Dominique Strauss-Kahn rape case gets new court date in Manhattan

New York – Picked up by the cops in Lille on Tuesday. Given a new court date across the Atlantic on Thursday.

After two days of police interrogation about his role in allegedly corporate-funded sex parties involving prostitutes, Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s sex-related legal troubles will resume here next month.

A Manhattan court has scheduled a March 15 hearing in the lawsuit brought against Strauss-Kahn, the disgraced former IMF director, by the African hotel maid who accuses him of sexual assault, according to The Associated Press.

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Citing inconsistencies and falsehoods in the accounts provided by Nafissatou Diallo, the office of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance last-year dropped the charges. But Diallo is suing for damages. Though Strauss-Kahn and his lawyer's claimed vindication, the dropping of charges drew accusations, most notably from the alleged victim’s lawyer, that the district attorney’s office was more concerned for protecting its win-loss record than it was for enforcing the law.

According to the AP, Strauss-Kahn has sought a dismissal of the civil complaint, arguing that he enjoyed diplomatic immunity at the time of the alleged assault. He is not required to be present for the hearing, the news agency said.

Liability in civil trials can be easier to prove than in criminal cases as juries may award damages if they find that a mere preponderance of evidence, rather than proof beyond reasonable doubt, has been shown in favor of the plaintiff.

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The AP quoted Diallo’s lawyer Keneth Thompson as saying his client was "looking forward to her day in court and can't wait to get to trial."