Strauss-Kahn bail hearing held

A judge took a brief recess in the bail hearing today for former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who is facing charges he tried…

A judge took a brief recess in the bail hearing today for former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who is facing charges he tried to rape a maid.

The arraignment has been set for June 6th. Mr Strauss-Kahn will spend tonight in jail, but a bail package is expected to be signed tomorrow.

Prosecutors opposed bail and told New York State Supreme Court Judge Michael Obus during the hearing that Mr Strauss-Kahn's "exit from the crime scene" was "unusually hasty." They said that "any bail package would be insufficient to insure he would return to court".

"The defendant in this case has shown a propensity for impulsive criminal conduct," one of the prosecutors said.

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Defence has proposed bail of $1 million for Mr Strauss-Kahn. Prosecutors said that it "doesn't make sense" and that he poses a flight risk.

Mr Strauss-Kahn has strongly denied charges of a criminal sexual act, attempted rape, sexual abuse, unlawful imprisonment and forcible touching.

Lawyers for Mr Strauss-Kahn (62), have also asked for him to be placed under 24-hour home detention with electronic monitoring.

A defence lawyer said Mr Strauss-Kahn has a net worth of roughly $2 million and that home detention would be 'very onerous and very expensive".

Prosecutors said Mr Strauss-Kahn's indictment, which specifies the formal charges, would be released after the court hearing.