Dominique Strauss-Kahn Officially Off the Hook in Sexual Assault Case

The DSK affair's presiding judge has formally dismissed the case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn. He did say that his order will be stayed until an appellate court decides whether to appoint a special prosecutor. Yesterday, the D.A.'s office filed papers requesting that Justice Michael J. Obus drop the charges against DSK, citing credibility issues with complainant Nafissatou Diallo that they decided had hamstrung their ability to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Diallo, a 33-year-old hotel maid from Guinea, is still pursuing a civil suit against DSK. Yesterday, her lawyer Kenneth Thompson made one last-ditch effort to keep the criminal case alive, filing a motion asking that Manhattan D.A. Cy Vance's office be disqualified. Judge Obus denied Thompson's motion, but Thompson appealed the decision, which led to Obus staying the dismissal. The Post quoted DSK's lawyer William Taylor as saying that there's a "snowball's chance in hell" that an appellate court would overturn the decision.

There was reportedly a throng of protesters outside the courthouse chanting "D.S.K., shame on you," and "Whatever we wear, wherever we go, yes means yes, no means no" as Dominique Strauss-Kahn and his wife Anne Sinclair went inside.

[NYT, NYP]

[rgray@villagevoice.com] [@_rosiegray]

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