Patrick Kane Grand Jury Hearing Postponed Amid Reported Settlement Talks

A 23-person grand jury was to begin hearing the case of Patrick Kane today, to decide whether to indict the Blackhawks star on sexual assault allegations. That hearing has been postponed, the with two sources telling the paper that attorneys for Kane and his accuser may be discussing a settlement.

Grand jury testimony was to begin with a woman who was with the accuser at Kane’s house on the night of Aug. 1, when the accuser claims Kane overpowered and raped her. It is not known whether Kane or his accuser planned to testify before the grand jury.

There are reasons both sides might seek a settlement, reasons that have nothing to do with guilt or innocence (lawyer and hockey analyst Jennifer Lute Costella has a good rundown on her Twitter account), but any deal—with its accompanying confidentiality agreement—would likely mean Kane would resume his hockey career without interruption. The Blackhawks have declined to answer whether Kane would join his teammates when camp starts on Sept. 18.

[ Buffalo News]