Kraft Orchids Case - Prosecuters Want a Tug Rule?

[SHOWTIME15]

My bet is that formal discipline will never become an issue because as we speak, Bob is being quietly but firmly pressured into handing over the reins of his team without delay. There will be an announcement that he is "stepping back from day-to-day operations" because "he doesn't want to be a distraction from the extraordinary accomplishments of the players, coaches, and the entire Patriots organization."

Then the league will pretend he never existed. No "Lamar Hunt Trophy"-style honors, no well-earned Hall of Fame induction. He will be disappeared, just-a-misdemeanor be damned.

What charges could mean for Patriots owner Robert Kraft

 

[cupofjoe1962]

Kraft was quoted as saying the girl had better hands than Lynn Swann

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Sad that in the end game of his extraordinary life he has to screw the pooch in a way that he'll be a punch line vs a NE icon.
I was wicked pissed at his responses to Spygate and especially Deflategate but I got over it and feel nothing but pity for the old coot.

 

[Steve102]

What about Irsay? What about Jerruh?

There is no way Kraft knew there was sex trafficker involvement.

If there were minors involved, he's cooked either way.

I think the league doesn't care if it's a parking ticket. It's a chance to get him.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

What about Irsay? What about Jerruh?

There is no way Kraft knew there was sex trafficker involvement.

If there were minors involved, he's cooked either way.

I haver heard that Jerry Jones hires prostitutes for his players

 

[BradyFTW!]

I know a guy who has done work at Johnathans house & he told me years ago that Johnathan is a regular with the escorts.

Even if that's true I don't care and think it's a nonissue... provided that he's a regular with escorts who are freely and willingly plying their trade and not going to seedy brothels to get handjobs from sex slaves. Hopefully he's not following his dad's lead on this one.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

I think this thread has the potential to break the Malcolm Butler thread...we're already at 40 pages lol.

 

[BUSTAMOVE]

You can arrest someone for probable cause. I would bet footage of him going in and out of this establishment would qualify as probably cause.

BUT whether or not they could convict is another story. The natural defense for Kraft is "hey I just got a massage, nothing else." At that point, it arguably becomes a question of whether or not they do have footage of the actual acts which allegedly occurred, or some other evidence (like a masseuse who is eager to cooperate with the authorities and give him up).

Hopefully it is just video of him going in and out or his name on a booking sheet. Probable cause or not a DA’s office pulling a billionaire into a sex ring bust and issuing an arrest is a bold move. The arrest says soliciting a prostitude on two counts. My guess is you don’t arrest a billionaire on those specific charges without some pretty good evidence to back it up or that state and its DA’s office will be sued royally by the mega rich billionaires top flight attorneys for slander. Again I hope I am wrong. The tea leaves are pointing against him

 

[BradyFTW!]

Well, think about all the good TB12 and BB have accomplished in the past 18 seasons together. And then their owner goes out and does this. There's no getting around the embarrassment of it. The stain (no pun intended) that it leaves. And then think about how much media BS does BB want to deal with about it? Ditto for TB12. So yeah, there's plenty of reason they might just say "eff it we're done here". All of the previous scandals were football related and brought on by rival organizations. THIS was brought on by the owner of their own organization. It's not exactly the Patriot way.

The fact that this not in any way football-related is exactly why I think it won't rock the boat with either Brady or Belichick. They dealt with the fallout of Aaron Hernandez being a serial killer just fine, this is less than small potatoes by comparison.

 

[Drewski]

Pretty much, yeah, although I do think there's another possibility that could be C or could be a subset of A. Where you didn't realize it, not because you're a complete dunce but because you've lived in a consequence-free bubble insulated from any real world problems for so long that it never even occurs to you to care enough to wonder. Basically, to not consider the overwhelmingly likelihood that you're participating in sex trafficking by soliciting at a place like that, you're either a complete dunce or you just have such callous disregard for the epidemic that you don't care enough to even consider that a world exists outside of you and your immediate urges.

Very valid consideration. I didn't even consider it given the causes (like Meek Mill and Criminal Justice reform) that Krafty Bob has attached himself to.

But...for lack of a better word, "affluenza" could explain it as well.

 

[203Pat]

Kraft was quoted as saying the girl had better hands than Lynn Swann

A good lawyer would really come in handy.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

NOOOOOooooo!

 

[RobertWeathers]

The fact that this not in any way football-related is exactly why I think it won't rock the boat with either Brady or Belichick. They dealt with the fallout of Aaron Hernandez being a serial killer just fine, this is less than small potatoes by comparison.

Excellent post in terms of framing the seriousness of Bob's actions in proper context.

As Bill said after the Miami debacle, "No one died".

 

[BUSTAMOVE]

Hey did anyone hear that McCourty is not retiring

 

[ivanvamp]

If he is disciplined by the league for a solicitation charge (assuming the charge even sticks - if you pardon the expression) he will be the first in history to be so disciplined.

As for Patriots fans, I would hope we've all developed a thick enough skin not to be bothered by the idiot opinions of others.

Many teams were videotaping opponents' signals (like what the NYJ did to the Patriots in 2006). Only one team got disciplined for it. The Patriots were the first team in history to be so disciplined.

Many teams tampered with footballs (just weeks before the AFCCG, the Carolina Panthers, live on network television, did it). Only one team got disciplined for it. The Patriots were the first team in history to be so disciplined.

Many players have refused to hand over their cell phones to the NFL (in Deflategate, Gostkowski refused, for example). Only one person ever got suspended for it. Brady was the first player (a Patriot) in history to be so disciplined.

It's not paranoia to worry that the NFL will somehow punish Kraft or heck, even the Patriots here. It might not happen, but "it would be the first time in NFL history" as a way of saying we have nothing to worry about, given the evidence to the contrary I just listed, seems rather naive.

 

[mosslost]

Then the Pats will be minus an owner and coach to start the season. But BB doesn't strike me as that "type".

Brady has Alex so we should be good there

 

[Antdawg]

The fact that this not in any way football-related is exactly why I think it won't rock the boat with either Brady or Belichick. They dealt with the fallout of Aaron Hernandez being a serial killer just fine, this is less than small potatoes by comparison.

Meh, Brady wasn't gonna be 42 when Hernandez was arrested and Kraft carries just a little more clout here than Aaron Hernandez. Just a little.

 

[Redman443]

Should Jonathan take over the team? Or will this blow over?

 

[Tuck]

Didn’t expect this. Especially after seeing him polish off another super bowl.

 

[Tb12goesinya]

Kraft is worth $6B. It would have been trivially easy for him to make damn sure he was soliciting from a willing adult and not a sex slave, and by going to the place he went he basically made a point of not doing that. I could not care less if a 77 year old dude wants to pay money to get his rocks off, but I don't think it's unreasonable to expect him to exercise a bare minimum of care in ensuring that his money is going toward a willing, non-coerced person and not a trafficked sex slave.

What about an average guy who goes for a nice massage, and she says "turn over please". Hes not likely thinking about the sex trafficking, just an immigrant wanting to be an American and she views it as an extension to massage for extra money. Kind of like a Mexican putting up sheet rock in the ghetto for $8 an hour.
When the Brits flooded China with opium, we look back and rightfully point the finger squarely at the British for being the evil doers and perpetrators. We should support our countrymen while vigorously helping the poor women who are victims.