Fla. judge delays Kraft trial
Granted prosecutors more time
A Florida judge has given prosecutors more time in the Robert Kraft spa case, likely pushing a potential trial into the NFL season.
Judge Leonard Hanser, who ruled a week ago that video taken of the Patriots owner inside the Orchids of Asia day spa in January is inadmissible, agreed Tuesday to delay the billionaire’s right to a speedy trial.
Hanser wrote in his decision that banning the video — a decision prosecutors are appealing — does not violate Kraft’s Sixth Amendment rights.
“These proceedings are stayed and the speedy trial limits will be extended,” Hanser wrote.
The 77-year-old Kraft pleaded not guilty to a second-degree misdemeanor charge of paying for sex at the spa. He later issued an apology without specifying what he was apologizing for.
Hanser wrote last week that surveillance video taken of Kraft and other suspects inside the spa also secretly recorded men and women seeking legitimate massages.
“The fact that some totally innocent women and men had their entire lawful time spent in a massage room fully recorded and viewed intermittently by a detective-monitor is unacceptable,” Hanser wrote in his 10page ruling.
The judge said Jupiter police and the judge who OK’d the five-day surveillance at the spa did not use “minimization techniques” to protect other patrons.
“In fact, more than one woman had a significant portion of her Spa time viewed by a detective-monitor and the entirety of her spa time recorded and placed in Jupiter Police Department records,” Hanser wrote, adding it was “a serious flaw in the search warrant” — especially since “the search warrant did not allege women were seeking illegal contact.”
The judge also tossed all evidence relating to Kraft being identified after he left the spa on Jan. 19, because police used the video to instruct Jupiter police officers to follow and stop Kraft’s chauffeur-driven Bentley. “All evidence obtained against (Kraft) through and in connection with the search warrant is suppressed,” the judge wrote.
The prosecution’s appeal of Hanser’s decision isn’t set to be heard until early September.
Other court dates in the Kraft case have been postponed with no new dates announced.