Court: Secret videos can’t be used in Kraft massage case

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FILE - In this Oct. 21, 2019, file photo, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft points to fans as his team warms up before an NFL football game against the New York Jets, in East Rutherford, N.J. A Florida appeals court ruled Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020, that police violated the rights of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and others when they secretly video recorded them paying for massage parlor sex acts, barring the tapes' use at trial and dealing a potentially deadly blow to their prosecution. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun, File)

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida appeals court has ruled that police violated the rights of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and others when they secretly video recorded them paying for massage parlor sex acts. The decision Wednesday by the 4th District Court of Appeal bars the tapes’ use at trial and could deal a potentially deadly blow to the prosecution. The court decided that Kraft’s rights were violated under the 4th Amendment to the Constitution, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures. Prosecutors could appeal to the state Supreme Court but if this ruling stands, charges against Kraft and others may be dropped.