Strauss-Kahn Pleads Not Guilty

ABC News reports:

Dominique Strauss Kahn, the man who was a contender to be the next president of France, pleaded not guilty in a New York criminal court today at his arraignment on multiple charges of sexually assaulting a hotel room maid at a posh Manhattan hotel last month.

In the moments before his plea, Strauss Kahn had sat at the defense table between his attorneys, Benjamin Brafman and William Taylor, looking relaxed and with his legs stretched out.

The 13th floor courtroom was packed – mostly with reporters – at 9:20 a.m. when the arraignment of the former head of the International Monetary Fund.

The former IMF czar entered court holding hands with his wife Anne Sinclair as they passed several dozen hotel maids chanting "Shame, shame" at the man known simply as DSK. One of the protesters held a sign that read, "An injury to one of us is an injury to all of us."

Court officials blocked off an elevator for Strauss Kahn which he rode to the 13th floor where he was arraigned by Judge Michael Obus.

At a previous court appearance last month, Strauss Kahn was ordered released from jail on $1 million bail. Strauss-Kahn was required to post an additional $5 million insurance bond and that the French politician agree to house arrest and 24-hour monitoring.