EXCLUSIVE
Robert Kraft just won a major battle in the war over whether that spa video ever sees the light of day — a judge has granted a protective order that keeps it on lockdown … for now.
In court docs, obtained by TMZ, the judge agreed with Kraft’s attorneys that releasing the police surveillance video to the media would jeopardize the Patriots owner’s right to a fair trial. As a result, the judge’s order says the video cannot go public until the case is over — whether that’s by plea agreement or prosecutors dropping the charges — or once a trial jury is sworn in for the case.
The order is a victory for Kraft’s legal team because it means … prosecutors can’t use the potential release of the video as leverage to get Kraft to cave on a plea deal.
However, Kraft might want to keep the champagne on ice.
There’s another hearing scheduled for Friday where the judge is expected to make a decision about suppressing the release of any evidence in the case — including the spa video. In Tuesday’s order, the judge says he’s reserving the right to reconsider his decision after Friday’s hearing.
Stay tuned …