NY Suit Vs. Strauss-Kahn Revisits Dismissed Case A New York City hotel maid's allegations that Dominique Strauss-Kahn sexually assaulted her are getting renewed scrutiny in her lawsuit over the encounter, a year after the criminal case began to crumble. Legally, the ongoing lawsuit and the now-dismissed criminal charges are separate realms. But both sides have recently invoked the criminal case as they seek to strengthen their stances in the civil case. The housekeeper's lawyers are trying to get a swath of information about prosecutors' investigation. They have long said prosecutors rashly cut a legitimate case loose. Meanwhile, Strauss-Kahn's attorneys are underscoring that prosecutors decided the woman couldn't be trusted. The former International Monetary Fund leader is countersuing her for launching what he calls baseless charges. The criminal case was dropped in August.