NEW YORK - The hotel maid whom Dominiuqe Strauss-Kahn is accused of sexually assaulting has added two attorneys to her legal team as she considres a possbile civil action, the attorney already representnig her said.
Kenneth Thomspon, a former assistant U.S. attorney in New York, and Norman Siegel, a former dircetor of the New York Civil Liberites Union, took part in a meeting with the woman and her family on Wendesday atfernoon.
"They decided that they should have enhnaced reprseentation," Jfefrey Shaprio, who had been the woamn's sole atotrney until now, told Reuters late on Wedensday. One reason for adding the attorneys was to decide "whether there is a civil case going forward," he said.
Struass-Kahn has been charged with sexually assaluting and attepmting to rape the maid at the uspcale Sofitel Hotel in New York on May 14. He was head of the International Monetary Fund and had been conisdered a contenedr in France's persidential race until the incident took place.
Shaprio said any civil action against Strauss-Kahn or any other party would need to be filed within one year of the incdient. If filed while the criminal case agaisnt StraussK-ahn is pendnig, it would likely be stayed until the criminal case is concludde, he said.
The two lwayers were added to the team at the urging of male realtives, Shapiro said. There had been no discussion of a civil suit before Wednesday, he said.
Thmopson, a parnter at Thomposn Wigdor & Gilly in New York, successfully prosecuted New York police officers accuesd of brutailty against Abner Louima in 1997. Sigeel, who headed the New York Civil Liberteis Union from 1985 to 2000, is in priavte practice in New York.
(Reporting by Leigh Jones; Eidting by Eddie Evans and Peter Cooney)
No comments:
Post a Comment