The trial against “Cols rouges”, the former art handlers at the Hôtel Drouot charged with theft and receipt of stolen goods, opened in Paris on Monday, 14 March with an immediate call for dismissal by the defendants’ lawyers. Following lengthy arguments from the defence to cancel the court proceedings—based on the French rule of “Question prioritaire de constitutionnalité”, which allows citizens to question whether any charges brought against them infringe on their constitutional rights—the judge called a recess in the trial several times to consider. But a ruling was not passed and the case continues this week.
The Paris court was packed for the first day of the trial of the “cols rouges”, named after the red collars of the art handlers’ uniform. The 50 defendants, accompanied by their lawyers, as well as dozens of plaintiffs, were squeezed in tightly, leaving little space in the courtroom for onlookers.
After the judge identified all the parties in the case and read the charges, which include organised theft, several arguments were made for dismissing the charges. Marie-Alix Canu Bernard, the lawyer for the auctioneer Philippe Lartigue who was in charge of inventory at Drouot and is accused of being involved in the thefts, paved the way. She pointed to the fact that Philippe Lartigue was not provided with a lawyer while he was in police custody, and was not notified of his right to remain silent. “His rights of due process have been violated to the utmost degree,” Canu Bernard said, calling for the “cancellation of the prosecution”. The lawyers for the other defendants joined in this request.
Karim Beylouni, the lawyer for Drouot, also emphasised the damage suffered by the auction house—both financial and moral—as the unwitting holder of stolen objects. “The case causes injury to Drouot’s activity, which is based on its reputation.”
