It was tough enough watching New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft dancing on stage with Cardi B, and now prosecutors are set to release pixelated video footage of the owner—who looks like a soft potato wearing a white human hair wig—receiving sexual services at a Florida day spa.
Kraft doesn’t need to worry that he’s being singled out as the prosecutors also plan to release footage of the other 24 men charged in the sting operation that reportedly captured one suspect who owns a $3.7 billion-dollar professional football team.
From CNN:
As custodian of the records, prosecutors say state law compels them to release the evidence to the media. They will “pixelate or blur depictions of obscene or pornographic images before releasing such records to the public, absent a court order.”
It was not clear when the video will be released.
On Friday, Judge Leonard Hanser did not rule on whether to release video from the sting but asked all parties to submit proposed orders in the case by Tuesday.
Kraft is facing two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution. Kraft was initially offered a deal that would’ve dropped the charges as long as he did some community service, paid some fines and admitted that he was guilty. For some reason, Kraft didn’t accept the deal and has pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial.
This all makes absolutely no sense as Kraft basically admitted that he was caught with his pixelated pants down.
“I am truly sorry,” he said in a statement last month. “I know I have hurt and disappointed my family, my close friends, my coworkers, our fans and many others who rightfully hold me to a higher standard.”
Now news stations want the video. But, Kraft’s attorneys not only are trying to keep the video from going public; they don’t even want the video used in the trial.
Also from CNN:
In court documents, his attorneys alleged that investigators provided false information in the affidavit to obtain a warrant for the sting, thus making the video inadmissible. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for April 26.
Kraft’s legal team has argued the video was “basically pornography” and is asking a judge to prevent the videos’ release to the news media, in part because the footage’s release would violate Kraft’s right to privacy.
Kraft’s attorney William Burck told the judge that it was vital to bar the media’s access to the video before the court rules on its admissibility in trial.
If the video is released to the public and found inadmissible in the trial then the issue becomes did the video’s release taint potential jurors who witnessed the pixelated hand job also called “Nintendo knuckles” reported sexual act.
A coalition of media attorneys has argued that the video has a right to be made public and that the people get to see paid-for 8-bit-loving even if the reported receiver of said services is a high-profile owner of Donald Trump’s favorite football team.