Patriots Owner Robert Kraft May Have to Appear in Court

Robert K. Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots, will now be required to appear at his arraignment hearing in Florida on charges of soliciting prostitution, according to court papers released on Thursday.

But lawyers with experience representing clients in Palm Beach County in these kinds of cases, say that despite the document, defendants can still be represented by their lawyers in some instances.

Mr. Kraft was previously expected to be represented by a lawyer at the hearing, which has been rescheduled for March 28, the day after the conclusion of the N.F.L. league meetings in Phoenix.

The hearing will be at a satellite court in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., not the main courthouse.

“The defendant must be present at this hearing,” the court document says. Failure to appear could lead to a warrant for Mr. Kraft’s arrest, it says.

Mr. Kraft has pleaded not guilty and denies any criminal activity. He is considered unlikely to face jail time in the case, but if convicted could face fines and community service.

The court document offers instructions on obtaining a public defender, but Mr. Kraft is hardly likely to be in need of one.

Though the case is a minor one by legal standards, Mr. Kraft has spared no expense, bringing in sought-after lawyers, including William A. Burck, who worked in the George W. Bush White House, and Jack Goldberger, who defended Jeffrey E. Epstein, the New York financier accused of trafficking underage girls for sex.

A vigorous defense is unusual for a case of this kind. Most defendants take a plea deal.

The police say they have video of Mr. Kraft engaging in sex acts for money in two visits to a strip-mall massage parlor in Jupiter, Fla. He faces two first-degree misdemeanor charges.

Lawyers for Mr. Kraft did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

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