Strauss-Khan Enters Not Guilty Plea in New York Court
Dominique Strauss-Khan has pleaded not guilty to a New York criminal court as he stands accused of multiple charges of sexually assaulting a hotel room maid June 6, 2011.
The former I.M.F. head entered court holding hands with his wife Anne Sinclair as they passed a large group of hotel maids chanting “Shame, shame” at the man who was previously being touted as the next president of France.
One of the protesters held a sign that read, “An injury to one of us is an injury to all of us.”
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Strauss-Khan entered a packed courtroom before taking his place sitting at the defense table between his attorneys, Benjamin Brafman and William Taylor.
Last month at Strauss-Khan’s previous court appearance he was ordered to pay $1m for bail, as well as a further $5m insurance bond. His bail was granted under the condition that he would be under house arrest and would submit to 24-hour monitoring.
Prior to that hearing Strauss-Khan had been deemed a flight risk and had been denied bail just three days before. However, his team of lawyers was able to negotiate terms so that he could be granted bail from New York's notorious Riker's Island jail, where he had been in protective isolation and suicide watch.
Upon being granted bail Strauss-Khan quickly moved into a luxury New York condominium in the Tribeca district, and ordered 44 boxes of furniture, clothes, art and rugs to be transferred from his $4m home in Washington DC.
As Strauss-Khan pleaded not guilty Monday morning, global media have been frantically debating what strategy his defense will use. However, it is alleged that Strauss-Khan’s DNA has been identified in semen samples taken from the maid’s clothing as well as on the carpet. Therefore, numerous experts are not saying the defense will have few options other than to say sexual relations with the maid were consensual.
