened, to this.

If he had said from the start "Yes, I played (insert clever "polishing" euphemism here) with the maid, and she wanted it," he might have had a case. Denying it happened, then changing his story, pretty much puts it out there that he has something to hide.

[MineralMan]

2. Well, I wish him real good luck with all that.

I don't think it will wash with a NYC jury. Nope, I don't. Not one bit.

[Misskittycat]

3. So -- what happened to that alibi defense?

The old "I wasn't there, but if I was there, she consented" defense?

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. I cannot wait for the spinners that this was a trap

et al to come and this was NOT rape...

[leftstreet]

6. Ferchrissakes it's not 'spin,' it's speculation

No one has any details

[mn9driver]

8. You've noticed that, too?

Any comment other than "guilty" and "bad" is immediately jumped on as some sort of spin or support.

Whatev.

[roguevalley]

7. other threads already imply she took cash for this shit.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Yep, with the rest of the fairly easy to predict smears in rape cases

I mean the panty hose one came crazy... and of course the classic... HE WAS NEKID! I loved THAT ONE.

[damntexdem]

5. I guess she must have consented while he was eating in a restaurant while it was happening.

;-)

[applegrove]

10. Poor woman was just minding her own business and now she is involved in this. I hope she is strong.