Robert Kraft may have to live with the embarrassment of his February 2019 arrest in Florida. However, the New England Patriots’ owner appears on his way to escaping prosecution in the prostitution case.
An appellate court Wednesday upheld a lower court decision to toss video evidence that allegedly captured him paying for sex inside a Jupiter, Fla. spa last year,,
Legal experts told the Boston Globe this should lead to charges being dropped against Kraft.
He was charged based largely on secret video recordings a judge had authorized under a “sneak-and-peek” warrant.
The ruling from Florida’s Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal “is a fatal blow to the State’s case,” said Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor who also served as enforcement director of the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission, via e-mail. “With no video evidence, there is no case, and absent an appeal to the Florida Supreme Court, I expect the prosecution to dismiss the charges soon.”
The Globe spoke to multiple legal eagles.
Defense lawyer, Mark J. Geragos, whose high-profile clients have included pop stars Chris Brown and Michael Jackson, left no doubt about his opinion.
“A case that never should have been brought will now die a quick death,” Geragos said via email.
He also faulted prosecutors.
“The Trial Court made the correct ruling by tossing the so-called evidence,” Geragos said. “Frankly the arguments by the Prosecutors were rather sophomoric and the Appellate Court called out the State for the circular arguments. Every Judge who has looked at this has been outraged and so should the public.”