French left vents anger at Strauss-Kahn 'lynching'

There is much misinformation presented by French officials or former officials. For one thing, there is no "chief of police" in New York City, there is a "Police Commissioner" and this is an appointed position - not elected. Perhaps the French media and 'talking heads' would be best to see this event for what it is - a legal system working, by law, to determine the guilt or innocence of the person charged with the crime.

IMF is about the most evil institution on the planet for advancing the interests of capitalism, so what is a supposed socialist doing at the head of it? So this guy is a big deal on the French Left? That's a really sad statement of where they are.

I'm not really surprised at the rape charges. Anyone who heads an organization like that has to be a psychopath.

Of course this is the right response. No amount of power, wealth or social status should insulate any individual from being held to the same standard of lawful and socially appropriate behavior as everyone else. As an American it disgusts me to see other Americans determined to cast themselves as apologists for the U.S. justice system. No one has presumed this man's guilt simply because our society allows its media the freedom to fully document all aspects of this unfortunate event. I find it pathetically telling that France's far left is absolutely determined to sweep the accused behavior of this man under the rug simply because he is one of them. In that sense they are no different than our lovable American leftist feminists who are quick to defend all women in all situations unless they happen to be of the politically conservative persuasion.

Really, I wouldn't have much faith in the justice system of either country.

I saw the photos. DSK was escorted by police into the courtroom. It didn't demonstrate guilt or innocent one way or the other. And, even if it did suggest guilt to the papers, the papers don't decide who is guilty and who is not.

Accusations of political influence or conspiracy in the Strauss-Kahn arrest are simply not credible. It may be distasteful to display the accused in handcuffs, but that is not unusual in the case of a well-known figure.
I think this man has been immune to the law due to his status, and he didn't think abusing a "chamber maid" Ghanian immigrant in a classy hotel would be a problem. Also, the precedent of France refusing to extradite Polansky and others hurt his chances of achieving bail. If Strauss-Kahn would agree to return when requested, I suspect the judge would free him without bail immediately.

First, the US also holds the principle of innocence until proven guilty. Private commentators in the media may suspect otherwise and speculate on the case, as is their right. Guilt or non-guilt will be determined by a jury under the rules of procedure of New York state law. Speculation among the media is irrelevant.

Obtaining a conviction in court is very difficult. Because the defendant's liberty is at stake, the burden of proof is much higher in a criminal trial than in a civil trial. In a criminal trial, the burden of proof is on the prosecution to demonstrate the defendant's guilt for every single element of the alleged crime beyond a reasonable doubt. If even one element of the alleged crime cannot be satisfied, the defendant cannot be found guilty of the alleged crime. If the defendant cannot be found guilty of any alleged crime, he/she is free to leave the courtroom a free person. Unreliable, prejudicial, and misleading evidence such are restricted from being considered by the jury or banned entirely, depending on several factors that seek to allow useful information to be heard while excluding evidence that is unnecessarily prejudicial or misleading.

The defendant has the right to an attorney to represent his/her interests. In this case, the defendant has one of the best criminal defense attorneys in the United States and will do work to convince the jury that the prosecution is unable to satisfy every element of the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

Next, taking someone into a courtroom in handcuffs is standard procedure. The purpose of the handcuffs are to ensure the safety of the officers and that the defendant does not attempt to flee. All defendants, from the very powerful to the most humble, are treated in the same way.

In the US, media is allowed in most public places, including the streets outside of a courthouse. Restricting the filming or photographing of a person standing in a public location such as a street would--in the American view--violate that person's right to expression and compromise a free press. In our view, it is in the interest of a free society to know what is occurring in our courts, to report it freely, and to discuss it openly. Since France, like the US, is a democratic society that seeks to have a just legal system and free press, an open discussion on the merits of restricting photography of defendants could be beneficial to both of our countries.

Third, this is in no way a lynching. The use of the word is out-of-line and offensive. I have to assume the editors at France 24 are unfamiliar with the history of lynching in the United States and used the word without proper consideration of its historical context.

Really offended by the "lynching" healine. DSK has been charged with a violent crime and is being tried in accordance with the laws and procedures of the State of New York. No mob will take his life. No racial bias is involved - other than perhaps the French media's emphasis that he was being held in HARLEM. DSK's rumored "womanizing" also has nothing to do with this case. Rape and sexual assualt are about violence, not lust.

One can understand the outrage based on cultural/judicial differences but please don't refer to this as a "lynching." We Americans -- especially those in the African-American community -- know what a lynching is and this is not a lynching. It is also not a "set-up" or a "frame job." The Socialists would be better served by not casting doubt on an innocent woman's story!

Two things are irrefutable here: 1) Attempted rape and forced sodomy are very heinous crimes. 2) DSK is innocent until proven guilty.

Some serious questions for the French to consider: If the same thing had happened with DSK in a hotel in France, would he have been arrested? Would the maid have been asked to prove it before he was arrested? Would she have been given the same treatment by the authorities that Tristan Banon's mother gave her daughter, i.e., "You don't want this to jeopardize your future." The real tragedy is that, had TB gone to the police, DSK would never have been in this current situation and neither would the maid -- or the Socialist Party or France.

Socialist bemoaning the use of class envy by the Right? Funny stuff.

As noted, France has refused to extradite Polanski, a man who admitted raping a minor child the fled before sentencing while out on bail. Also, it the story were reversed, if Bill Clinton raped a chambermaid in Paris and fled to the USA do you think the US government would send him back to France for trial? No way.

I strongly believe that Strauss-Kahn is innocent. French government and French people should come to his defense.
FangFang from NYC

One word...tough.

There is no intention by the United States or the New York County prosecutors office or anybody else to degrade the head of the IMF. They fully understand the presumption of innocence,The United States Constitutuion and due process. At this stage, he's just going through formalities, everybody in a similar, ugly situation experiences it. It's awful and humiliating and hopefully will be over soon.

Where is the sympathy for the victim? When the U.S. is done with him, he can go back and run for the Presidency. This should serve as a warning for others like. There is a saying that goes like this "When in Rome, behave like the Romans!"