Is the Head of the IMF a Sex Criminal?

It might be best hawk to draw a veil over the whole sorry mess. Money and sexual prurience were the drivers.

Have you been surprised by the prosecutor's decision to opt for dropping the charges?

Not particularly in light of what I had recently read in the press. But a general point of view, yes I was surprised, because so many cases usually go to trial on the basis much more tenuous. I think DSK got some kind of special treatment. Generally, in a typical case where a woman says she was raped and where there are questions about its credibility, the case goes to trial, especially if there is evidence of a physical relationship. He was entitled to special consideration, as sometimes happens in the context of hyper-publicized cases. It was a case much stronger than for the prosecution against Mike Tyson. But Mike Tyson spent several years in prison on the basis of statements of a liar who had previously falsely accused someone of rape.

How would you rate the way the Office of the Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. has led the process so far?

Erratic. It was too brutal and too weak at the beginning to end. This is unusual. First, it should never have been charged DSK as quickly or put in prison as he did at first, by scrolling to the press ("perp walk"). It was terrible. There was a rush into the decision on whether to continue, and precipitation in the decision not to prosecute. It is an exemplary case of the flexibility of the charge that I will teach my students. And I think they will do a better job than the professionals in this case.

What are the chances of success of the civil action brought by counsel for the complainant?

Pretty good, especially since it will be before a court in the Bronx where the jury will not be very favorable to DSK and will have more sympathy for the alleged victim. Which would be very embarrassing if it wins the Kenneth Thompson civil remedy and that the jury decided unanimously that there has been rape. The standard of proof is different. What will make a big difference is that it is then a matter of money and not go to jail.

Do you still believe in the possibility of a financial transaction as part of civil procedure?

It's possible. Obviously, Kenneth Thompson began to back the prosecutor's office. But this should not play in civil proceedings. However, if a transaction, even discrete, everyone will know and it will be seen as a form of admission of guilt.

Do not you think that the fact that the complainant lied about a prior rape in connection with his application for asylum has played a major role?

Apparently, immigration experts say that any assertion of a sexual assault is commonplace within the claims. Many people who lie are still violated. I even wrote a novel about it ("The Devil's Advocate").

How does the handling of this case it means the effectiveness of the American legal system to you?

It is not in a very favorable. There are thousands of people currently in prison on the basis of elements of guilt much lower. If one were to consistently apply this treatment, as would be desirable, it would reopen many cases, including the case of Mike Tyson. That said, I am more and more in favor of releasing the potential culprit rather than condemn the innocent potential. If you believe in this principle is a good result. For my part, I would not, however, dismissed the case so quickly and I would have gone further investigations. DSK's lawyers have done a great job. The most important thing a lawyer needs to know is when he should not speak.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - An appeals court denied a request for a special prosecutor in the criminal sexual assault case of former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn, NBC TV New York reported.

The state court of appeals decision in New York was expected after a trial level judge denied the bid by lawyers for Strauss-Kahn's accuser to replace the prosecutor. The trial judge also ordered the charges dismissed following a motion by the office of the Manhattan District Attorney.

Easy for you to say, you dont live under threat of attack from the US "justice" system....

No question that Tyson is an asshole now and then and that did not aid him when he was charge with rape.

Tyson is not an abuser of women

He did not beat up his one wife what her name

I remember his wife make him do a strange TV interview where he kind of confessed to abusing her.

The couple left court without speaking to reporters but issued a statement in English afterward.

“These past two and a half months have been a nightmare for me and my family,” he said. “I want to thank all the friends in France and in the United States who have believed in my innocence, and to the thousands of people who sent us their support personally and in writing. I am most deeply grateful to my wife and family who have gone through this ordeal with me. ...

“We will have nothing further to say about this matter and we look forward to returning to our home and resuming something of a more normal life.

NYC Earthquake Interrupts Dominique Strauss-Kahn Press Conference
8/23/11

The 5.8 earthquake that hit Virginia and was felt in New York City didn't just rattle offices and houses, it also affected one of the biggest news story of the summer -- the dismissal of charges against Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

It was reported earlier today that DA Cy Vance would be dropping all criminal charges against the embattled IMF chief, and on Tuesday afternoon he took to the podium to announce the news. After months of litigation and speculation, the scandal had finally come to an end. And the news didn't bode well for Vance. Luckily for the DA, his press conference was interrupted by the tremors felt in New York City.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/23/nyc-earthquake-interrupts_n_934277.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

Vance seems to have everyone else angry at him, including virtually every minority group in the City, about his dropping the case.