Former Monetary International (IMF) Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn and his wife Anne Sinclair funds leave their temporary residence in Manhattan in New York on July 6, 2011.
Credit: Reuters/Shannon StapletonBy Noeleen WalderNEW YORK | Wednesday, July 6, 2011 6: 14 am EDT
NEW YORK (Reuters) - lawyers representing the woman who accused former IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault have asked the Chief Prosecutor of New York to withdraw from the case and to appoint a special prosecutor.
In a letter to the Attorney of District of Cyrus Vance, the lawyers accused a Prosecutor at the Office of Vance of leak damaging information on Strauss-Kahn accuser.
A spokesman for Vance had no immediate comment.
"District Attorney Vance, seriously consider that your Office voluntarily recuse herself in the case of Strauss-Kahn and named a special prosecutor," Kenneth Thompson, counsel for the servant of 32 years Guinea hotel, wrote in a letter dated Wednesday.
Challenges are rare, and it was not likely to succeed, said legal experts.
Reuters obtained a copy of the letter after counsel for the defence of Strauss-Kahn met with counsel for the Office of Vance for almost two hours on Wednesday that the case against him appeared in serious danger.
Both parties declined to give details of the meeting. The New York Times had reported that they would discuss whether charges could be resolved by a dismissal or a plea agreement.
The case was thrown in danger last week when prosecutors discovered that the accuser had lied be raped in his country of origin in its U.S. asylum and modified details in its history on what she did after his meeting with Strauss-Kahn in a luxury suite.
Thompson said the woman had made mistakes in the past, but stresses the fact that she was sexually assaulted by Strauss-Kahn, and that there was evidence to prove it.
"DAMAGING LEAKS."
Thompson accused Chief Deputy of Vance, Daniel Alonso, planting "damaging leaks" in the media undermined the nature of his client and the charges against Strauss-Kahn.
He accused prosecutors of never surrender him an audio recording of a telephone call, the client made her boyfriend in a prison in Arizona fleeing a description of a part of the appeal to the New York Times.
Thompson returned to a specific quote in which an unnamed law enforcement official spoke to the times of this conversation.
"She said words to the effect of,"don't worry, this guy has a lot of money."." I know what I do,'"reports the Times."
Thompson said that alonso used virtually "les same words" relating to the appeal to him hours before il appears in les time.
The letter also complained the Office refusing to completely refuse to a story by the New York Post that his client may be a prostitute. Thompson filed a trial for defamation against the position on this subject.
"The apparent leaks by members of your Office is undoubtedly a repeal of the functions and responsibilities of a Prosecutor," said the letter.
The letter complained also about one of the attorneys who "yelled at and respected or the victim while she met with them."
Law experts believe that the request was unlikely to succeed.
"This is a silly request," said Daniel Richman Columbia Law Professor, who said he believes that the letter of Thompson has more to do with public relations with a legitimate request. "It is for a bite of his beautiful."
Challenges are rare and usually occur when there is a personal interest in the result for the members of the Office of the Prosecutor.
"Challenges are unusual but not unprecedented," said Paul Shechtman, a defence lawyer and former Prosecutor. "This is not an opportunity of a.."
Shechtman said allegations of leaks to the media, even if it is true, are probably not enough to result in a disqualification.
"Everything you think about leaks, if they were reasons for the challenge, we would have a large number of motions for disqualification," he said.
Benjamin Brafman, Strauss-Kahn defence counsel, did not immediately respond to a request for comments.
(Written by Daniel Trotta, Ax of Joseph additional reports and Christine Kearney;) (Editing by Sandra Maler)
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