After the New York criminal sexual assault case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn dissolved in prosecutors' doubts about his accuser's reliability, she vowed to get her day in another court.

The hotel maid's civil case against the former International Monetary Fund chief is nearing an important point. A hearing is set for Wednesday on Strauss-Kahn's claim that diplomatic immunity should insulate him from the lawsuit.

The hearing isn't intended to weigh the essence of the housekeeper's allegations that Strauss-Kahn tried to rape her last May. He's called the encounter a "moral failing" but insists it wasn't violent.

Wednesday's hearing is likely to revolve around the complex laws that shield diplomats from prosecution and lawsuits in their host countries.

Experts say Strauss-Kahn's arguments are raising novel questions about the scope of those laws.