Robert Kraft case prosecutors appeal judge’s video decision
The prosecution team in the Robert Kraft prostitution case have appealed a judge’s decision that surveillance video evidence is inadmissible in the trial.
Just when it seemed that the ongoing saga surrounding New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft might be coming to a close, a new development threatens to prolong the case even further.
Judge Leonard Hanser had previously ruled on Monday that surveillance video footage taken from the Orchids of Asia Day Spa would be inadmissible in any court trial, due to the camera recordings violating the freedoms and privacies of spa customers who visited it legally. The ruling was considered to be a pivotal victory for Kraft and the 24 other men being charged, as without the video evidence as proof, the prosecution’s case is believed to be insubstantial and potentially without merit.
As a result, Palm Beach County prosecutors fired back on Friday afternoon, officially filing an appeal of Judge Hanser’s decision. William Burck, one of Kraft’s high-powered attorneys, issued a statement in response to the appeal on Friday as well:
"“No evidence means no trial. So the State had only two options — drop the case or appeal. They chose to appeal, but we are confident the appellate court will agree with Judge Hanser and the other judges who threw out their illegally obtained evidence.”"
Kraft was charged with solicitation less than three weeks after his Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams, 13-3, in Super Bowl 53. He faces two misdemeanor charges for allegedly paying for and then receiving sexual services from at least two different massage parlor employees on two separate occasions right around the same time as the AFC Championship Game.
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He and the other defendants reportedly caught in the sting were offered a plea deal in which prosecutors pledged to drop the charges and expunge their records if all the accused parties admitted they would have lost their cases had they gone to trial. It is believed that Kraft rejected such a deal, as he has maintained his innocence throughout this entire ordeal – although he did publicly apologize for his role in the scandal.