News of Turnaround in Dominique Strauss-Kahn Case Stuns France

The New York Times  ^ | July 1 2011 |  ALAN COWELL

[Cincinna]

PARIS—The release of Dominique Strauss-Kahn on Friday from house arrest in New York represented a startling turnaround, sharpening the focus of political debate here on a central and potent issue: with the weakening of sexual assault charges against him, will he be able to resume a potentially stellar career that could lead to the presidency of his country?

The question divided opinion as much among Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s own Socialist Party followers as those on the right. Moments after his release, the party spokesman, Benoît Hamon, told reporters that the court’s decision had come as an “intense relief.” Beyond that, the calculation likely to absorb party strategists revolved around the degree to which Mr. Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, had been damaged by weeks of disclosures and accusations that, even days ago, seemed to have drawn an abrupt and indelible line across his ambitions and his career.

Before Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s release from house arrest, two well-placed law enforcement officials in New York said that the case against him was on the verge of collapse because of major questions about the credibility of his accuser, a hotel housekeeper who said he had sexually assaulted her in a suite at the Sofitel hotel in Manhattan in mid-May.

The surprising shift in his favor both fascinated and divided France on Friday, spurring calls from his supporters for his rehabilitation. “France needs his competence, his talents and his international standing,” said the former culture minister Jack Lang, a Socialist and close ally. Earlier, other Socialists expressed doubts.

“Let’s all stay calm,” Gérard Le Gall, a Socialist and public opinion expert, said hours before a court in Manhattan changed the terms of Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s bail, freeing him on his own recognizance.

[Cicero]

Oh, sure. Famous name, indeed, even if he inherited it. But he has simply been mentioned in the articles. Not the kind of headline grabbing stuff that you sometimes see, with the primary focus is on the prosecutor and his latest showboating.

[Revolting cat!]

As the DA, Cyrus the Great has been in charge of the case. See this morning WSJ.

[Revolting cat!]

http://www.lewrockwell.com/anderson/anderson318.html

[EDINVA]

At a trial the credibility of witnesses is critical. It won’t make sense for the prosecutors to take this to trial, even if a rape did occur, if this woman’s word cannot be taken as truthful.

Apparently what she did out of order was to call her incarcerated boyfriend, all of whose phone calls are recorded, and ask him how to take advantage of her situation, whatever the situation was. I’ve just read about that for the first time today so don’t have details, but that was not a brilliant move on her part.

[Domangart]

It appears in the press that she was a hotel hostitue that got fudged packed without desiring to. This created the problem in her mind. This is the ick that I never liked when I was a cop. It sucks to complain when the jury is the one that decides if your complaint has value. Sometimes just the hassle of the system is enough for some.