[sureLoss]

Kane and his accuser continue to try to reach a resolution:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/c...916-story.html

Attorneys for the parties have been in communication for weeks, though they had not reached a formal agreement by Wednesday afternoon that would potentially end the criminal investigation. To the contrary, the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, described a fluid situation in which both Kane and his accuser have refused at times to acquiesce because they both view themselves as the wronged party.

"Each of them has threatened to walk away and just let the justice system take care of it," one source said. "They both say the truth is on their side."

As the fragile talks continue, the criminal investigation will be at the forefront of the Blackhawks preseason, which opens Friday with a three-day camp at the University of Notre Dame. The team and Kane's agent, Pat Brisson, said Kane is expected to attend the public event, where he's likely to face a crush of reporters for the first time since a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her last month at his off-season home outside Buffalo.

At the same time, western New York prosecutors will be preparing to take the criminal case to a grand jury later this month. Kane attorney Paul Cambria has confirmed the upcoming proceedings but said he had not been given any specific dates for when evidence will be presented.

The Erie County district attorney's office postponed grand jury proceedings last week, a move that raised questions about the direction of the high-profile criminal investigation of the Blackhawks winger. Before the last-minute delay, Kane's accuser and a friend who was with her at Kane's lakefront home in the town of Hamburg on the night of the alleged incident had been scheduled to appear.

The decision to reschedule the proceedings was made by prosecutors, and the sources said it did not come at either Kane's or his accuser's request. Kane's accuser continues to cooperate with the criminal investigation and has hired an attorney who specializes in personal injury cases, in addition to the defense attorney who has been guiding her through that criminal investigation, sources said.

Neither of those attorneys could be reached for comment.