Goldberger is representing Kraft along with avid Patriots fan William Burck, a high-powered Washington, D.C., attorney who is a longtime friend of Kavanaugh's , with whom he worked in the White House during the administration of President George W. Bush. Kraft's local lawyer, Jack Goldberger, also has requested a non-jury trial for two misdemeanor counts facing the 77-year-old billionaire in Palm Beach County Court, according to a filing there. The so-called bench trial that Kraft wants would have a judge acting as both judge and jury in his case. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has entered a not guilty plea to charges of soliciting prostitution at a Florida massage parlor, and also has hired a close friend of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh as a lawyer in the case, court records show. Last year, Burck was hired by Bush to lead a legal team that reviewed documents from his administration before they were released to the Senate committee reviewing Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court. Burck also represented President Donald Trump's former White House counsel, Don McGahn, in connection with special counsel Robert Mueller's ongoing probes, and crafted the controversial strategy of having McGahn spend more than 30 hours talking to Mueller's investigators. Kraft, a Trump friend whose professional football team won its sixth Super Bowl earlier this month, is accused of soliciting sexual services for pay on two consecutive days at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa, which is located in an unglamorous strip mall in Jupiter, Florida. His second alleged visit there, on Jan. 20, occurred hours before he attended the AFC championship game in Kansas City, Missouri, where the Patriots defeated the Chiefs. Kraft, who is a widower, was seen on an undercover surveillance video receiving sexual services, according to authorities, who have charged two dozen other men in connection with the probe of the Orchids of Asia spa. Police have been investigating possible human trafficking of the women who worked there. Neither Kraft nor the other men charged in the case have been accused of human trafficking. The Patriots owner has a house not far from the spa, to which he was driven in different colored Bentleys during his separate visits, authorities have said. During his first visit, police claimed, Kraft was massaged by two women. During his second visit, police claim, just one woman was in the room with him. If convicted of the charges, Kraft faces up to one year in prison. He also faces a $5,000 fine, 100 hours of community service and attending a class on the dangers of human trafficking — all of which are mandatory. Kraft is now scheduled to be arraigned in the case on March 27. By entering a not guilty plea before then, he reportedly will not have to appear in person in court for that proceeding. Goldberger and Burck did not immediately respond to requests for comment from CNBC. After news of the charges against Kraft broke last week, a spokesman for him said: "We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further." On Monday, the National Football League said it will "handle this allegation" against Kraft "in the same way we would handle any issue under" the league's personal conduct policy. "We are seeking a full understanding of the facts, while ensuring that we do not interfere with an ongoing law enforcement investigation. We will take appropriate action as warranted based on the facts." The conduct policy mandates that owners, players and other employees refrain from "conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in" the NFL.<doc-sep>The case against Kraft, 77, is now set for March 27 at the North County Courthouse in Palm Beach Gardens about a month earlier than law enforcement officials had previously said. It was not immediately clear whether Kraft will have to appear personally or whether the arraignment can proceed with his attorney standing in for him. Kraft was allegedly captured on a camera hidden inside the Orchids of Asia Spa by Jupiter police paying for sex on Jan. 19 and Jan. 20. Florida authorities allege some of the women who worked at the spa were coerced into prostitution after arriving in the United States from China. Through his attorney, New England Patriots owner Robert K. Kraft has pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor charges of soliciting prostitution at a spa that authorities allege was part of an international human trafficking ring with ties to China. Advertisement Ian Goldstein, a West Palm Beach criminal defense lawyer who is not representing Kraft said that legal practice in Palm Beach does not require the defendant to appear at misdemeanor arraignments. “Misdemeanor defendants in this jurisdiction who are represented by counsel typically do not make a physical appearance at arraignment,’’ he wrote in an e-mail. “Attorneys can appear on their behalf, or file a written plea of not guilty and waive the arraignment altogether.” According to state and court records, Kraft has hired Jack A. Goldberger, a veteran Florida criminal defense lawyer whose former clients include Jeffrey Epstein, a Palm Beach financier ultimately convicted of procuring underage girls for sex. In court papers made public Thursday, Goldberger filed a standard form on behalf of Kraft. “The defendant, ROBERT KRAFT, hereby pleads not guilty to all charges and requests a non-jury trial,’’ Goldberger wrote. Goldberger was part of a team of lawyers who convinced then-US Attorney Alex Acosta to accept a plea deal to federal charges that has now come under judicial scrutiny for the prosecutor’s failure to notify victims of the agreement. Acosta is now the US labor secretary in the Trump administration. Advertisement Goldberger did not respond to an e-mail and phone call from the Globe on Thursday. A Kraft spokesman, after the billionaire businessman was publicly linked to the prostitution ring by law enforcement, said, “We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity.” Kraft and nearly 200 other men were swept up in a sprawling law enforcement investigation of Florida massage parlors that provided sexual services from women who were forced to live in the spas and perform sex acts on eight or more men a day, the Globe has reported. Kraft was driven to the spa in a white 2014 Bentley on Jan. 19 and was stopped and identified by Jupiter police that day. He returned the following day — arriving in a blue 2015 Bentley — around 11 a.m. and later that day was in Kansas City for the AFC championship game won by the Patriots. Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg said many of the women in sex trafficking rings are “themselves victims,” and he called brothels populated by human trafficking victims an “evil in our midst.” Kraft faces two first-degree misdemeanor charges that carry a maximum of a year in prison. “This isn’t about lonely old men and a victimless crime,’’ Aronberg said. “This is about enabling a network of criminals to traffic women into our country for forced labor and sex.” Advertisement The court date for Kraft’s case also falls on the final day of the NFL’s Annual League Meeting in Phoenix, where owners meet to hash out possible rule changes and other key issues. The NFL website says this year’s meeting is slated for March 24 through March 27. The NFL has said it is tracking the Kraft criminal case and will conduct its own investigation. The NFL policy states that “it is not enough simply to avoid being found guilty of a crime. We are all held to a higher standard.” John R. Ellement can be reached at ellement@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @JREbosglobe.<doc-sep>Getty Images A court filing from the 15th Judicial Circuit Court on Thursday indicated that Patriots owner Robert Kraft would be required to appear in court for a March 28 arraignment in Palm Beach County, Florida on solicitation charges, but Kraft’s attendance is actually not a requirement. Kraft’s attorney Jack Goldberger will appear on Kraft’s behalf and explained that his client is not required to appear to face the misdemeanor charges. The hearing will take place the day after league meetings wrap up in Phoenix. “This is a routine procedural hearing that the Court sets based on its schedule,’’ Goldberger said in an email to the Boston Globe. “The notice of appearance by the defendant is boilerplate, but in fact the lawyer appears for the defendant in a misdemeanor case.” Kraft has already entered a plea of not guilty on the charges.<doc-sep>
Robert Kraft holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy during the Patriots' celebration parade in Boston on Feb. 5, 2019. (Getty Images) Robert Kraft has a court date — March 28, 2019, at 9 a.m. ET — for an arraignment hearing stemming from two January visits to a Florida massage parlor. And for this, Kraft, according to court records, must attend, which, if the case is not settled before then, is sure to set off a paparazzi frenzy outside the courthouse in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. “The defendant must be present at this hearing,” court records filed on Thursday morning state. “Failure to appear will result in a bond Forfeiture or revocation of own recognizance and a Capias/Warrant being issued for your arrest.” Kraft’s lawyer, Jack Goldberger, contends that his client doesn’t have to attend the court procedure. Goldberger told Boston’s WBZ-TV’s via email that, “This is a routine procedural hearing that the Court sets based on its schedule. The notice of appearance by the defendant is boilerplate, but in fact the lawyer appears for the defendant in a misdemeanor case. The defendant does not appear.” The date at the Palm Beach County Circuit Criminal Court comes one day after the NFL owners meetings wrap up in Phoenix. The New England Patriots owner has pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor charges of solicitation of prostitution. Prosecutors allege he visited the Orchards of Asia massage parlor in Jupiter, Florida, on Jan. 19 and Jan. 20. Kraft later flew to Kansas City, Missouri, to watch the Patriots win the AFC championship and advance to the Super Bowl, which they won two weeks later in Atlanta. The prospect of Kraft, one of the most high-profile owners in the NFL, walking into court amid a sea of cameras is not ideal for the NFL, which exposes itself as image conscious. Kraft has thus far maintained a low public profile, other than denying he did anything illegal in a prepared statement. Kraft may still be able to resolve the case before the arraignment date. Many legal experts have theorized he’d never have to appear in person in court, thus avoiding the public spectacle. Story continues The two first-degree misdemeanors carry charges with a maximum sentence of one year in jail, a $1,000 fine and 100 hours of community service. Additionally, Kraft could be subject to sanctions from the NFL for violating the league’s code of conduct that applies to nearly anyone associated with the league, including owners. That could result in a multi-game suspension and fine. “The NFL is aware of the ongoing law enforcement matter and will continue to monitor developments,” the league said in a statement last month. More from Yahoo Sports: