Posted on 03/26/2019 3:07:29 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
WEST PALM BEACH, FL. — A scheduled arraignment for New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has been canceled. The hearing was originally scheduled for Thursday morning in Florida.
Lawyers for Kraft filed a document Tuesday reaffirming his plea of not guilty and asking the judge to schedule a jury trial for the case.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft issues apology in first public statement since illicit sex charges
Robert Kraft to reject plea deal offered in prostitution case, reports say
Not guilty plea entered in Robert Kraft's solicitation case, documents show
Kraft's attorneys also waived his right to an arraignment, the formal court hearing in which the charges against a defendant are read.
Tuesday's filing seems to represent a change of strategy for Kraft's legal team, which had originally filed paperwork in February requesting a nonjury trial.
Kraft and other men were charged by the Palm Beach State Attorney's Office with soliciting prostitution at an illicit massage parlor. He was also offered the opportunity to enter a diversion program, which would have required him to concede he would be found guilty if the case went to trial.
Kraft rejected that offer earlier this month.
According to police records, the 77-year-old Kraft was chauffeured to the massage parlor in a 2014 white Bentley on the evening of Jan. 19, where officers said they secretly videotaped him engaging in a sex act and then handing over an undetermined amount of cash.
Investigators said Kraft returned 17 hours later, arriving at the upper-middle class shopping center where the spa was located in a chauffeured 2015 blue Bentley, the documents said. Kraft, who is worth $6 billion, was videotaped engaging in sex acts before paying with a $100 bill and another bill, police said. Hours later, he was in Kansas City for the Patriots victory over the Chiefs in the AFC championship game. His team then won the Super Bowl in Atlanta, the Patriots' sixth NFL championship under his ownership.
Over the weekend, Kraft released an apologetic statement about the case.
"I am truly sorry," read part of Kraft's statement. "I know I have hurt and disappointed my family, my close friends, my co-workers, our fans and many others who rightfully hold me to a higher standard."
Here is the full statement from Kraft:
“In deference to the judicial process, I have remained silent these past several weeks. To correct some of the misinformation surrounding this matter, my attorney made his first public comments on Friday night. I would like to use this opportunity to say something that I have wanted to say for four weeks.
“I am truly sorry. I know I have hurt and disappointed my family, my close friends, my co-workers, our fans and many others who rightfully hold me to a higher standard.
“Throughout my life, I have always tried to do the right thing. The last thing I would ever want to do is disrespect another human being. I have extraordinary respect for women; my morals and my soul were shaped by the most wonderful woman, the love of my life, who I was blessed to have as my partner for 50 years.
“As I move forward, I hope to continue to use the platform with which I have been blessed to help others and to try to make a difference. I expect to be judged not by my words, but by my actions. And through those actions, I hope to regain your confidence and respect.”
Also. Two Bentley's?
My guess is that the county prostitutor attempted to coerce a plea deal costing him far more than a conviction would.
Maybe at his age it’s just easier to be embarrassed, especially as the public already knows.
Maybe he wants to see if they actually have the evidence before making a deal. Or maybe he knows he’s innocent.
All this for a rub-n-tug?
A jury full of Dolphin fans? He’s better off asking for a bench trial...particularly if the video was illegally set up and/or if the traffic stop itself was illegal.
If I were in his position I’d do the same thing. Your a 70 yo billionaire being charged with a misdemeanor, he could have some fun.
“Yes your honor I am 78 and can still get it up! She also told me she would love me long time so I went back to see if she meant it.”
What’s to be gained by skipping arraignment?
GUILTY! LOCK HIM UP!
GET BRADY, TOO! HE WAS OBVIOUSLY A CO-CONSPIRATOR!
If I were him, I would hire a very good, very expensive private investigator. I would award him a very healthy bonus for every good piece of information found On the cops who ran the operation, the chief out there bloviating, the DA, and the judge who authorized the search warrant to hide cameras in there, etc.
What’s good for me is good for thee. I bet some disinfecting sunshine would show all kinds of closet homosexuals, men cheating on their wives, watching the creepiest porn you can imagine, drug use, underage girlfriends, etc.
If you’re a billionaire, and you’re 70, Might as well live a little
Two trips to a massage parlor in 17 hours?
I’d fight it too. He’s 77 years old and a billionaire six times over. South Florida has drug dealers on every street corner and the police are screwing with 77 year old men who want to get a wank from a masseuse? Who cares, let the guy enjoy himself while he still can. It’s silly and petty & if I was on the jury you’d have a hard time getting me to vote to convict someone over something like this. Anywhere in the far east a tug at the end is just a part of a massage, nobody considers it prostitution. All the trafficking talk is to try and make it sound much more serious than it is, women have been selling themselves since the dawn of time and 99.99% of them have done it willingly and without reservation. They don’t call it the world’s oldest profession for no reason. The social justice warriors don’t want to admit that the vast majority of women selling sex do it because it’s an easy way to make money and they don’t mind being a whore. There are plenty of women that don’t mind wanking off an old dude for $100, they don’t have to be forced into doing it.
Why waste time at an arraignment? That's time better put to use going to a spa and get a massage to help you forget about legal troubles.
Just seems an odd thing to do.
Cochran and Kardashian are dead, but there are still some Dream Teamers around like Scheck and Shapiro.
He’s out on bail. All that will happen is to give a plea. He pled not guilty and asked for a jury trial (don’t know the reasoning there). There’s nothing more to gain. No discovery of evidence so it’s a waste of Mr. Krafts time to appear and fight off the press going to and from courtroom.
Then you could just say you were filming a movie.
Florida courtrooms can broadcast live.
In Bentley’s no less . A white one and a blue one. Nothing says look at me I’m a 70-year-old guy with more money than brains and I like to call attention to myself by going to the massage parlor in my Bentley’s.
He’s hoping that the jury will be hung.
Or,maybe the evidence won’t stand up in court.
went to a function of my daughters on Saturday in Chicago. We had to take the train and then Uber. On the way home, while waiting for the Uber to take us to Union Station, down the street comes a Bentley convertible, top down, black guy, huge flowing white fur coat, glasses like Elton John, total pimp hat. We were on the curb looking for our Uber car, and I told my wife, that’s a Bentley, gotta be 200k car. He drove past us, it rattled our teeth the sound system. I’d be pissed.. but... no... I was jealous. that car was very fine. Musta been a musician or lottery winner, because he was dressed like a pimp out of a movie, it was kind of comical.
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