Robert Kraft charged in connection to Prostitution bust in Florida
- Thread starter MadJack
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ZOOMER DONT BE A WISE GUY :nono: I AM A SENIOR MEMBER HERE AT MADJACKS AND I DEMAND RESPECT
JACK CAN YOU TALK TO THE JR MEMBERS IN THE FORUM AND REMIND THEM WHO I AM
JACK CAN YOU TALK TO THE JR MEMBERS IN THE FORUM AND REMIND THEM WHO I AM
- Mar 19, 2006
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Judge orders Robert Kraft to appear in court;
Judge orders Robert Kraft to appear in court; video thrown out in related prostitution case
Jason Owens,Yahoo Sports?May 1, 2019
Robert Kraft won?t escape making a court-appearance for his high-profile solicitation case.
A Florida judge ordered the New England Patriots owner to appear at a May 21 hearing at the conclusion of three days of deliberations over the admissibility of video that allegedly shows Kraft receiving sexual favors at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida.
Ruling on spa video still pending
While Palm Beach County Judge Leonard Hanser ordered Kraft?s appearance, he did not rule on the legality of the alleged incriminating video. He is expected to do so at a later date.
Kraft?s legal team has challenged the video on multiple grounds, including arguing that lead investigator Andrew Sharp illegally obtained the warrant to install hidden cameras at the spa.
Warrant under scrutiny
Police issued a fake bomb threat to install the cameras, a tactic Kraft?s lawyers have argued is reserved for extreme criminal cases including terrorism, bomb making, racketeering and other felonies, not misdemeanor prostitution.
Investigators obtained the warrant to install the cameras while making the case that human trafficking was taking place at the spa. Prosecutors have since admitted that there is no case to pursue human trafficking charges.
Kraft?s legal team argued Wednesday that the video surveillance intruded on the privacy of innocent spa clients who arrived to receive massages and other legitimate services.
?You had people looking at these videos who had no idea what they were doing ... none of the criteria made sense,? Kraft attorney William Burck argued, per the Associated Press. ?That's not because they are bad people. They didn't have instructions. If you have no instructions, the warrant has to go.?
Video ruled inadmissible in related case
The Associated Press reports that a judge in a related case in neighboring Martin County ruled that undercover video of massage parlor patrons was inadmissible because the video did not properly minimize surveillance of non-criminal activity at two spas caught up in a prostitution sting.
Hasner?s decision will be made independent of the Martin County ruling.
Kraft?s ordered appearance on May 21 will be at a hearing to determine if both sides are ready for trial. Kraft is one of 25 men facing charges of soliciting prostitution at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa.
Judge orders Robert Kraft to appear in court; video thrown out in related prostitution case
Jason Owens,Yahoo Sports?May 1, 2019
Robert Kraft won?t escape making a court-appearance for his high-profile solicitation case.
A Florida judge ordered the New England Patriots owner to appear at a May 21 hearing at the conclusion of three days of deliberations over the admissibility of video that allegedly shows Kraft receiving sexual favors at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida.
Ruling on spa video still pending
While Palm Beach County Judge Leonard Hanser ordered Kraft?s appearance, he did not rule on the legality of the alleged incriminating video. He is expected to do so at a later date.
Kraft?s legal team has challenged the video on multiple grounds, including arguing that lead investigator Andrew Sharp illegally obtained the warrant to install hidden cameras at the spa.
Warrant under scrutiny
Police issued a fake bomb threat to install the cameras, a tactic Kraft?s lawyers have argued is reserved for extreme criminal cases including terrorism, bomb making, racketeering and other felonies, not misdemeanor prostitution.
Investigators obtained the warrant to install the cameras while making the case that human trafficking was taking place at the spa. Prosecutors have since admitted that there is no case to pursue human trafficking charges.
Kraft?s legal team argued Wednesday that the video surveillance intruded on the privacy of innocent spa clients who arrived to receive massages and other legitimate services.
?You had people looking at these videos who had no idea what they were doing ... none of the criteria made sense,? Kraft attorney William Burck argued, per the Associated Press. ?That's not because they are bad people. They didn't have instructions. If you have no instructions, the warrant has to go.?
Video ruled inadmissible in related case
The Associated Press reports that a judge in a related case in neighboring Martin County ruled that undercover video of massage parlor patrons was inadmissible because the video did not properly minimize surveillance of non-criminal activity at two spas caught up in a prostitution sting.
Hasner?s decision will be made independent of the Martin County ruling.
Kraft?s ordered appearance on May 21 will be at a hearing to determine if both sides are ready for trial. Kraft is one of 25 men facing charges of soliciting prostitution at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa.
- Mar 19, 2006
- 38,204
- 374
- 83
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- Mar 19, 2006
- 38,204
- 374
- 83
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Keeping Robert Kraft video suppressed remains priority for Patriots owner as case is delayed
Charles RobinsonNFL columnist
,Yahoo Sports?<time class="date Fz(11px) Mb(4px) Fz(13px) C(#9ea2af)" datetime="2019-05-17T17:01:18.000Z" itemprop="datePublished" style="color: rgb(158, 162, 175); font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 4px;">May 17, 2019
</time>
A pivotal hearing that could decide the legal fate of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was postponed to Monday, delaying a crossroads that is expected to either scuttle the solicitation of prostitution case or move it definitively toward a trial.
Judge Leonard Hanser rescheduled the hearing for Monday after reportedly feeling ill.
The development gives the Palm Beach County prosecutors office the weekend to determine if it has any last-minute moves to keep the case on track. That office was delivered a devastating loss earlier this week, when Hanser ruled that surveillance of Kraft inside the Orchids of Asia Day Spa was inadmissible. Kraft?s lawyers are moving to have the video blocked from public release on the grounds that the ?sneak and peek? warrant was improperly executed and therefore illegal in the hopes that would override Florida statutes making videos subject to public release in police cases.
The release of the video would be significant for Kraft. The NFL could use it as grounds for punishment under the broader strokes of the personal conduct policy pertaining to ?detrimental? behavior to the league?s reputation. Kraft?s team appears to have traction in arguing that the warrant producing the video never should have existed and was also flawed in execution.
In his ruling striking down the surveillance evidence, Hasner called the warrant?s privacy measures ?insufficient? and also labeled the video ?seriously flawed? after it captured customers who were not under investigation ? including female patrons ? receiving standard massage treatments at the spa.
Interestingly, until there is a ruling on permanently blocking the release of that video, Kraft appears to still have some significant vulnerability to the whims of the prosecution. Hasner?s order blocking the release of the video stands until only one of three things occurs: The beginning of a trial; a plea agreement resolving the case; or a dismissal of the charges. Under that order, the prosecution could have dropped the charges against Kraft and immediately made the video public in a records dump. Kraft?s attorneys are trying to prevent that.
As for a potential trial, Friday?s delay gives prosecutors more time to mull their options. The pause still appears unlikely to hurt Kraft, given that the lynchpin video evidence in the case has been barred. Undoubtedly, options for even getting the case to trial are dwindling. Unless new evidence suddenly surfaces or one of the other individuals charged in the case chooses to testify against Kraft ? which appeared unlikely as of Friday ? it?s not clear if authorities have any remaining path to support trial.
That?s part of what made Friday?s hearing a significant moment. A ?status check? in the case was expected to result in prosecutors confronting the significant headwinds in maintaining the two misdemeanor charges of soliciting prostitution that stand against the Patriots owner. Without some turn of events, those headwinds are likely to still exist Monday. And that is ultimately expected to lead to a motion for dismissal by Kraft?s attorneys if the charges aren?t withdrawn by the prosecutor?s office next week.
If and when that resolution materializes, it will move Kraft into a more pressing question: Whether the NFL will seek to punish him under the personal conduct policy in the coming months. If the video in the Kraft case never sees the light of day, the league would have to navigate the question of whether Kraft?s legal entanglements ? even without a trial ? were ?detrimental? to the NFL?s image. Or whether his statement of apology at the onset of the charges, in which he expressed vague contrition and understanding being held to a ?higher standard? is enough to hold him accountable for the past several months of headlines.
Given how hard Kraft?s legal team has battled to wipe out two misdemeanor charges in Palm Beach County, it stands to reason that he?s setting up to fight the NFL on the granular points of the personal conduct as well. If Kraft ultimately wasn?t prosecuted and no evidence exists publicly to suggest he broke the law, it might be difficult for the league to find his defense against charges as ?detrimental? conduct.
For now, that?s a quagmire for another day. One that was delayed Friday. But the resolution to his legal charges is coming, likely as early as next week, setting the stage for a stare down with the NFL next.
Charles RobinsonNFL columnist
,Yahoo Sports?<time class="date Fz(11px) Mb(4px) Fz(13px) C(#9ea2af)" datetime="2019-05-17T17:01:18.000Z" itemprop="datePublished" style="color: rgb(158, 162, 175); font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 4px;">May 17, 2019
</time>
A pivotal hearing that could decide the legal fate of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was postponed to Monday, delaying a crossroads that is expected to either scuttle the solicitation of prostitution case or move it definitively toward a trial.
Judge Leonard Hanser rescheduled the hearing for Monday after reportedly feeling ill.
The development gives the Palm Beach County prosecutors office the weekend to determine if it has any last-minute moves to keep the case on track. That office was delivered a devastating loss earlier this week, when Hanser ruled that surveillance of Kraft inside the Orchids of Asia Day Spa was inadmissible. Kraft?s lawyers are moving to have the video blocked from public release on the grounds that the ?sneak and peek? warrant was improperly executed and therefore illegal in the hopes that would override Florida statutes making videos subject to public release in police cases.
The release of the video would be significant for Kraft. The NFL could use it as grounds for punishment under the broader strokes of the personal conduct policy pertaining to ?detrimental? behavior to the league?s reputation. Kraft?s team appears to have traction in arguing that the warrant producing the video never should have existed and was also flawed in execution.
In his ruling striking down the surveillance evidence, Hasner called the warrant?s privacy measures ?insufficient? and also labeled the video ?seriously flawed? after it captured customers who were not under investigation ? including female patrons ? receiving standard massage treatments at the spa.
Interestingly, until there is a ruling on permanently blocking the release of that video, Kraft appears to still have some significant vulnerability to the whims of the prosecution. Hasner?s order blocking the release of the video stands until only one of three things occurs: The beginning of a trial; a plea agreement resolving the case; or a dismissal of the charges. Under that order, the prosecution could have dropped the charges against Kraft and immediately made the video public in a records dump. Kraft?s attorneys are trying to prevent that.
As for a potential trial, Friday?s delay gives prosecutors more time to mull their options. The pause still appears unlikely to hurt Kraft, given that the lynchpin video evidence in the case has been barred. Undoubtedly, options for even getting the case to trial are dwindling. Unless new evidence suddenly surfaces or one of the other individuals charged in the case chooses to testify against Kraft ? which appeared unlikely as of Friday ? it?s not clear if authorities have any remaining path to support trial.
That?s part of what made Friday?s hearing a significant moment. A ?status check? in the case was expected to result in prosecutors confronting the significant headwinds in maintaining the two misdemeanor charges of soliciting prostitution that stand against the Patriots owner. Without some turn of events, those headwinds are likely to still exist Monday. And that is ultimately expected to lead to a motion for dismissal by Kraft?s attorneys if the charges aren?t withdrawn by the prosecutor?s office next week.
If and when that resolution materializes, it will move Kraft into a more pressing question: Whether the NFL will seek to punish him under the personal conduct policy in the coming months. If the video in the Kraft case never sees the light of day, the league would have to navigate the question of whether Kraft?s legal entanglements ? even without a trial ? were ?detrimental? to the NFL?s image. Or whether his statement of apology at the onset of the charges, in which he expressed vague contrition and understanding being held to a ?higher standard? is enough to hold him accountable for the past several months of headlines.
Given how hard Kraft?s legal team has battled to wipe out two misdemeanor charges in Palm Beach County, it stands to reason that he?s setting up to fight the NFL on the granular points of the personal conduct as well. If Kraft ultimately wasn?t prosecuted and no evidence exists publicly to suggest he broke the law, it might be difficult for the league to find his defense against charges as ?detrimental? conduct.
For now, that?s a quagmire for another day. One that was delayed Friday. But the resolution to his legal charges is coming, likely as early as next week, setting the stage for a stare down with the NFL next.
- Mar 19, 2006
- 38,204
- 374
- 83
- 74
Prosecutors granted more time in Kraft case
ESPN May 21, 2019
Any hopes Robert Kraft might have that his solicitation of prostitution case will be resolved before the NFL season begins took a hit Tuesday, when a Florida judge granted prosecutors' request to extend the time they have to bring Kraft to a speedy trial.
It's a small victory for the Palm Beach County State Attorney's office after Judge Leonard Hanser handed them a major defeat earlier this month, ruling that video surveillance of Kraft -- the only evidence known to implicate him -- could not be used as evidence in the case.
Prosecutors announced their intention to appeal that decision Friday, and it won't be heard until Sept. 4 at the earliest. Without knowing the result of that appeal, prosecutors argued they can't prepare for a trial and thus need extra time to bring a case to court. Hanser granted the request, although he did not set a specific timetable.
Kraft was charged in February with two misdemeanor counts of solicitation after police said he was videoed paying for, and receiving, sexual services at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida, in January. Kraft has pleaded not guilty.
ESPN May 21, 2019
- ESPN
Any hopes Robert Kraft might have that his solicitation of prostitution case will be resolved before the NFL season begins took a hit Tuesday, when a Florida judge granted prosecutors' request to extend the time they have to bring Kraft to a speedy trial.
It's a small victory for the Palm Beach County State Attorney's office after Judge Leonard Hanser handed them a major defeat earlier this month, ruling that video surveillance of Kraft -- the only evidence known to implicate him -- could not be used as evidence in the case.
Prosecutors announced their intention to appeal that decision Friday, and it won't be heard until Sept. 4 at the earliest. Without knowing the result of that appeal, prosecutors argued they can't prepare for a trial and thus need extra time to bring a case to court. Hanser granted the request, although he did not set a specific timetable.
Kraft was charged in February with two misdemeanor counts of solicitation after police said he was videoed paying for, and receiving, sexual services at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida, in January. Kraft has pleaded not guilty.
