Strauss-Kahn free from house arrest; charges stand

Former International Monetary Fund leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn walked out of court free on bail Friday after prosecutors said an extensive background investigation of the hotel housekeeper accusing him of sexual assault gave them pause.

Strauss-Kahn had been under pricey house arrest for weeks in a ritzy Manhattan loft on $6 million in cash and bond. The charges, which include attempted rape, have not been reduced, but the move signals that prosecutors do not believe the accusations are as ironclad as they once seemed.

The 32-year-old hotel maid accused Strauss-Kahn of chasing her through his luxury suite in May, trying to pull down her pantyhose and forcing her to perform oral sex.

"It is a great relief," said Strauss-Kahn's attorney, William Taylor, adding that the case underscores "how easy it is for people to be charged with serious crimes and for there to be a rush to judgment."
"It is so important in this country that people, especially the media, refrain from judgment until the facts are all in," he said.

The accuser's attorney did not back down on the seriousness of the charges.
"From Day One she has described a violent sexual assault that Dominique Strauss-Kahn committed against her," attorney Ken Thompson said.
"She has described that sexual assault many times, to prosecutors and to me, and she has never once changed a single thing about that encounter," he said.

He referred to media reports that his client was involved with a drug dealer, calling them lies.
Strauss-Kahn arrived at the courthouse Friday morning in a Lexus SUV and strode confidently up the granite steps with his wife, French journalist Anne Sinclair, at his side. He wore a dark gray suit, and she a white jacket.

After the hearing, he walked slowly out of the courthouse with his arm on her shoulder, smiling slightly at the throng gathered outside.
His passport remained surrendered, and he will not yet be allowed to leave the country. His other attorney, Benjamin Brafman, said Strauss-Kahn would be free to travel within the United States.

Official: Prosecutors disclose credibility issue to Strauss-Kahn team

 Former IMF chief in court

New York (CNN) -- Prosecutors have discovered troubling believability issues with the woman once called extremely credible in her sexual assault allegations against former International Monetary Fund Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn, an official familiar with the case told CNN late Thursday.
 

Based on these concerns, prosecutors called a meeting Thursday with Strauss-Kahn's defense team to disclose the issues discovered with the hotel housekeeper's allegations, the official said.

The acknowledgment came shortly after an official close to the defense team told CNN there were "serious issues regarding the credibility" of a hotel maid who has accused Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault.
Strauss-Kahn's defense team will ask a judge for bail modifications at a court hearing slated for Friday morning, the official said.

"Prosecutors will not object and, in fact, will ask for a bail reduction," said the official familiar with the case.
NYPD Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne told CNN he had "no comment" on the alleged credibility issue with the witness.

The New York Times, citing unnamed law enforcement officials, reported Thursday on its web site that the case against Strauss-Kahn was on the "verge of collapse as investigators have uncovered major holes in the credibility of the housekeeper."

Strauss-Kahn pleaded not guilty June 6 to seven charges involving a May 14 incident in which a housekeeping employee at New York's Sofitel hotel accused him of sexual assault.

In previous court appearances, the judge said that if Strauss-Kahn wanted to leave the city, he would require the court's permission. Strauss-Kahn, who says he is innocent, was previously required to turn over his French passport and United Nations travel credentials to authorities.

Strauss-Kahn was released from jail on bail but is under house arrest in a luxury townhouse in New York's Tribeca neighborhood.

He is under court-ordered watch as part of the terms of his $6 million bail agreement and must pay for 24-hour armed guards posted at the door, as well as electronic surveillance.

Strauss-Kahn, who was considered a front-runner in France's presidential race before his arrest, faces charges that include criminal sexual acts and sexual abuse.