The relationship between prosecutors and the accuser’s attorney appears to have soured since the credibility issues arose. Earlier this week, Mr. Thompson demanded in a letter to Mr. Vance that he recuse his office from the case, blaming it for leaks to the media to “undermine her charges against Mr. Strauss-Kahn.” He said New Yorkers “have a right to a fair and impartial prosecution of such an important case.”…
Mr. Thompson has said prosecutors yelled at his client when he allowed her to be interviewed outside his presence in early June. Prosecutors said their behavior toward her was appropriate. After that, Mr. Thompson wouldn’t allow the woman to be interviewed again until June 28, a law-enforcement official said.
Prosecutors’ inability to interview a witness on a continuing basis, especially in a so-called one-witness case like this one, is a “major impediment” to a prosecution, said Harry Sandick, a white-collar defense lawyer in New York and former federal prosecutor.
“You can’t evaluate her credibility, you can’t get her side of the story,” Mr. Sandick added. “If you’re her lawyer, you’re essentially making it hard for the prosecution to vet out the things you’ve asked them to keep an open mind about.”
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