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Dear suzeonline,

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In accordance with American criminal procedure, following DSK's "not guilty" plea on 6 June the "discovery" phase commenced on that date and will last until the 18 July as determined by the judge.

Evidence collected by the prosecutor will be communicated to the defence lawyers during this phase and they will be free to have it examined by independent experts. This will include saliva DNA tests etc.

Perhaps some of the results of these tests will be filtered through to the media as time goes by.

The current strategy of DSK and his lawyers seems to be not to deny there were sexual relations but to deny that Ophelia was not a consenting partner. They may even go as far as suggesting that it was she who took the initiative.

As there were no witnesses, it is just the word of DSK against the word of Ophelia. It will be up to the jury to decide who to believe.

Perhaps a bunch of dollars distributed to the right people in the Bronx where Ophelia lives might encourage one or two of her hard-up and unscrupulous neighbours to testify that she is capable of doing something like that.

It all comes down to a question of poverty, human values, morality and economic necessity.

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Yes, 'tis hard to think Ophelia won't agree to some kind of compensation (although her namesake couldn't be appeased), or else won't be betrayed, as Banjo P says, by acquaintances--or something of the sort.
Within a country whose criminal judiciary was capable of acquitting O J Simpson, it ought to be a breeze for DSK, guilty or not.
As all the binaries at play suggest, though, it's the whole reeking system of gross inequities and powerplay that's really on trial. Something's rotten in the Western States, and will continue to stink to high heaven regardless of the verdict.

Banjo,I'm not bagging Rodney Crisp.I just think DSK may have been set up.see Max Keiser on Greece and how they set them up.http://rt.com/programs/keiser-report/ see episode 152

The Central Banksters in conjunction with the IMF whom they fund,are continuing to plunder our economies.

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Dear Arjay,

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Thank you for the link to the Max Keiser blog. He seems quite intelligent and entertaining.

The sovereign debt problem is a time bomb that the IMF and others are trying to delay so that people can take shelter before it explodes. Unfortunately, it not only concerns Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Spain and Italy but the US as well. If that one goes off we're all be blown to smithereens.

All this is the result of the sub-prime mortgage crises in the US that hit the European banks and financial institutions in 2008 like a tsunami, obliging their national governments to bail them out with borrowed money which now constitutes sovereign debt that is sending those countries bankrupt.

The US started the tsunami. The IMF is trying to keep the countries afloat. I agree with Keiser's guest economist that throwing more money at the problem is simply gaining time. It is not solving the problem.

Unfortunately the consequences of disarming the bomb are likely to be almost as destructive economically, socially and humanly as letting it explode.

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Dear Squeers,

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"Something's rotten in the Western States, and will continue to stink to high heaven regardless of the verdict".

I am tempted to agree with you but somehow continue to harbour a very tiny flame of hope that justice is possible.

I consider, I think realistically, that I do not have all that many more years to live and am considering that the DSK affair is an ideal test case to see if justice is possible before I take my final bow. I shall probably not have many more opportunities of witnessing a case of this nature and quality.

All the actors appear to be excellent and well-fitted for their role. American democracy is about as good as one can get on this earth and the justice system seems to me to be of quite a high standard.

The case in hand is perfect for my purpose. As in almost all cases of sexual aggression there were no witnesses. The popular jury will have to judge the case on the basis of forensic evidence provided by modern technology, personality analyses, accusatory and defensive rhetoric and guidance from the judge.

This type of case rarely goes to court. It is extremely difficult to prove guilt "beyond all reasonable doubt".

That is a terrible injustice done, principally, to women and young girls in every country of the world, throughout history, every single day of the year without exception.

Mankind has made great progress in the sciences. The flame of democracy is spreading. It leads me to wonder if justice is possible and, if not, how it can be made possible within a democratic environment.

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Banjo Paterson,

I can empathise with your sense that the years ahead are few ...

My view is that while I'm sure justice is done, in the US and elsewhere, everyday in discrete cases, gross injustice remains the norm--in fact is not even on trial.
Democracy is a sacred cow that exists in name only, in my view, and not in any inclusive or aspirational sense that facilitates human fulfilment or potential. Popular democracy is just the most efficient means found so far to harness collective productivity so as to maintain elites--admittedly more diverse.
So yes, I think justice is "possible [selectively] within a democratic environment", but it's the injustice of the democratic environment per se that ought to be on trial. Democracies are not democratic any more than the freedom on offer is freedom in any qualitative sense. Democracy is certainly a huge improvement in the human race's social evolution, but it's a mistake for us to laud it as the end of history, as consummatum est, the best of all possible worlds, as good as it gets. Democracy yes, but the current state of democracy leaves much to be desired. If any Western country is likely to lead the way, it's surely France.

Anyhow, may I suggest that you keep the articles coming on this Shakespearean Tragedy, especially since it's a bigger story where you are than it is here in the conservative heartland.