Ohio rape case grand jury adjourns for 3 weeks

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An eastern Ohio grand jury has adjourned for three weeks while investigators go back to analyzing evidence and interviewing witnesses to determine whether other laws were broken in the case of a 16-year-old girl raped by two high school football players last summer.

The panel in Steubenville had met three days in a row before the adjournment was announced after the grand jury wrapped up Thursday afternoon.

The delay will allow investigators from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation "to continue evidence analysis and witness interviews," Attorney General Mike DeWine's office said in a statement.

It's the second such delay for the panel, which was seated April 15 but didn't begin work for two weeks while investigators continued their work.

One of the issues before the panel is whether adults like coaches or school administrators knew of the rape allegation but failed to report it as required by Ohio law.

Also Thursday, two teenage girls were sentenced to probation after guilty pleas in the case of threatening tweets sent after the guilty verdict in the rape case was announced March 17.

One girl had been charged with aggravated menacing for a tweet that threatened homicide and said "you ripped my family apart," according to the attorney general's office. The girl is a cousin of defendant Ma'Lik Richmond, one of the football players found guilty.

A Twitter message from the second girl threatened the rape victim with bodily harm, leading to a menacing charge. One of the messages was later reposted on Facebook.

The girls acknowledged in court Thursday they "made bad tweets."

Charges of intimidation of a witness and aggravated menacing were dropped and the two 16-year-olds admitted to a single misdemeanor charge of telecommunications harassment and received six months' probation, said Sara Gasser, an attorney for one of the girls.

Before Thursday's adjournment, DeWine had said the 14-person panel would meet three or four times a week with no deadline to finish its work. DeWine has said nothing is off the table for the panel.

Speculation that school officials could be targeted increased last week after investigators searched Steubenville High School and offices of the city school board.

Text messages introduced as evidence in the football players' March trial indicated that head football coach Reno Saccoccia may have known about the rape early on.

The coach "took care of it," defendant Trent Mays said in one text introduced by prosecutors.

"Like he was joking about it so I'm not worried," Mays said in another text.

Saccoccia has not commented and school officials say he won't be made available until after the grand jury concludes.

Saccoccia is in the third year of a five-year coaching contract and earlier this year had a two-year contract renewed for his job as an administrator in a Steubenville alternative school.

Mays, 17, was convicted of raping the West Virginia girl and of photographing the underage girl naked and sentenced to two years in the state juvenile prison system. Richmond, 16, was convicted of raping the girl and sentenced to a year in juvenile prison.

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Andrew Welsh-Huggins can be reached on Twitter at https://twitter.com/awhcolumbus.

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F1: Bahrain Grand Prix called off

Bahrain's international circuit will see no Formula One racing this year after organizers abandoned plans to reschedule the race.Bahrain Grand Prix organizers abandon plans to stage a race this yearRace had been given a provisional new date of October 30 Decision by World Motor Sport Council was widely criticizedCivil unrest in gulf kingdom has left about 30 people dead

(CNN) -- The Bahrain Grand Prix will not go ahead after organizers said Friday that they had abandoned plans to re-schedule the race later this year.

Bahrain were to host the opening race of the 2011 Formula One season on March 13, but it was postponed on February 21 after civil unrest in the gulf kingdom.

Last week, the World Motor Sport Council re-instated the race and gave it a provisional date of October 30.

The decision drew widespread criticism and former FIA president Max Mosley told CNN Tuesday that he would be "astonished" if the race proceeded.

Red Bull driver Mark Webber also weighed in, telling his official website:"I'll be highly surprised if the Bahrain Grand Prix goes ahead this year."

It has been made clear that this fixture cannot progress and we fully respect that decision
--Bahrain GP organizers

The Formula One Teams Association also confirmed to CNN Tuesday that they had written to world governing body the FIA, Formula One commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone and the Bahrain International Circuit to express their views on the issue.

The Bahrain circuit's chairman Zayed R Alzayani confirmed their decision in a statement on their official website Friday.

It read: "Whilst Bahrain would have been delighted to see the grand prix progress on October 30th in-line with the World Motor Sport Council's decision, it has been made clear that this fixture cannot progress and we fully respect that decision.

"Bahrain has absolutely no desire to see a race which would further extend the calendar season detract from the enjoyment of F1 for either drivers, teams or supporters," he said.

The inaugural Indian Grand Prix, scheduled for the October 30 slot at a new circuit on the outskirts of New Delhi, was set to be pushed back to December but can now go ahead on its original date.

About 30 people have died during protests in Bahrain, according to figures from the government, opposition figures and human rights groups.

Opposition and human rights groups say the government has detained more than 1,000 people.

A state of emergency was lifted last week and Bahrain Grand Prix organizers remain hopeful that they can stage a race in 2011.

"We look forward to welcoming teams, their drivers and supporters back to Bahrain next year," read the statement.

CNN

Former IMF chief indicted by grand jury

New York (CNN) -- Former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was granted bail Thursday after being indicted on charges related to the alleged assault of a maid in his New York hotel Saturday.

"It's a great relief to the family to be able to have him with them," defense attorney Bill Taylor said to reporters outside the courtroom. He said his client would spend Thursday night at the jail on Rikers Island before being released Friday. His next court appearance, an arraignment, is slated for June 6.

Supreme Court Judge Michael Obus granted the bail on the condition that Strauss-Kahn post $1 million in cash, that he also post a bond for $5 million, that he surrender his travel documents and that he submit to home detention.

The announcement came shortly after he was indicted on seven criminal charges. They are: two counts of criminal sexual act, two counts of sexual abuse, and one count each of attempt to commit rape, unlawful imprisonment and forcible touching.

In the charge of criminal sexual act in the first degree, Strauss-Kahn is accused of having "engaged in oral sexual conduct with an individual ... by forcible compulsion," the indictment says.

"Under American law, these are extremely serious charges," Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance told reporters outside the courtroom. "The defendant was indicted on all the charges presented to the grand jury," he said.

Strauss-Kahn resigned from his IMF post on Wednesday.

As he entered the courtroom for the bail hearing, he looked at his wife, seated in the front row, and smiled.

Strauss-Kahn on Monday had been denied bail, with the criminal court judge saying his attempt to leave the country after the alleged incident made him a flight risk. His lawyer argued that Strauss-Kahn had been scheduled to leave New York and fly to Paris on Saturday using a ticket he had bought on May 11.

Taylor said Strauss-Kahn had called the Sofitel hotel from John F. Kennedy International Airport to locate his cell phone, which he had left in the hotel, then called a second time as his plane was boarding to request that its delivery be hastened. Instead, police came to the airport and took him into custody.

Taylor noted that his client resigned his position as IMF chief on Wednesday, and had surrendered his passport and a U.N.-issued travel document.

"In our view, no bail is required," the lawyer said. "He has one interest at this time and that is to clear his name."

Taylor added that Strauss-Kahn had agreed to live with his wife in an apartment in Manhattan after his release.

Prosecutor John McConnell argued the high-profile economist had no right to bail. "While there is presumption of innocence, the proof is substantial and it is growing every day," he said, adding that the forensic evidence is consistent with an attack and the alleged victim has identified Strauss-Kahn as her attacker.

He noted that the charges include violent felonies and that Strauss-Kahn has an incentive to flee and the money to do so.

McConnell noted that France does not extradite its own nationals, and said Strauss-Kahn's departure on Saturday from the hotel was in haste, suggesting "something went on in that hotel room."

For his part, Obus said he was solely concerned about ensuring Strauss-Kahn returns to face charges. "We don't want his money," he said. "We just want to make sure he comes back. He has resources to live comfortably in his own country."

As the courtroom recessed, Strauss-Kahn blew his wife a kiss.

Meanwhile, Strauss-Kahn's alleged victim, a 32-year-old Guinean maid for the Sofitel hotel, testified before the grand jury on Wednesday and was to continue Thursday, according to an attorney representing her.

"If you've had any experience with someone who has been traumatized by sexual assault, reliving it in your mind is hard enough," attorney Jeffrey Shapiro said on CNN's "American Morning" Thursday. "Having to recount it, even to a therapist, is difficult, much less having to talk about it on the record in front of a grand jury. I mean, it's extremely difficult, and nonetheless she's making it through this."

The case has captured worldwide attention since Strauss-Kahn was pulled off an airplane and arrested Saturday, hours after the alleged attack.

His arrest has set French political circles abuzz, as the international economist was widely considered the French Socialist Party's best hope to unseat President Nicolas Sarkozy in next year's elections.

In a statement released Thursday, Sarkozy called Strauss-Kahn's resignation "inevitable" and called for an "open and transparent selection process" for Strauss-Kahn's replacement.

In a brief letter to the IMF executive board late Wednesday, Strauss-Kahn proclaimed his innocence.

He said he was stepping down to "protect this institution which I have served with honor and devotion, and especially -- especially -- I want to devote all my strength, all my time and all my energy to proving my innocence."

"To all, I want to say that I deny with the greatest possible firmness all of the allegations that have been made against me," he said.

The appeal to the state Supreme Court describes the accused as "a loving husband and father, and a highly regarded international diplomat, lawyer, politician, economist and professor, with no prior criminal record."

It also said Strauss-Kahn has been married for more than a decade and has four children from a prior marriage, one of whom is a graduate student at Columbia University in New York.

Calls for Strauss-Kahn's resignation had mounted in recent days. U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said he was "obviously not in a position to run the IMF."

Maria Fekter, Austria's finance minister, also urged him to step down. "He should think about whether he is damaging the institution," Fekter said.

In his letter, Strauss-Kahn said he felt compelled to resign.

"I think at this time first of my wife -- whom I love more than anything -- of my children, of my family, of my friends," he wrote.

"I think also of my colleagues at the Fund; together we have accomplished such great things over the last three years and more."

While the search begins to replace him, John Lipsky will continue as acting managing director of the fund, the IMF said in a statement.

"As acting managing director, John Lipsky will provide able and experienced leadership to the fund at this critical time for the global economy," Geithner said in a statement Thursday. "We want to see an open process that leads to a prompt succession for the fund's new managing director."

In statements, South Africa called for a candidate from a developing country to be named as Strauss-Kahn's successor, while Brazil called for establishing criteria and conducting a thorough search.

On Thursday, Lipsky urged policy makers to work together to strengthen the global economy.

"I deeply regret the circumstances that have made it necessary for me to substitute for the fund's managing director," Lipsky said in a speech at the annual meeting of the Bretton Woods Committee in Washington.

Prosecutors allege that a naked Strauss-Kahn, 62, chased the housekeeping employee through his suite and sexually assaulted her.

But defense attorney Benjamin Brafman disputed the allegation, saying "forensic evidence, we believe, will not be consistent with a forcible account, and we believe there is a very, very defensible case."

Strauss-Kahn allegedly committed the offenses at noon, checked out of the hotel at 12:28 p.m. and went to a previously scheduled lunch about 12:45 p.m., according to a document supporting his motion to approve bail. The lunch was with one of his daughters, according to a source with knowledge of the case.

After lunch, he was driven to John F. Kennedy International Airport and boarded an Air France flight that was scheduled to depart at 4:45 p.m., the bail document says. It adds that he had bought the ticket the week before.

As he sat in first class awaiting takeoff and a planned meeting the next day with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, followed by a meeting with European finance ministers on Monday in Brussels, his world of luxury and power came crashing down.

Police, alerted by hotel staff to the employee's accusations, ordered him off the plane and placed him in custody.

Strauss-Kahn was examined for scratches and DNA samples were taken, and investigators searched for other evidence in the suite, including possible bodily fluids from both individuals, a law enforcement official told CNN.

He consented to the testing after investigators prepared a search warrant, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The official was not authorized to release the information.

CNN's Susan Candiotti and Adam Reiss contributed to this report.

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IMF accuser to testify before grand jury

New York (CNN) -- The head of the International Monetary Fund could be released on bail as early as Thursday pending a deal defense attorneys plan to submit on behalf of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, according to a court spokesman.

Strauss-Kahn, who is accused of sexual assault and the attempted rape of a 32-year-old Guinean-born maid, currently sits in a New York jail cell after being initially denied bail by a Manhattan Criminal Court judge.

His attorneys plan to appear in New York State Supreme Court on Thursday, to present a deal that could secure Strauss-Kahn's release, according to court administration spokesman David Bookstaver.

Prosecutors have warned that the powerful IMF chief is a potential flight risk.

Meanwhile, the alleged victim is set to testify before a grand jury in Manhattan Criminal Court, according to her attorney and a source with knowledge of the case.

"I want her to feel safe," said her attorney, Jeffrey Shapiro. "To the extent that his freedom would impair her feeling of safety, that would deeply concern me."

The woman, a widow with one child who lives in the Bronx borough of New York, is expected to refute the notion that the incident was consensual, Shapiro said.

Prosecutors allege that a naked Strauss-Kahn, 62, chased the housekeeping employee through his posh Manhattan hotel suite on Saturday and sexually assaulted her.

But Strauss-Kahn's defense attorneys say the incident was consensual. "The forensic evidence, we believe, will not be consistent with a forcible account, and we believe there is a very, very defensible case," attorney Benjamin Brafman said during Strauss-Kahn's arraignment Monday.

The IMF chief faces an array of charges, including two counts of first-degree criminal sexual act, one count of first-degree attempted rape, one count of first-degree sexual abuse, one count of second-degree unlawful imprisonment, one count of forcible touching and one count of third-degree sexual abuse.

"He grabbed the victim's chest without consent, attempted to remove her pantyhose" and forcibly grabbed her between her legs, the complaint against Strauss-Kahn says. He also forced her to perform oral sex on him, Assistant District Attorney John McConnell said at the arraignment. The woman also was forced to have anal sex, according to the charging document.

Afterward, the employee alerted hotel staff, New York Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne said.

By the time police arrived at the Sofitel hotel on Saturday, Strauss-Kahn had left in the hotel limousine, according to a law enforcement source with direct knowledge of the investigation.

The IMF chief was captured on security video leaving the hotel and "appears to be in a rush," according to the source,

Defense attorneys dispute the reasons that Strauss-Kahn left the hotel quickly.

He apparently had a lunch appointment with his daughter and had booked his flight to Paris far in advance, according to a source with knowledge of the case.

It is not clear whether the maid was also seen on the video.

The law enforcement source said Strauss-Kahn was examined for scratches and DNA samples were taken, and investigators searched for other evidence in the suite, including possible bodily fluids from both individuals. Strauss-Kahn consented to the testing after investigators were prepared to execute a search warrant, the source said.

Forensic test results could be ready as soon as Strauss-Kahn's next court appearance, scheduled for Friday.

As one of the most powerful men in global economics, Strauss-Kahn was supposed to give the keynote speech at the Brussels Economic Forum in Belgium on Wednesday.

Instead, he sits in a New York jail cell.

Three weeks ago -- well before his visit to the New York Sofitel -- Strauss-Kahn, who had been considered a leading contender for the French presidential elections next year, discussed the possibility of a woman falsely claiming he attacked her.

In an interview April 28 with the French daily newspaper Liberation, he imagined "a woman who would be raped in a parking lot and who would then be promised 500,000 or a million euros to invent such a story," the paper reported in an article published Monday, two days after the alleged attempted rape.

Speaking to the paper about suggestions he could become France's Socialist Party candidate for president, Strauss-Kahn discussed "the long -- too long from his point of view -- campaign to come and the difficulties he will have to overcome," the paper reported.

"He sees three in the following order: 'Money, women and my Jewishness.' " He added, "Yes, I love women ... so what? For years they have been talking about photos of massive orgies, but I have not seen anything. ... Why don't they show them!"

At New York's Rikers Island jail complex, Strauss-Kahn was placed on suicide watch, a common procedure in high-profile cases, two sources with direct knowledge of the case told CNN.

Analysts suggest his career and political future are now in jeopardy.

"I do not see how he can perform his duties as director of the IMF. So by definition, this issue should be resolved in the coming days," Jean-Francois Cope, secretary-general of France's ruling UMP party, told reporters Wednesday.

The comments came a day after U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Strauss-Kahn is "obviously not in a position to run the IMF," and Austria's finance minister Maria Fekter said "he should think about whether he is damaging the institution," and consider stepping down.

A former French finance minister, national legislator and economics professor in Paris, Strauss-Kahn became the IMF's 10th managing director in November 2007.

While the top job at the World Bank is customarily held by an American, the IMF chief is traditionally European.

But as pressure mounts over Strauss-Kahn's possible resignation, there appears growing sentiment among developing nations to buck the trend.

Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega said that succession should be based "on merit" and the position "should be considered (among) candidates from emerging countries," Portugal's official news agency reported Wednesday.

South Africa's finance minister, Pravin Gordhan, said a new IMF chief should come from a developing nation,

"We need to have an inclusive system," said Colin Bradford, a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and former chief economist at the U.S. Agency for International Development

"The West needs to include the emerging markets and encourage merit based leadership," he said. "We need an inclusive system, otherwise we're not going to have a structure that can manage the planet and implement a fair and legitimate system of global guidance."

Bradford suggested the scandal is an opportunity to change the unofficial policy, but others like German government spokesman Christoph Steegmans said the institution's leadership should remain European.

In Strauss-Kahn's absence, First Deputy Managing Director John Lipsky has been named acting managing director, "and the fund continues its normal work," according to IMF spokesman William Murray.

The IMF chief was widely viewed as a front-runner to unseat French President Nicolas Sarkozy in next year's elections, and the charges against him have left some French citizens thinking he is the victim of a conspiracy.

According to a poll released Wednesday by the Conseil Sondage Analyses (Council of Polling Analysis), 57% of French people think Strauss-Kahn was victimized.

Still, 54% said they think Strauss-Kahn's Socialist Party can win in the 2012 presidential race without him.

The alleged victim moved to the United States from the West African country of Guinea. She had been working at the hotel for three years, according to a statement from the managing director of Sofitel, and was considered a good employee.

"Her world has been turned upside down," her attorney, Shapiro, said. "She is very scared about her future."

Shapiro said his client is cooperating with police and prosecutors, and is willing to testify against Strauss-Kahn.

The accuser picked the IMF chief out of a lineup Sunday at a New York police station, saying he was the man who had sexually assaulted her, according to a law enforcement source with direct knowledge of the investigation.

Diplomatic immunity, however, does not apply to the charges before him, Murray said.

CNN's Susan Candiotti, Deb Feyerick, Ivan Watson, Adam Reiss, Richard Roth, Saskya Vandoorne, Caroline Paterson, David Ariosto, Raelyn Johnson and Jim Bittermann contributed to this report.

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