As expected, Patriots owner Robert Kraft will not be accepting an offer that would result in pending charges of solicitation of prostitution being dismissed.
CNN reports that Kraft won’t be entering into a deal that would see the charges disappear in exchange for an acknowledgement that, if prosecuted, he would have been convicted.
T.J. Quinn of ESPN.com previously reported that the request for an admission of a guilty verdict is a “non-starter” for Kraft.
Kraft, who is due to be arraigned on March 28, presumably needs a full and complete exoneration in order to avoid punishment from the Commissioner under the Personal Conduct Policy. Given the evidence as characterized by publicly-filed affidavits, Kraft’s lawyers could attack various technical flaws in the investigation, and they could pursue the more fundamental argument that there is no proof that solicitation as defined under Florida law occurred during Kraft’s interactions with a pair of Florida residents who worked at a day spa in Palm Beach County.
If Kraft digs in and fights and ultimately secures a dismissal on the merits, it will be difficult for the league to justify punishing him. Thus, unless the prosecution will offer him a full and complete dismissal, he may have no choice but to fight.