This newspaper has learned that an Erie County Grand Jury will not hear from any witnesses today (Sept. 8) in the Patrick Kane case, as had been expected. And it is not clear, according to our sources, when and if the grand jury will hear from any witnesses in the probe into the allegation that the South Buffalo hockey star raped a former UB cheerleader in his Hamburg home on the morning of Aug 2.
had been reported in numerous media outlets that several witnesses, including the woman who accompanied the alleged victim to Kane’s lakefront home, had been subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury today, but our sources say there will be no testimony from anyone today and it is not certain when—or even if---any witnesses will be called to testify before the panel.
We reported exclusively last week that there have been no plea negotiations and none are expected in the case and no discussion of any civil settlement, clear signals that Kane’s camp is confident the young hockey star has a strong defense.
Neither District Attorney Frank Sedita nor defense attorney Paul Cambria has made any public statements on the status of the investigation which was commenced shortly after the alleged attack in the Town of Hamburg.
Cambria did tell this newspaper exclusively three weeks ago—in apparent response to published reports seemingly favorable to the accuser’s account of what happened---“that unless someone claims they were an eyewitness to a material event, you can assume their statement is spin and they have an agenda.” As we reported then and repeat now, from what we know there were no eyewitnesses to what happened between the 21-year-old woman and the 26-year-old hockey star in a room in his lakefront home on the morning of Aug. 2 after a night of partying at a downtown bar.
We pointed out in that same story Aug. 18 that while the alleged victim reportedly suffered bite marks on her shoulders, prosecutors had taken no dental imprints from Kane, according to our sources.
The allegations against the high-scoring right-winger for the three-time Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks is being watched by the sports world, including the NHL, and Kane’s hockey career—and his $84 million contract extension—could be in jeopardy if he were to be formally charged by a grand jury. But Cambria, one of the nation’s top defense attorneys who represented many famous clients including free speech activist Larry Flynt, appears confident in his position. No plea negotiations, no settlement talks! Now that’s a clear sign Cambria is not on thin ice.