The case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn appears to be cratering. Check out the breaking news in the New York Times. Or check out my first appearance as a talking head, discussing how this affects the case.
Allison Leotta, novelist, former sex-crimes prosecutor, tv critic
Author of A Good Killing, Speak of the Devil, and others.
The case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn appears to be cratering. Check out the breaking news in the New York Times. Or check out my first appearance as a talking head, discussing how this affects the case.
David DeLee says
6 July, 2011 at 11:05 pmNice appearance, Allison. Very professional and quite informative.
The Sunday NY Times had a front page article about the case and Cyrus Vance, the DA, in particular. It was not very flattering. I was surprised to learn he’d taken the case away from the sex crime unit and given it to his “top prosecutors”. His critics claim the SCU was in a better position to anticipate and deal with the curves in a he-said, she-said case than were his “Top prosecutors”.
Sounds like his critics were right.
Also, I was saddened to see Lisa Friel had stepped down from the unit. I had just watched the HBO documentary SEX CRIME UNIT, focusing on the unit and Friel, with interviews by Linda Fairstein and former DA Robert Morganthau.
I was wondering if you saw it? And if so, what your thought about it were.
Great blog, hope your summer has been good.
David DeLee
Fatal Destiny – a Grace deHaviland novel
Allison Leotta says
11 July, 2011 at 2:09 pmThanks, David! I think I only looked like a deer in the headlights once or twice. Yeah, I think it was a mistake, and a bit of a slap in the face, for Vance to take the case away from the sex crimes unit. They are particularly experienced in dealing with the credibility fight that most sex cases revolve around. That said, I think the most important decision was made when they decided to arrest and indict right away, rather than try to investigate first. And I don’t know who was involved in that decision. All told, the DA’s office is doing the right thing by finding out all this stuff, turning it over immediately, and releasing DSK from his strict conditions of release once they realized the weaknesses in his case. I haven’t seen the Sex Crime Unit show yet (we don’t have HBO), but I hope to catch it on DVD!