Judge blocks release of Robert Kraft video, pending hearing
Florida prosecutors are planning to release surveillance videos of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and other men at a spa. It’s where they were accused of paying for sex, TMZ and the Boston Globe reports.
This has been a bonkers day in the Robert Kraft case. After prosecutors said they intend to release video evidence asap, Kraft and a John Doe filed a motion to intervene and block it. A judge just ordered that the state may NOT release the evidence until there's a hearing.
— T.J. Quinn (@TJQuinnESPN) April 17, 2019
Court papers from the office of Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg said that Florida law requires the video to be made public.
A judge has blocked the release of the videos until a hearing can be held on April 29.
Kraft's attorneys are accusing the Palm Beach Co. state attorney's office of prosecutorial misconduct and breaking a promise made Friday not to release the evidence until a judge OK's it.
— T.J. Quinn (@TJQuinnESPN) April 17, 2019
Robert Kraft was charged earlier this year for allegedly soliciting prostitution at the Orchids Asia Spa in Jupiter, Fla. Kraft pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial. 14 other men have also been charged in the case.
Read: Seahakws Teammates Can’t Resist Making Fun of Russell Wilson
Lei Wang is the alleged manager of the spa and Hua Zhang is the alleged owner. They have both pleaded not guilty to numerous charges.
An attorney for Kraft said Friday that the public release of video evidence in the prostitution solicitation case against him would invade his privacy and jeopardize his right to a fair trial.
Attorneys for Kraft and Wang have asked a judge to bar the release of the video while their cases are pending. Wang’s attorney requested a hearing set for May 17.
But prosecutors say that they can’t wait until then.
“The Public Records Act does not allow a custodian to delay the production of records to allow the resolution of a constitutional challenge to the release of the documents,” Aronberg’s office wrote.
