DSK's Lunch Etiquette Could Determine His Freedom

The tick-tock of events following DSK's alleged assault in Manhattan

The verdict of Dominique Strauss-Kahn's sexual assault trial hinges in part on how the former IMF chief conducted himself during a lunch date with his daughter an hour after his alleged assault at the Sofitel hotel on West 44th Street, reports The New York Times. The 90-minute lunch at McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant, eight blocks from his hotel, may have been captured by one of several security cameras at the restaurant. "It could bolster the defense case if they laugh or appear to share a leisurely meal," reports The Times. "It could support the prosecution if it shows the 62-year-old white-haired Frenchman looking distracted or upset." The moments following DSK's checkout from his hotel at 12:28 p.m. and when he was apprehended from his first-class seat at 4:40 p.m. at Kennedy Airport are all being painstakingly examined by the prosecution and the defense. DSK's lawyers insist it was “a leisurely lunch with a member of his family.” The Times reports that DSK, stuck in traffic, ordered his daughter to order him fish so he wouldn't miss his flight. The tick-tock of his departure in mid May will play a key role in the prosecution's case of DSK's alleged sexual assault of a Sofitel maid.