A couple of weeks ago, a Florida judge ruled that surveillance video and
other evidence in the prostitution solicitation case against New England
Patriots owner Robert Kraft are inadmissible in court.
This is considered a huge victory for Kraft, who was arrested with dozens
of other Orchids of Asia Day Spa patrons who were allegedly caught on
camera receiving sexual acts from massage parlor workers. He and the other
defendants pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges they face after a
law enforcement investigation into human trafficking.
Kraft’s attorneys challenged the validity of the search warrant that
allowed the police to install hidden cameras inside the Juniper spa, arguing
that the warrant was in violation of the Patriots owner’s Fourth
Amendment rights and state law. Their arguments specifically centered
around the fact that law enforcement didn’t do enough to minimize
the invasion of privacy of customers who received non-illicit massages.
Authorities recorded two men and two women who visited the spa—but
weren’t part of the investigation. In April, a total of 31 people
sued the Juniper Police and the Palm Beach State Attorney after visiting
the spa for legitimate massages.
Police didn’t identify Kraft until he left the Orchids of Asia Day
Spa and an officer made a traffic stop on his vehicle to determine who
he was. The judge suppressed all information gathered at the stop since
the search was considered unlawful.
If you have been arrested for a criminal offense, any missteps or mistakes
made by law enforcement can result in having any evidence related to the
crime thrown out of court.
Contact the Law Offices of Robert Stepniak today for more information.