Witness woe for DA in Strauss-Kahn case

The heavy antique millstone Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. keeps in his office could be a symbol of the burden that the Dominique Strauss-Kahn sexual assault case represents for the city's newest prosecutor.

Friday's revelation about problems with the witness in the case could lead to the charges being dismissed, which would be another setback for Vance and his staff, who already have had several high-profile losses. Recently, two ex-cops were acquitted of rape charges, and two men were acquitted of criminally negligent homicide in the Deutsche Bank fire case.

With Vance's admission that the witness against Strauss-Kahn appears to be a liar, he seems to be having problems on a string of big cases.

"Things haven't been wonderful," said noted Manhattan defense attorney Gerald Lefcourt.

Lefcourt and other defense attorneys say that Vance acted with integrity in how he handled the discovery of the witness problem, and that it will help him in the long run.

"I think standing up and saying what they found quickly is to his credit," said Lefcourt, past president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. "That is exactly what he should have done."

"What we did in this case is exactly what people of Manhattan have expected from this office for the last 75 years," said Daniel R. Alonso, Vance's chief assistant.

Lefcourt is critical of Strauss-Kahn, former head of the International Monetary Fund, being subjected to a perp walk and tough bail.

Said James DiPietro, a former state prosecutor, "Sometimes the celebrity of defendants cause prosecutors to act irrationally." Still, he said he thinks the prosecutor acted appropriately.

"In this case Vance's office continued the investigation and came up with information that cast doubt on the victim's credibility," said Manhattan attorney Stuart Slotnick.