Florida judges seal the so-called Kraft prostitution tapes until the trial begins or the case is resolved

2021-11-25 11:52:06 By : Ms. Alice Yang

A Florida judge ordered the production of a controversial police surveillance video on Tuesday, which allegedly showed New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and a prostitute locked up in a strip mall massage parlor until the jury So or his criminal case was resolved through a plea agreement or his charges were dropped.

The 15th Judicial Circuit judge Leonard Hanser's ruling wrote that what Kraft was accused of doing "may seem quite tacky but quite unremarkable to ordinary people." "But if that person is the owner of the most successful franchise in the most popular professional sport in the United States, then there will be a completely different dynamic, especially if the encounter is recorded on a video tape..."

Hansel's order marked a major legal victory for Kraft. The 77-year-old widower won six Super Bowl titles in just 17 years.

Kraft’s growing team of lawyers will argue in front of Hansel in West Palm Beach on Friday that he will prohibit the use of these videos as evidence if his two misdemeanor charges of soliciting prostitution are tried. The billionaire's lawyer stated in another court document that they had called 26 witnesses to testify at Friday's hearing unless the prosecutor prevented them from doing so.

"This case has attracted great media attention, not because of the nature of the suspected crime. On the contrary, it is because he is the defendant," Hansel wrote in his 10-page decision. The judge pointed out that he had not seen these tapes.

Apart from moving the case to another location, Hanser stated that there is no other option other than sealing the tape to protect Kraft's right to a fair trial.

"It is difficult for this court to see how the opportunity to provide preview evidence does not jeopardize the defendant's right to a fair trial," he wrote. "Although the defendant's name may be well-known as a public figure, his facial features and body image are probably not so well-known."

Hanser pointed out that in the final stage of jury selection, the trial team must not discuss evidence.

"If these videotapes were put in the public domain," he wrote, "things that are not allowed in terrible circumstances would have been done long ago. The jury guarantees that the defendant will receive a fair and just trial, not a community trial."

Hanser stipulates that he reserves the right to reconsider his orders, depending on his rules for suppressing issues.

At least 42 media organizations from all over the country have obtained intervener status in the Kraft case, hoping to obtain the alleged record that he was served by two 45-year-old and 58-year-old prostitutes at Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida On January 19th, and on January 20th, with the 45-year-old player again-the same day the Patriots defeated the Kansas City Chiefs to win the AFC Champions League.

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