Kobe Bryant and Kate Farber, Kobe Bryant's Accuser Rape Case

Kobe Bryant arrives late to All-Star game

2004-02-16T06:50:00.000-08:00

Kobe Bryant showed up late to the NBA All-Star game Sunday, missing the team photo and arriving a few minutes after the pregame media availability concluded.

"He called after he was supposed to be here saying he was going to be late," NBA spokesman Tim Andree said.

Bryant, a starter for the Western Conference, entered the locker room at 4:30 p.m. PST -- an hour and 20 minutes before tipoff.

His locker was conspicuously empty during the media availability as dozens of reporters awaited his arrival.

Kobe Bryant Wants Statements Thrown Out

2004-02-04T08:28:00.000-08:00

The day after a concierge complained that he raped her, basketball star Kobe Bryant approached detectives staking out his hotel and shook hands with them, leading to a 75-minute interrogation over the accusations, a court heard on Tuesday.

Bryant's lawyers argued in court that a tape recording of the interview should be thrown out because the 25-year-old Los Angeles Lakers guard was never read his rights by the detectives.

Bryant, who missed Monday's hearing before Eagle County district Court Judge Terry Ruckriegle through an unexplained illness, was present for Tuesday's hearing.

The day's first witness, Eagle County sheriff's detective Douglas Winters, spent nearly three hours on the stand answering detailed questions about whether police obtained Bryant's consent to speak with him.

Defense attorney Hal Haddon went to pains to show that police officers were inept and even had to be told by a judge to get a proper warrant to seize several clothing items belonging to Bryant.

Police obtained a warrant to escort Bryant to a hospital to obtain DNA samples like hair and bodily fluids that investigators need for sexual assault cases.

But such a warrant is very specific, ordering police to find the person during the day and not at night as in Bryant's case. Police are also required to take a suspect to the hospital as quickly as possible and not interrogate the him.

Winters said he was unaware of the provision about daytime hours. Former Denver District Attorney Norm Early who is observing the court proceeding told reporters the daytime rule is to ensure people are not roused out of their sleep.

Bryant spoke with police for about 75 minutes after approaching them in the parking lot of the posh Colorado resort hotel where he was staying, saying "what's up fellas?" and shook their hands, Winters said.

Bryant's bodyguard, Los Angeles police officer Troy Laster, left Bryant with the two detectives in the parking lot.

Bryant defense challenges police procedures

2004-02-03T15:25:00.000-08:00

The lead investigator in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case acknowledged Tuesday under defense questioning that the NBA star was subjected to a pre-dawn hospital examination in violation of state law.

At a pretrial hearing, defense attorney Hal Haddon grilled Eagle County sheriff's Detective Doug Winters about police procedure, pointing out state law calls for hair, fibers and other "non-testimonial evidence" to be obtained during daylight hours. The hospital trip was in the middle of the night.

Winters said he didn't know about that rule. He also admitted that when he obtained a court order, a judge had to remind him he needed a second separate search warrant in order to gather Bryant's clothing.

The judge has barred open-court arguments about what Bryant said to investigators July 2, a day after the alleged rape of a 19-year-old Colorado worker at the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera.

But Winters provided a tantalizing glimpse inside the 75-minute interview with Bryant and the subsequent trip to the hospital to collect evidence such as hair and fiber samples.

Bryant's attorneys say prosecutors shouldn't be allowed to use the interview because it was secretly taped and Bryant was never read his rights even though he was, in effect, in custody.

They also want evidence obtained that day - including a Bryant T-shirt stained with the accuser's blood - thrown out.

Winters admitted he had signed an investigation document indicating Bryant had been officially detained, which would have required authorities to advise him of his rights to an attorney and to remain silent.

"It's your testimony today that he was not detained?" Haddon asked.

"It's how you perceive it, but there was an incident that occurred in the room," Winters said. He said the incident in Bryant's room led him to take Bryant to the hospital for the exam.

Bryant, his hand heavily taped after an accident in his garage last week, was back in court after missing Monday's hearing with an undisclosed illness.

Kobe Bryant's Lawyers Play Race Card

2004-01-23T15:16:00.000-08:00

Kobe Bryant's attorneys suggested in open court Friday that the Los Angeles Lakers star may have been falsely accused of rape because he is black.

The comment from attorney Pamela Mackey came during a legal squabble over the notes of a rape crisis center worker who sat in on a police interview with Bryant's 19-year-old accuser. The defense wants access to the notes, a request opposed by the crisis center.

Inga Causey, attorney for the Resource Center of Eagle County, said releasing more details about Bryant's accuser would lead to fewer women reporting rapes. She said rape reports dropped in Florida after William Kennedy Smith was acquitted, a case in which his accuser's medical background was targeted by defense attorneys.

At that point, Mackey urged the judge to focus on the Bryant case and avoid the "political agenda of the rape crisis center."

"There is lots of history about black men being falsely accused of this crime by white women," Mackey said. "I don't think we want to get dragged down into this history any more than we want to get into the history brought up by the rape crisis center."

Until now, defense attorneys had said only that the woman had a "scheme" to falsely accuse Bryant in hopes of winning attention from an ex-boyfriend.

The defense has previously accused the sheriff's office of bias and labeled as racist T-shirts mocking Bryant that were purchased by someone in the district attorney's office.

Bryant Case Voted AP Sports Story of Year

2003-12-29T16:44:00.000-08:00

The young hotel worker's accusation was shocking enough: Thrilled by a chance encounter with a celebrity, she went to his room only to be forced over a chair and sexually assaulted. More startling was the name of the accused: Kobe Bryant.

Even with a trial months away, it became the most-watched case against a celebrity sports figure since O.J. Simpson was charged with murder. It was chosen the story of the year by the newspaper and broadcast members of The Associated Press.

In the AP voting announced Monday, the Bryant saga received 30 first-place votes for 616 points, beating out Lance Armstrong's record-tying fifth straight Tour de France title (19 first-place votes, 540 points), the Florida Marlins' surprising World Series win (12 first-place votes, 536 points) and Annika Sorenstam becoming the first woman in 58 years to play on the PGA Tour (seven first-place votes, 473 points).

Ten points were awarded for first place, down to one point for a 10th-place vote.

Rounding out the top 10 were: Ohio State beating Miami in double overtime for the college football national championship; Sammy Sosa caught using a corked bat; steroid scandals; Tampa Bay's Super Bowl win over Oakland; Carmelo Anthony leading Syracuse to its first college basketball national title; and Ben Curtis capturing the British Open in his first appearance at a major.

Exactly what happened behind a locked door at a Colorado resort June 30 probably will be up to a jury to decide next year. But it didn't take long for the accusations to hurt the reputations of Bryant and his accuser.

Reporters and Bryant's supporters and bashers flocked to the small mountain town of Eagle, Colo., over the next few months for a series of court appearances that brought out graphic details of the 19-year-old woman's charges along with revelations about her past.

Kobe Bryant isn't just any basketball player. He's an NBA superstar making millions a year on the court and just as much in endorsements. Advertisers saw him as the next Michael Jordan, and he enjoyed a pristine image as a likable player who was happily married and the father of a baby girl.

A 2002 poll rated him the third-best product endorser in sports, behind Tiger Woods and Jordan.

All that changed overnight when Bryant was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting the hotel worker who checked him into the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera in the mountains outside Eagle.

The charges were so out of character with Bryant's public image that one noted television interviewer -- and friend of Bryant's -- immediately proclaimed on national TV that he would be "astonished" if the charge were true.

The accuser told police she checked in Bryant -- who had gone to Colorado for arthroscopic surgery on his knee -- and two bodyguards, then showed him to his room. Bryant, she said, told her to return in a few minutes and give him a tour of the resort. She did, and they later began kissing in his room.

The woman said she tried to leave, but Bryant pulled her dress up, forced her over a chair and had sex with her. Afterward, she was told to go clean up, she said, made to perform one final act, and ordered never to tell anyone about what happened.

Bryant held a tearful news conference in Los Angeles to deny the charge, while admitting he had consensual sex with the woman. He held hands with his wife Vanessa, who was given a new $4 million diamond ring after his arrest.

"I'm a human being. I'm a man just like everybody else. I mourn. I cry. Just like everybody else," Bryant said. "And I sit here before you guys embarrassed and ashamed for committing adultery."

It didn't take long for Bryant to understand the seriousness of the charge. He hired two top criminal defense lawyers and soon made his first appearance in the small Eagle courtroom, where a judge informed him he could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted.

As the Lakers began training camp in October in Hawaii, Bryant admitted being distracted and scared about his future.

"Terrified. Not so much for myself but just for what my family's going through," Bryant said. "They had nothing to do with this. But just because their names have been dragged in the mud, I'm scared for them."

Bryant's accuser, meanwhile, must have been scared herself.

She was the target of death threats -- including one left on her home answering machine -- and went into seclusion to get away from the spotlight. At Bryant's first court appearance in August, some of her former high school classmates wore the basketball star's jerseys and called their former classmate a liar.

Things didn't get much better inside the courtroom.

Bryant's defense team went ahead with a preliminary hearing where damaging details of the accuser's story emerged and painted him as an arrogant rapist so caught up in his own celebrity that he had no regard for the woman.

But Bryant's attorneys immediately signaled they were playing hardball themselves, suggesting in court that the woman's injuries were consistent with her having sex with other men in the days leading up to her encounter with Bryant.

And they made sure one more startling revelation came out before the two-day hearing ended -- that the underwear the woman wore to her rape exam had the semen of another man on them.

"She is not worthy of your belief," defense attorney Pamela Mackey told the judge.

A week before the NBA season was to begin, the judge ordered Bryant to stand trial on the sexual assault charge. His season would be interrupted by private jet trips to Eagle for hearings leading up to a trial expected next summer at the earliest.

Though Bryant was greeted by assorted boos on the road, other fans brought signs proclaiming his innocence to games and wore copies of his No. 8 jersey.

The Lakers kept winning on the court Bryant is so familiar with. His fate is still uncertain in a court he becomes more familiar with every day.

Kobe Bryant's Accusser Checks into Medical Center

2003-11-26T14:58:00.000-08:00

The woman accusing Kobe Bryant of sexual assault checked into a medical treatment center to help her escape relentless media and threats, the Vail Daily reported Wednesday.

The 19-year-old woman's family made the decision at some point after the alleged assault at the resort hotel where she worked and where Bryant stayed June 30, the newspaper reported, citing anonymous sources.

The report did not say when she checked into the center and what kind of treatment was sought.

John Clune, the woman's attorney, did not return a call for comment. Prosecution spokeswoman Krista Flannigan declined to comment, but said prosecutors were not concerned about such reports influencing potential jurors.

"We believe that we have an intelligent jury pool in Eagle County and everything at this point is all allegations," she said. "We believe the jury's going to wait until they hear the actual facts in the trial."

Bryant, 25, is accused of assaulting the woman in his hotel room. Free on $25,000 bond, he faces four years to life in prison or 20 years to life on probation if convicted. He has said the two had consensual sex.

Friends have said the woman has been treated twice in the past year after attempting suicide: Once in February, when she was a student at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, and again in May when she was living in Eagle.

Kobe HIV test wanted

2003-11-19T03:57:00.000-08:00

ESPN.com - NBA - Report: Kobe HIV test wanted

Prosecutors in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case have filed a motion asking a judge to order the NBA star undergo testing for the virus that causes AIDS, a television station reported.

The motion was filed under seal and the judge has not ruled, KCNC-TV in Denver reported Tuesday night, citing unnamed sources.

Neither the district attorney's spokeswoman nor Bryant's attorney returned telephone messages from The Associated Press late Tuesday.

Bryant, 25, is accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman on June 30 at an Edwards hotel where she worked and he was a guest. He has said they had consensual sex.

Colorado law requires anyone charged with a crime involving sexual penetration to be tested for HIV if the suspect is ordered to stand trial after a preliminary hearing.

HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, causes AIDS.

Bryant has been ordered to stand trial on a charge of sexual assault. He faces four years to life in prison or 20 years to life on probation if convicted.

First real battles looming in Kobe Bryant case

2003-11-17T08:22:00.000-08:00

Let the paper war begin: The judge in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case has given attorneys a month to outline issues that could play a key role at trial, from medical histories to rape kit evidence.

Winning the fight over evidence and testimony is crucial when it comes to convincing jurors the Los Angeles Lakers star is guilty or innocent.

"Team Kobe's biggest worry now is a hung jury," said Denver attorney Craig Silverman, a former prosecutor. "After the preliminary hearing, it doesn't look like 12 people would convict him. At the same time, it's very hard to convince all 12 people to vote not guilty. If he wins these motions hearings, it could reduce the likelihood of a hung jury."

During Bryant's initial appearance in state court Thursday, the judge gave attorneys 30 days to file formal requests. Legal experts expect the defense to try to limit evidence and to set ground rules for expert witnesses.

More important will be evidence the defense wants to ensure goes before a jury, Loyola Law School-Los Angeles professor Stan Goldman said.

He said the defense will want to argue that Bryant's 19-year-old accuser was mentally and emotionally unstable, that she was promiscuous and that she expected Bryant to make sexual advances. Prosecutors have indicated they will try to keep such evidence away from the jury.

"In my opinion, that is the far more relevant and potentially compelling evidence -- if true -- about why in this he-said, she-said context we should believe he instead of she," Goldman said Friday.

Bryant, 25, is accused of raping the woman at the posh hotel where she worked and he was a guest June 30. Free on $25,000 bond, he faces four years to life in prison or 20 years to life on probation if convicted.

Bryant to make first appearance before trial judge

2003-11-12T18:03:00.000-08:00

Kobe Bryant will be back in a Colorado courtroom Thursday for his first hearing before the judge that will preside over his sexual assault trial.

During his initial appearance in Eagle County District Court, the Los Angeles Lakers' guard is expected to be formally advised of the charge against him, his rights and the penalty he faces if convicted.

Judge Terry Ruckriegle also could adjust Bryant's $25,000 bond and set dates for upcoming hearings, including an arraignment. Bryant could enter a plea, though that isn't expected.

Both sides typically discuss plea arrangements in advance with the judge, but those conversations haven't occurred, prosecution spokeswoman Krista Flannigan said Wednesday. After a plea, a trial must be scheduled within six months.

Attorney Dan Recht, past president of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, said Bryant's attorneys probably will ask for an arraignment later this year to delay the start of the trial.

"My guess is the defense wants the trial to start after the basketball season," Recht said.

Bryant, 25, is accused of raping a 19-year-old woman June 30 at a mountain resort near Edwards where she worked and he was a guest. Bryant says the two had consensual sex.

If convicted, Bryant would face four years to life in prison and 20 years to life on probation.

Kobe Scores 31 in Lakers Win Over Bucks

2003-11-05T04:51:00.000-08:00

Kobe Bryant said his rift with Shaquille O'Neal is history, he doesn't hear the jeers and his knee feels fine.

Want proof? How about 31 points in 40 minutes, including two crucial 3-pointers in the Los Angeles Lakers' 113-107 comeback victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.

"He took some tough shots, he played well, he carried us in the fourth quarter," said O'Neal, who scored 23 points and agreed the pair's well-documented clash was over.

"Sometimes he's going to carry us. Sometimes I'm going to carry us. Sometimes Gary Payton or Karl Malone is going to carry us. He stepped up tonight."

O'Neal and Bryant traded barbs in the last two weeks, both claiming this was their team. On Tuesday, they were ready to share it, particularly with Payton and Malone, who joined them for a shot at an elusive championship.

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2003-11-05T04:49:00.000-08:00

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Stores Yank Paper Showing Kobe Bryant's Accuser

2003-11-01T16:29:00.000-08:00

Colorado's two largest grocery chains yanked copies of a supermarket tabloid featuring a front-page photo and the name of the woman who alleges she was raped by basketball star Kobe Bryant.

King Soopers and its sister chain, City Market _ which has a store in Eagle, the hometown of the 19-year-old accuser _ pulled this week's Globe off check-out racks at stores in Wyoming, Utah and Colorado on Friday.

Safeway said it will not carry the issue at all.

The Globe's cover page shows a photo taken of the woman, reportedly at her high school prom, and the headline "Did she really say no?" It also displays her name.

"We made the decision to pull it from the racks so that customers would not be forced to view it as they went through the check-out lanes," said Trail Daugherty, a spokesman for King Soopers and City Market.

Daugherty said those who want to buy the issue can do so at customer service counters. "We've never seen our role as a retailer to be a censor," he said.

Safeway spokesman Jeff Stroh told the Rocky Mountain News that company officials did not want to "participate in disclosing an alleged victim's name and photograph." He did not return calls Friday seeking additional details, including whether the decision applied only to Colorado stores.

News organizations, including The Associated Press, have not disclosed the accuser's name or shown her picture. The Globe's decision drew sharp criticism.

"It is still the main reason women don't report (assault)," said Cynthia Stone, spokeswoman for the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault. The group wants retailers to pull the issue.

Lakers Fine Kobe Bryant For Shaq Smack

2003-10-29T05:51:00.000-08:00

Lakers Fine Kobe Bryant For Shaq Smack

Can't we all just get along?

Kobe Bryant said he and teammate Shaquille O'Neal will do just that in order to help the Los Angeles Lakers win another NBA championship.

Bryant said he and O'Neal have put their dispute behind them and have moved on.

"We're cool," Bryant said after the team's victory over the Dallas Mavericks Tuesday night. "We talked this morning. He said what he said, I said what I said. We put it behind us."

When he spoke out about teammate Shaq, Bryant suggested that the team do something about the rift between the two star players.

The team did.

Bryant was fined for comments he made to ESPN in which he called his teammate "childlike" and "unprofessional," and accused him of exaggerating the severity of his foot injury last season.

The team didn't reveal the amount of the fine.

Coach Phil Jackson said before Tuesday night's game that the feud was not an insurmountable problem for the team.

Lately, Bryant and O'Neal have been sniping at each other in the media -- complaining about the other's physical condition and level of commitment to the team.

The Lakers held a team meeting in their locker room before their shoot-around Tuesday morning. Teammates say Bryant, O'Neal, Karl Malone and coach Phil Jackson were the only ones who spoke.

Injured Kobe Bryant Lashes Out at Shaq

2003-10-28T10:32:00.000-08:00

Bryant might miss opener; criticizes O'Neal

The tension engulfing Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers is growing, and the season hasn't even begun.

As the Lakers' ``Dream Team'' of Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Karl Malone and Gary Payton prepared for Tuesday night's opener against Dallas, Bryant indicated he might not play, and again lashed out at O'Neal, calling the center childish and accusing him of coming to training camp ``fat and out of shape'' in previous years.

``My knee is not strong enough to play yet. I know it. When it is, I will play,'' Bryant told ESPN by phone Monday. ``I probably won't play tomorrow night or until I'm ready.''

Bryant, coming back from offseason knee surgery, traded barbs with O'Neal through the media over the weekend. Neither spoke with reporters after practice Monday, although Bryant did the telephone interview with ESPN.

The Lakers weren't so sure Bryant will miss the game.

``Our understanding is that Kobe might not play because of the knee injury,'' Lakers director of public relations John Black said Monday night. ``We think he probably will. That decision will be made tomorrow based on how Kobe is feeling and how his knee feels prior to the game.''

Life Gets a Little Too Real for Kobe and the Lakers

2003-10-28T07:56:00.000-08:00

Life Gets a Little Too Real for Kobe and the Lakers

Before their season from hell came their preseason from hell.

Not even Coach Phil Jackson, who'd warned his team what was coming, expected a circus like this, as proceedings in Kobe Bryant's sexual assault case dragged into their fourth week without a trial date, and the strung-out Laker organization barred members of the media on media day, then lifted the credential of another for asking the wrong question.

Like everyone else, Jackson had come to rely on the old Bulletproof Kobe, but this wasn't that prodigy anymore, emerging from a summer of seclusion.

Meanwhile, lest anyone forget Shaquille O'Neal, he had issues too, starting with management's refusal to extend his contract, which runs three more seasons at an average of $29.3 million.

Fans Cheer Kobe Bryant in Exhibition Lakers Loss

2003-10-26T16:38:00.000-08:00

Kobe Bryant told everyone he loved them. For another night, at least, everyone loved him back.

Cheered from the moment he stepped off the team bus, Bryant got in some much needed work with his All-Star teammates Friday night as the Los Angeles Lakers lost 93-87 to the Sacramento Kings in the final exhibition game for both teams.

Bryant played 23 minutes and scored six points on 3-of-10 shooting. He spent the entire fourth quarter on the bench getting his right knee wrapped and his legs massaged by a trainer as the Lakers reserves rallied to make the game close.

Kobe Bryant case tests limits of 'rape shield laws'

2003-10-22T18:21:00.000-07:00

The Chrisitan Science Monitor looks into the Kobe Bryant Rape case and it's testing of "rape shield laws"

As the rape case against basketball star Kobe Bryant proceeds, expect to see the alleged victim's past on trial too - both inside and outside the courtroom.

A Colorado judge allowed the case to go forward Monday one week after Mr. Bryant's defense attorneys introduced lurid evidence of the accuser's other sexual experiences at a preliminary hearing.

Like most states, Colorado has a "rape shield law" that generally protects victims from disclosures about their sexual conduct or reputation before or after an alleged assault. But the Colorado law includes two exceptions: evidence about prior sexual conduct with the defendant and evidence that might show the acts charged were not committed by the defendant.

Now, in the highest-profile criminal prosecution since O.J. Simpson's trial a decade ago, the balance between a defendant's right to a fair trial and an accuser's rights under the rape shield law will be tested.

The disclosures already made in the Bryant case show that rape shield laws don't completely prevent allusions to the sexual history of accusers. Advocates of victims' rights say such disclosures show precisely why rape shield laws are necessary, arguing that a defendant's guilt or innocence should related to his or her own behavior, not that of the alleged victim.

Bryant case tests limits of 'rape shield laws' | csmonitor.com

Kate Farber Testimony will Be Tough

2003-10-21T20:55:00.000-07:00

Difficult testimony looming for Bryant's accuser

With questions raised about the quality of evidence in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case, testimony from the NBA star and the woman accusing him of rape may play a crucial role at trial.

Bryant is familiar with the media and has already sat in front of TV cameras and admitted to adultery.

His 19-year-old accuser, however, will have to discuss graphic details of her encounter with the Los Angeles Lakers' guard and be ready for difficult questions from his attorneys -and may have to do so in front of an international television audience.

"She's had a lot of practice being attacked by the defense already," said Wendy Murphy, a victim's advocate and professor at the New England School of Law. "It helps build thick skin, helps prepare her and limit her anxiety."

Eagle County Judge Frederick Gannett ruled Monday that prosecutors presented enough evidence at Bryant's preliminary hearing to send the case to district court for a potential trial.

But in a nine-page ruling, Gannett said some of the evidence appeared to have questionable value and said prosecutors offered only enough to get the case to trial. Bryant's first appearance in district court is scheduled for Nov. 10.

Kobe Bryant Must Stand Trial for Rape

2003-10-20T17:44:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant was ordered on Monday to stand trial on charges he raped a 19-year-old woman who flirted with him at a Colorado mountain resort last June, despite what a judge called minimal evidence to support the charge.

Eagle County Judge Frederick Gannett ordered the star athlete back to court on Nov. 10 for a hearing in the case, which could go to trial next spring.

But he said in his eight-page decision, "The people presented, despite the court's consistent comments and admonitions concerning the amount and nature of evidence, ... what can only be described as a minimal amount of evidence."

He also rejected the prosecution's contentions that Bryant had implicated himself with his own statements to police -- statements that have never been made public.

Gannett based his decision to bind Bryant, 25, over for a trial on evidence presented at a preliminary hearing which ended last week and included graphic testimony from a police officer that the basketball star forced the woman over a chair and then had sex with her while his hand was around her neck.

NBC 4 - News - Kobe's Attorney Reportedly Receives Death Threats

2003-10-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

People magazine reports that Bryant's lead attorney says she has been threatened.

The magazine says Pamela Mackey has told at least one colleague at the Colorado Women's Bar Association that she has received more than 40 death threats since the start of the preliminary hearing last week.

During the hearing, Mackey upset the judge by repeatedly mentioning the accuser's name -- and trying to introduce the accuser's sexual history into the hearing.

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2003-10-20T07:52:00.000-07:00

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Kobe Bryant: 'Every day is a bad day'

2003-10-20T07:42:00.000-07:00

Kobe Bryant went through his hardest scrimmage of the preseason today, and he sounded downcast afterward.

"Every day is a bad day," Bryant said.

"You just kind of take the good with it. We'll get through this situation. Every storm has to end. The sunshine is a rainbow after every storm, so you just go along with it."

Bryant is expected to learn Monday whether he will stand trial in Eagle, Colo., on a sexual assault charge.

A 19-year-old woman accused the Los Angeles Lakers' All-Star guard of raping her on June 30 at the mountain resort where she worked. Bryant has said the two had consensual sex.

Coach Phil Jackson gave a day off to all the Lakers age 30 and older. That left Bryant, 25, to scrimmage with several members of the preseason roster who will not be on the team when the regular season begins.

Kobe Bryant judge expected to decide this week whether sex-assault trial goes forward

2003-10-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

Kobe Bryant judge expected to decide this week whether sex-assault trial goes forward

Kobe Bryant could learn this week whether he will be tried on charges he raped a 19-year-old hotel worker.

Eagle County Judge Frederick Gannett was expected to issue a ruling as early as Monday, with many legal analysts predicting Bryant would be ordered to stand trial.

A preliminary hearing that ended last week revealed graphic and sometimes conflicting evidence about the June 30 encounter between the basketball star and his 19-year-old accuser. Bryant has said the sex was consensual.

A relatively low threshold of proof is required at a preliminary hearing before a case can go to trial. Under state law, evidence at such a hearing must be considered in a light most favorable to prosecutors

Kobe Bryant Posters

2003-10-20T07:13:00.000-07:00

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Next turn in Kobe's future may come Monday

2003-10-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

Next turn in Kobe's future may come Monday

DENVER -- Kobe Bryant may find out this week whether he will stand trial for rape, a case that could send the NBA superstar to prison for life if he is convicted.

Judge Frederick Gannett was expected to release his ruling as early as Monday, and many legal experts believed he would order a trial.

"If the (woman's) story indicates that she was sexually assaulted, that is enough to bring the case forward absent some conclusive proof that she is lying," said Christopher Mueller, a University of Colorado law school professor.

During a two-day preliminary hearing that wrapped up last week, graphic and sometimes conflicting evidence emerged about the June 30 encounter between Bryant and the woman at the mountain resort where she worked.

ESPN.com - NBA - Enough to convict Kobe? Experts skeptical

2003-10-16T20:42:00.000-07:00

Enough to convict Kobe? Experts skeptical

Kobe Bryant will probably be ordered to stand trial for rape but it remains to be seen if prosecutors have enough evidence to convict him, many legal experts said.

During a two-day preliminary hearing that ended Wednesday, both sides showed hints of their strategy. Prosecutors alleged the NBA superstar forced himself on the Eagle woman while Bryant's attorneys attacked her credibility.

"This is just the beginning in terms of the evidence and at a probable cause hearing, you put on the minimal amount of evidence that you think you need in order to get over the probable cause threshold," former Denver prosecutor Karen Steinhauser said Thursday.

"I would imagine there's going to be a lot more coming and that's why people should not make value judgments at this point in time on the strengths and weaknesses of the case."

Judge Frederick Gannett hoped to decide by Monday whether to order Bryant to stand trial on the sexual assault charge. A 19-year-old Eagle woman accused the Los Angeles Lakers' guard of raping her June 30 at the mountain resort where she worked. Bryant has said the two had consensual sex.

On Wednesday, defense attorney Pamela Mackey got the lead investigator to acknowledge the panties the woman wore to the hospital fewer than 24 hours after the alleged assault had sperm and pubic hair that did not match Bryant's. Mackey said it presented "compelling evidence" her client is innocent.

The panties were a different pair than the underwear the woman said she wore the night she met Bryant.

"I don't think they proved innocence. They raised a series of questions," said Robert Pugsley, a professor at Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles. "It could conceivably set the stage for plea negotiations or some type of out-of-court settlement."

Evidence Strong Against Kobe Bryant !!

2003-10-16T10:27:00.000-07:00

Evidence Strong Against Kobe Bryant

There is enough evidence against Kobe Bryant -- from a bruise on his accuser's jaw to her blood on his shirt -- for the basketball star to go on trial for rape and be convicted, prosecutors said on Wednesday at the end of a tense two-day preliminary hearing.

But Bryant's high-powered attorney told the judge the 19-year-old woman was "not worthy of your belief" and that there was compelling evidence of his innocence.

Legal observers said under Colorado law prosecutors presented enough evidence in the preliminary hearing to persuade the judge to bind Bryant over for trial.

Eagle County Judge Frederick Gannett ended a graphic preliminary hearing spread over two weeks by saying he would make a decision by Monday whether Bryant had to stand trial on one count of felony sexual assault with the use of force.

Eagle Country District Attorney Mark Hurlbert said after the hearing that the prosecution does not have to show all its evidence at the preliminary hearing. "I'm confident in our case," he said.

Kate's Underwear had Another Man's Sperm!!

2003-10-16T10:25:00.000-07:00

Basketball star's rape accuser 'not worthy of belief'

Lawyers for Kobe Bryant asked a judge yesterday not to put the basketball star on trial for rape, saying his 19-year-old accuser was "not worthy of your belief" and there was compelling evidence of his innocence.

But prosecutors argued that besides the woman's graphic account of her ordeal to police, there was blood evidence and a bruise that pointed to rape.

They urged the judge in a preliminary hearing to send the case to trial.

Eagle County Judge Frederick Gannett ended a tense and graphic two-day hearing spread over two weeks by saying he would make a decision by Tuesday.

Bryant has denied raping the woman, saying they had consensual sex. His lawyer Pamela Mackey said prosecutors failed to show the burden of proof required.

"This is an extremely thin case based almost entirely on hearsay," she said, referring to the alleged victim not testifying and having her account instead given by a police detective.

Of the accuser, Mackey told the judge, "She is not worthy of your belief."

But prosecutor Gregg Crittenden reminded the court that the judge had other testimony as well as photos and blood evidence. He insisted that this was not a "hearsay" case.

"He [Detective Doug Winters] saw underpants with blood on them. He saw three bloodstained smears on the defendant's shirt. Those were tested and the results came back being the victim's blood."

The lawyers spoke at the end of the hearing in which Winters admitted under cross-examination that semen and pubic hair belonging to someone other than Bryant was found in the woman's underwear.

Judge in Kobe Bryant case trying to manage high-profile hurricane

2003-10-14T08:55:00.000-07:00

Judge in Kobe Bryant case trying to manage high-profile hurricane

The judge presiding over the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case so far has received high marks from analysts who praised his handling of complicated legal questions in one of the highest-profile cases to hit Colorado.

Eagle County Judge Frederick Gannett, who typically deals with petty crimes such as theft, has taken an unusually large role in the case.

Most Colorado county judges view their role in preliminary hearings as a quick rubber stamp to advance the case to higher court. But Gannett is striving to give both prosecutors and Bryant's attorneys a fair chance, Denver defense attorney Scott Robinson said.

"He's trying his best to be fair and doesn't want to be as abrupt and peremptory as county court judges are in many other counties who view sitting in preliminary hearings as a bit of a waste of time," Robinson said.

"Those judges tend to have what I call a `let's get on with it' attitude and view their role as passing the case along."

Gannett is carefully considering each of his moves in the case not only to ensure fairness but also to show the world that a small-town judicial system can handle the case, said Oakland, Calif., jury consultant Howard Varinsky.

"This publicity is similar to the O.J. (Simpson) publicity," Varinsky said. "I don't know how he's doing, but it is a massive animal to control."

Kobe Bryant's Lawyers Play Hardball in Rape Case

2003-10-11T21:49:00.000-07:00

Yahoo! News - Kobe Bryant's Lawyers Play Hardball in Rape Case

One day after Kobe Bryant (news)'s attorneys tried to turn the tables on the woman who accused the Los Angeles Laker star of rape, the defense's tactics were the talk of the state on Friday.

Women's groups denounced Bryant's lawyers for suggesting in open court that the woman's injuries could have been caused by sexual encounters with other men -- a suggestion that clearly irked the judge and left some wondering whether the hearing would be open to the press and public or closed in future.

Cynthia Stone, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault, said her organization was "mortified but not surprised" when defense attorney Pamela Mackey alluded to the accuser's sexual past and identified the woman by name in open court.

"It's impossible to believe such an experienced litigator such as Pamela Mackey would let her name slip six times during the proceeding," Stone said.

FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Explosive Testimony Marks Kobe Hearing

2003-10-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Explosive Testimony Marks Kobe Hearing

The country got a taste of what the ongoing rape case against the basketball star would be like Thursday as explosive comments from both the defense and prosecution riled up the judge presiding over the preliminary hearing and disturbing details emerged about how Bryant allegedly assaulted a 19-year-old woman.

The hearing, to determine whether the Los Angeles Laker will stand trial on charges that he assaulted the woman at the resort where she worked, was scheduled to continue next Wednesday.

Prosecutors wasted no time during the hearing painting the athlete as a callous rapist who wouldn't take no for an answer.

Defense attorneys didn't take long, either, to show they were willing to go on the attack -- even on his accuser.

Kobe Bryant Circus Shows Less Fans Supporting Bryant

2003-10-09T19:31:00.000-07:00

Kobe Bryant Circus

George Zinn of Salt Lake City got two keepsakes for his scrapbook by showing up for Kobe Bryant's court hearing on Thursday.

He took a photograph of the court docket showing Bryant was scheduled for a preliminary hearing.

Later he got an autograph from O.J. Simpson prosecutor Marcia Clark, who was covering the hearing for ''Entertainment Tonight.''

''I'm just here because it's interesting,'' said Zinn, 49. ''I don't consider Kobe a role model. That's not something you brag to kids about.''

Zinn stopped in Eagle on the way to Denver for the weekend on a Greyhound bus. Zinn said his propensity for showing up at big events such as four Republican conventions earned him the nickname ''Zelig,'' after the Woody Allen film about a man who stumbles into historic events.

Zinn was one of a handful of people who showed up to get tickets to watch Thursday's preliminary hearing, where prosecutors outlined their case for a judge before he decides whether to order a trial.

A crowd showed up at Bryant's last appearance on Aug. 6, many of them fans of the Los Angeles Lakers superstar.

There was less fan support evident on Thursday when Bryant got out of a white sport-utility vehicle at the courthouse. Aaron Champion was there in a Lakers jersey with Bryant's name on it.

''I'm here to support Kobe and show him he has supporters behind him and we believe in him,'' he said.

The hearing was just another interesting stop on Virginia Ricke's trip south for the winter. Ricke, a retiree from Ames, Iowa, visited Aspen Wednesday and decided to spend Thursday in Eagle after hearing of Bryant's court appearance.

''I kind of believe that whatever happened in that room was dumb - whether it was rape or not - because he had such a good clean image before,'' Ricke said.

The event created some business opportunities.

Men wore sandwich boards advertising a hotel in Colorado Springs with the slogan, ''Escape The Madness'' while Daysi Spath of Bonjour Bakery sold lattes and danishes to reporters and photographers from the back of her SUV.

College students announced the launch of a new business called Protect Condoms, which offers a box containing two condoms and a ''pre-sexual agreement'' with a list of acts the signers agree to before a casual sexual encounter.

Graphic details in Kobe Bryant hearing - The Washington Times

2003-10-09T19:29:00.000-07:00

Graphic details in Kobe Bryant hearing - The Washington Times: United Press International

Professional basketball player Kobe Bryant remained impassive during a detective's graphic testimony Thursday in a preliminary hearing on a rape charge.

The detective said he was told by Bryant's 19-year-old accuser that after some mutual flirting and some kissing in his room, the encounter turned violent when he held her face down and ignored her cries, CNN reported.

Bryant acknowledges having sex with the hotel clerk at a mountain lodge near the Vail ski resort, but denies that he assaulted her against her will.

Blog Search Engine - Search for Blogs

2003-10-09T09:24:00.000-07:00

This site is what's known as a Blog, an easy to publish online diary of sorts for publishing news, sports info, links, journals... etc.

If you're interested in reading more blogs or searching for other news sites, please try the Blog Search Engine

Bryant In Court Today, But Proceeding Unclear

2003-10-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

Bryant's attorneys can go forward with the 3 p.m. EDT hearing, which is designed to determine whether there is enough evidence to justify a trial. But doing so could expose damaging evidence against the Lakers star.

The other choice is to waive the hearing and proceed straight to trial.

But many legal analysts believe Bryant's lawyers will waive the proceeding. The defense team last week lost a bid to have Bryant's 19-year-old accuser testify during the hearing in an effort to test her credibility.

If the hearing is waived and the case goes to trial, Bryant could end up being arraigned on the sexual assault charge Thursday and make a plea. In either case, he has to be in the courtroom for a bond hearing.

By waiving the hearing, a decision that Bryant's attorneys could announce at the last minute, they also would avoid the disclosure of details until trial.

Prosecutors planned to have a sheriff's detective describe details of what allegedly happened between Bryant and the accuser on the night of June 30.

Just like in Bryant's previous court appearance, a media horde has descended on the small town of Eagle, tucked in the Rockies, about 120 miles west of Denver. Police will be setting up barricades to keep both reporters and fans at bay.

It was in Eagle that Bryant had an admitted sexual encounter with the accuser at a resort where Bryant was staying to have surgery. The woman alleges she was sexually assaulted. Bryant says the sex was consensual.

Big white media tents and hundreds of reporters and photographers are packed outside the courthouse in Eagle County.

On the courthouse grounds, there are big maps showing exactly which areas are strictly off-limits to reporters, including the walkway in front of the judge's office windows.

Attorneys Talk, But Still Mum On Bryant Hearing

2003-10-08T20:17:00.000-07:00

theBakersfieldChannel.com - Attorneys Talk, But Still Mum On Bryant Hearing
No one's saying whether Kobe Bryant will waive his preliminary hearing -- at least not yet.

Attorneys in the case huddled with a judge in Eagle, Colo., Wednesday, but didn't talk about whether or not the hearing will be waived.

If it's waived, details of the case and potentially damaging evidence will be kept from being heard publicly before the trial.

Bryant is accused of raping a hotel worker in his room at a mountain lodge in June. He says the sexual encounter was consensual.

Attorneys will meet again with the judge before Bryant's hearing on Thursday. Defense attorneys could move to waive the hearing and take their chances at trial.

Bryant's free on $25,000 bail.

NBA Notebook: Security tight for Bryant's court date

2003-10-07T19:59:00.000-07:00

NBA Notebook: Security tight for Bryant's court date

Authorities are tightening security before NBA star Kobe Bryant arrives in Colorado for a preliminary hearing Thursday that might not even take place.

Dozens of threats against the prosecutor, the judge and Bryant's 19-year-old accuser helped prompt the tougher steps. Armed guards will be at the courthouse, one entrance will be locked, and a metal detector will be set up at the other door.

The question is whether there will be a hearing to determine whether the Los Angeles Lakers star will stand trial. Many believe that for tactical reasons, his attorneys will waive his right to a preliminary hearing, clearing the way for a rape trial sometime next year.

"If the defense doesn't waive it, what's going to happen is that the public, and of course potential jurors, is going to be left with an image of what happened in that room -- and it's going to be an image that goes unrebutted," said Norm Early, a former Denver district attorney. "I think it would be very detrimental to Bryant and I just don't see him risking that kind of exposure."

Prosecutors have said they plan to call a sheriff's detective as a witness to discuss the investigation and conclusions reached by a nurse who examined Bryant's accuser.

Legal experts say the defense will probably waive the hearing, in part because the judge has ruled the woman cannot be forced to testify and undergo cross-examination by the defense.

Kobe's marriage on rocks before Colorado?

2003-10-07T19:58:00.000-07:00

Kobe's marriage on rocks before Colorado?

The marriage between Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Laine was in trouble before this summer's assault charges against the Los Angeles Laker in Colorado, according to a Newsweek cover story.

In March 2002, two months after the birth of their daughter Natalia, Laine was rushed to the hospital when she learned that Bryant had contacted a divorce lawyer.

The couple has no prenuptial agreement. "He just said, 'I can make the money back,' " says a player who advised Bryant to get a prenup. "He was like, 'She can have it, because I'm young and I don't see it ending like that way anyway.' "

Will Michael Jordan replace Kobe?

2003-10-07T19:56:00.000-07:00

FOXSports.com | Report: If Bryant can't go, Phil may call MJ

For the time being, Kobe Bryant is committed to playing the 2003-04 NBA season with the specter of a sexual assault trial looming over his head.
But should Bryant be unable to play, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson has reportedly considered approaching former player and NBA legend Michael Jordan to take his place.

"It has crossed my mind," Jackson told the Chicago Tribune. "But I don't think I'd ask Michael that question until it became absolutely necessary or it became a reality. It's just speculation."

The move would add a third member of the original Dream Team to the Lakers' payroll. Earlier this off-season, the team signed free agents Karl Malone and Gary Payton, who both teamed with Jordan during the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

Unlike those players, however, Jordan is already familiar with the Lakers' triangle offense, which he ran to the tune of six NBA championships with the Bulls, as well as the team's coaching staff.

It would also give Jordan an opportunity to craft a better ending to his career. The 40-year-old retired for the third time after the 2002-03 campaign having missed the postseason in both his seasons with the Washington Wizards.

Sheriff, DA Cleared in Kobe Leaks Probe

2003-09-18T10:57:00.000-07:00

Yahoo! News - Sheriff, DA Cleared in Kobe Leaks Probe

An investigation requested by Kobe Bryant (news)'s defense team has cleared the Eagle County sheriff and district attorney of leaking details about the sexual assault case to the media.

Joe DiSalvo, spokesman for the Pitkin County sheriff's office, which conducted the investigation, confirmed the conclusion Thursday. It was first reported by the Aspen Daily News and The Denver Post.

Eagle County Sheriff Joe Hoy said he could not comment until he received official notification. The spokeswoman for District Attorney Mark Hurlbert and defense attorney Pamela Mackey did not immediately return calls.

Bryant, 25, is charged with sexually assaulting a 19-year-old employee of the ritzy Lodge & Spa at Cordillera on June 30. He has said the two had consensual sex.

Is there a connection between Iraq and al-Qaida?

2003-09-17T22:02:00.000-07:00

Is there a connection between Iraq and al-Qaida?

Is there a connection between Iraq and al-Qaida?
Yes, Iraq and al-Qaida have been working together hand in hand.
20%
Perhaps, Iraq must have had some connection in Sept 11th
20%
No, there is no connection. Bush is mistaken.
60%

VOTE NOW at WashingtonTalk

State mistakenly posts name of Kobe Bryant's accuser on Internet

2003-09-17T21:56:00.000-07:00

Oops! Kate Who???

The name of Kobe Bryant's accuser was mistakenly posted on a state court website Tuesday as part of a legal filing in the case.

A subpoena showing the 19-year-old woman's name and address was up for about an hour before court staffers reposted it with her personal information blacked out.

State courts spokeswoman Karen Salaz said it was unclear how the error was made, but said court staffers are responsible for blacking out such information in public filings.

Death Threat Suspect in Court

2003-09-03T08:14:00.000-07:00

Suspect In Threats Against Bryant's Accuser In Court

A college student from Iowa is pleading not guilty to a charge that he made a death threat against the woman who's accusing NBA star Kobe Bryant of rape.

John Roche didn't say anything during his court appearance Tuesday in Denver, and he ignored reporters outside. He's still free on $250,000 unsecured bond.

A federal magistrate is ordering Roche not to drink alcohol -- and to stay in Colorado or Iowa. She hasn't set a trial date.

After rape charges were filed against Bryant, some Web sites disclosed the name of his accuser.

Roche is accused of leaving a message on the woman's answering machine -- threatening to assault her with a coat hanger, and vowing repeatedly to kill her. He could get up to five years in prison if he's convicted of making a threatening phone call across state lines.

Judge agrees to unseal arrest warrant in Kobe Bryant case

2003-09-03T07:59:00.000-07:00

SignOnSanDiego.com > Sports -- Judge agrees to unseal arrest warrant in Kobe Bryant case

A judge agreed Thursday to unseal the arrest warrant in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case but rejected a media request to see other court records that could detail what happened in his hotel suite.

Eagle County Judge Frederick Gannett put his own order on hold, giving attorneys 15 days to appeal. No documents were released to the public.

The documents have been sealed since the Los Angeles Lakers star was arrested last month, but media organizations have sought their release.

The judge ruled that the arrest warrant and related materials should be unsealed. He said other items requested by media attorneys – including the search warrant and documents that could provide details of the case – will remain sealed for now.

Mike Tyson offers empathy for NBA star Kobe Bryant

2003-09-03T07:54:00.000-07:00

Mike Tyson offers empathy for NBA star Kobe Bryant

Former boxing champion Mike Tyson, who served three years in prison on a rape conviction, says he empathizes with basketball star Kobe Bryant and the sexual assault charges faced by the Los Angeles Lakers guard.

"I've been in an ordeal like him, and I know how easy it is for a young man to be a big shot, a big star in America's eyes and then get in another arena and he's nobody. That means the judicial arena," Tyson, 37, said in an interview airing this week on the American TV show Access Hollywood .

The one-time heavyweight champion, convicted of rape in 1992 and suspended from professional boxing for biting the ears of Evander Holyfield during a 1997 bout, said he wished Bryant "the best" and urged the NBA star to stay close to his family.

"When it comes to the nitty-gritty, if he ever gets some (jail) time, which I hope he doesn't, and which I don't think he is going to, he's gotta keep in consideration who's gonna come see him, who's gonna be in touch, who's gonna be his contact if anything happens," Tyson said. "It can happen to anybody."

Bryant, 24, has been charged with class 3 sexual assault, the equivalent of rape under Colorado law, stemming from allegations made by a 19-year-old Colorado woman who worked as a concierge at a resort where he was staying in June. The athlete has denied he raped the woman, insisting their encounter was consensual and that his only wrongdoing was adultery.

Kobe Bryant's attorneys ask for accuser's medical records

2003-09-03T07:48:00.000-07:00

Kobe Bryant's attorneys ask for accuser's medical records

Kobe Bryant's lawyers have subpoenaed a Colorado hospital to see his accuser's medical records -- the first indication they might make her mental health an issue if the sexual assault case against the NBA star goes to trial.

The subpoenas were disclosed in a court filing by a Greeley hospital where the 19-year-old accuser was treated in February after police at the University of Northern Colorado determined she was a "danger to herself."

Campus police have refused to say whether the woman attempted suicide, saying only that the hospitalization was for a mental health issue.

Attorneys for the North Colorado Medical Center and its psychiatric care center asked a judge to quash the subpoenas and destroy the records already sent to him, citing medical privacy laws.

Kobe Bryant's 911 call sought medical aid for wife, Vanessa Bryant

2003-08-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

Kobe Bryant's 911 call sought medical aid for wife:

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - The 911 call Kobe Bryant made the day before he surrendered to police on a sexual assault charge was for medical assistance for his wife, city documents showed.

Police found no criminal conduct, and no report was taken, according to the documents released Wednesday by the city attorney's office.

The documents were supplied to several media outlets that had requested transcripts of the 911 call early on July 3. Those requests were denied.

Police said previously the Los Angeles Lakers star hung up the phone without talking, but a dispatcher called back and spoke to three people, including Bryant. Paramedics arrived 15 minutes later."

Kobe Bryant closes charitable foundation

2003-08-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

Kobe Bryant closes charitable foundation - The Washington Times: United Press International: "Thesmokinggun.com reports basketball star Kobe Bryant has shut down his charitable foundation.

Citing Internal Revenue Service records the Web site said the foundation employed a number of the Los Lakers' star's relatives, with Bryant as president.

The Kobe Bryant foundation once supported organizations emphasizing 'self-respect, morals, values and structure.'
The relatives were paid a combined $27,500 for their services.
On the foundations' 2002 tax return, however, those relatives were no longer listed and no disbursements cited. Bryant's April 2001 marriage caused an estrangement with his family, thesmokinggun.com said.

Bryant is accused of sexually assasulting a 19-year-old woman at a Colorado resort. He has denied the charges.

The Southern Illinoisan

2003-08-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

The Southern Illinoisan

KOBE BRYANT'S RACIAL GAP

[Sat Aug 16 2003]

Comparisons between Kobe Bryant's looming sexual assault trial and O.J. Simpson's murder trial are inevitable- and everywhere. Here's another:

Without any actual evidence or testimony having been introduced except in the media, public opinion about Bryant's guilt or innocence already is divided along racial lines similar to those surrounding the O.J. case.

So says a Gallup Poll that CNN and USA Today released a few weeks ago.

More than two-thirds of blacks said they thought the charge was false and about one-fourth believed it was true. A commanding 68 percent of blacks polled last week and in an identical poll in late July said they thought the charge was false. Only 24 percent believed it was true.

Whites, by comparison, were evenly split: 40 percent believed the charges were true and 41 percent believed they were false.

To the question, "Are you sympathetic to Bryant?," 63 percent of blacks said yes, compared to only 40 percent of whites. About half (49 percent) of whites and only 31 percent of blacks said no.

Racist Fliers in Colo. Related to Kobe Bryant Rape Case

2003-08-12T21:25:00.000-07:00

Yahoo! News - Racist Fliers in Colo. Related to Bryant

EAGLE, Colo. - Racist fliers were scattered Tuesday on lawns and windshields in the town where basketball star Kobe Bryant is set to go on trial on sexual assault charges.

Later in the day, a white supremacist group acknowledged leaving the fliers — headlined "Don't have sex with blacks" — and said they were in response to the Bryant case.

"We're concerned about areas such as Eagle County, where they have a relatively small number of blacks," Erich Gliebe, a spokesman for West Virginia-based National Alliance, said in a telephone interview.

He said other fliers would be distributed as the case continues.

Earlier, Eagle County sheriff's spokeswoman Kim Andree said deputies were investigating, but did not believe the fliers were related to the case against Bryant. She did not return a telephone message Tuesday night after Gliebe's comments.

The Los Angeles Lakers star, who is black, is charged with assaulting a white 19-year-old hotel worker, Kate Farber, at a resort in nearby Edwards in June. He has said the sex was consensual.

The fliers, beyond the headline, accused three black men of lying about carrying HIV (news - web sites) when they slept with white women.

Media asks for more cameras to cover Colorado vs. Kobe Bryant trial with States witness Kate Farber

2003-08-12T06:20:00.000-07:00

EAGLE, Colo. - The Denver Post and NBC have asked a judge to allow still and video cameras in the courthouse hallway during Kobe Bryant's preliminary hearing on Oct. 9.

The organizations noted that similar coverage was allowed during Bryant's initial appearance last week before Eagle County Judge Frederick Gannett. The motion was filed Friday and made public Monday.

The two companies and other media organizations already have asked Gannett to allow cameras in the courtroom during the hearing in the sexual assault case.

Gannett has given prosecutors and Bryant's attorneys until Aug. 22 to respond to that request.

Several television networks broadcast Wednesday's initial court appearance live. Media groups are renewing their requests for coverage as the case moves through the court system.

Bryant, an All-star guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, is accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old hotel worker in nearby Edwards. Bryant has said the sex was consensual. He is free on $25,000 bail.

Kobe Bryant: The Peoples' Choice - Despite Rape Trial, Kobe Staying in the Spotlight

2003-08-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

semissourian.com: Article:
Last week Kobe Bryant once again stood before thousands and proclaimed his innocence through cheers from his fans. His fans showed their support with signs and shouts of 'We love you.'

Millions, like the fans at the 2003 Teen Choice awards show, have taken Bryant's side without hearing any of the evidence against him.
But the media has swarmed to this like no other high-profile celebrity case in recent history. That attention to the Bryants has left Americans with little perspective on it.

So Kobe's fans look at what he's done on the basketball court, and housewives use what was his sparkling reputation to judge the case.
Bryant also has put perspective in the minds of the people himself. He's played the public relations game much like he plays basketball -- peerlessly. He has chosen the right times to speak and chosen the right times to remain silent and let his actions speak for him.

He's had to act. He's had to humiliate himself. He's even had to dip into his bankroll. Nevertheless, his point has been made.

Meanwhile, his accuser has sat idle and done neither. She has remained tucked safely away through everything, refused to speak and refused to be seen.
The strategy is meant to keep her away from the vicious criticisms (and I use the term lightly) that come from Kobe's extreme supporters. "

What if Kobe Bryant has been Falely Accused?

2003-08-11T08:15:00.000-07:00

FindLaw's Writ - Spilbor: What If Kobe Bryant Has Been Falsely Accused?: "Last Wednesday, August 6, in what amounted to a highly publicized yet rare spectacle, Kobe Bryant was arraigned on a felony sex assault charge. There was no familiar gold jersey, no basket, and no opposing team to speak of, but that didn't stop the crowd outside the Eagle County Courthouse from rooting wildly for Bryant.

Bryant arrived at the courthouse via private jet, stayed for eight minutes, and uttered but two words: 'No, Sir.' Bryant's beautiful young wife, Vanessa, and her equally stunning, four million dollar, get-out-of-the-doghouse diamond ring did not accompany him to the event. But his diminutive attorney, Pamela Mackey, and her partner, Hal Haddon, did - with Mackey doing all the talking.

Bryant's next scheduled court appearance, a preliminary hearing, has been set for October 9 - just two days after he will have played his first preseason game of the 2003/2004 basketball season.

Meanwhile, it's become clear that the prosecutors are going after Bryant with a vengeance. Eagle County District Attorney Mark Hurlbert asked for an additional $105,000 from the state budget to cover anticipated expenses in this matter. The budget Commissioner not only granted his wish, but went further, allotting him $150,000 dollars, nearly a third more than requested, so he would have a 'buffer.'

Bryant's case has raised a firestorm of issues, but one in particular is at center court: Has this good guy been falsely accused? Even at this early stage, the majority of those asked say yes. To many fans, this case just feels false.

If Bryant has been falsely accused, it won't be the first time that a false report has been filed in an 'acquaintance rape' case. In part, that's because the law fails to meaningf"

Robbernecking has just begun: The Kobe Bryant Trial

2003-08-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

Kobe's trial: Rubbernecking has just begun:

"Mark Cuban, boy owner of the Dallas Mavericks, can be as big a buffoon as anybody in the room.

But when Cuban says people are going to pay attention to Kobe Bryant's return to basketball for the same reasons they slow down to look at a car wreck on the side of the road, he couldn't be more right, no matter how much NBA commissioner David Stern wants to believe he's got it wrong.
If he wasn't, then Mike Tyson wouldn't still be the biggest draw in boxing.

At this rate it's only a matter of time until we have a television channel devoted solely to covering Bryant's legal problems: All Kobe, all the time.
Oh, that's right, we already do.

It's called ESPN.

In the spirit of rubbernecking on the Expressway, the all-sports channel devoted the entire 60 minutes of SportsCenter to coverage of Bryant's first hearing in his Eagle, Colo., rape case, even though the whole thing lasted about six minutes, and the most riveting television was the defendant muttering, 'No, sir,' when the judge asked if he objected to waiving a preliminary ready of the charges.

The rest of the hour was filler, except for the hot legal debate over the color of Bryant's suit.
Which, when you get right down to it, wasn't any less enlightening than the 14 hours of pre-game and post-game football analysis ESPN feeds us every Sunday.

Seems Kobe had everything but common sense

2003-08-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

From GoMemphis.com

Kobe Bryant's moral crime with the serious legal ramifications attached has compelled me to study old notebooks and randomly quiz cops.

Unfortunately, I have experience covering sexual assault cases. I sat in a Seattle courtroom when then-Sonics forward Ruben Patterson pleaded guilty to third-degree attempted rape in 2001. He received 15 days in jail, fines and was required to register as a sex offender in Washington.

The off-court foibles of athletes can be maddening. However, the NBA is not full of wayward thugs as ABC's World News Tonight attempted to portray last week. Even when you take a collective look at the summer problems associated with NBA players, you're talking about barely 1 percent of a league that employs more than 400 players.

Sex crimes, drugs and violence aren't problems inherent to today's NBA.

Who's Kobe Bryant? Small Town Sheriff Never Heard of Him!

2003-08-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

EAGLE, Colo. - On the day he got a warrant to arrest Kobe Bryant, Sheriff Joseph Hoy had no idea how big a case he had. He didn't even know who Kobe Bryant was.

"When they told me that the case involved Kobe Bryant, I had a blank look on my face," Hoy said. "The name didn't mean anything to me."

One of his cops offered a hint - he dribbled an invisible basketball.

"My investigator said to me, 'Sheriff, basketball! NBA. Superstar. L.A. Lakers. That Kobe Bryant.' I looked at him and said, 'So?' This case had nothing to do with his celebrity status."

It has been a brutal month for Hoy since he persuaded a judge to sign the warrant July 3 - three days after Bryant was accused of raping a 19-year-old college student at the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera in nearby Edwards, where she worked as a concierge.

The sheriff sparked controversy when he skipped the usual step of consulting with the county district attorney first.

Under pressure

Accused of moving against his celebrity suspect too quickly, Hoy - on the job barely six months then - was pilloried in the press and called everything from a "dumb country hick" to an "incompetent jackass" in a slew of phone calls and E-mails that flooded his office.

"It was a surprise to me the amount of backlash we got right away," he said in an interview last week. "This past month has been a challenge, a real challenge."

Eagle County Judge Frederick Gannett has imposed a gag order barring all parties from discussing the case. This week, at the request of Bryant's lawyers, he appointed a special investigator to determine whether Hoy's office leaked details of the case to the media. Hoy denies it.

He also denied a rift with the district attorney, Mark Hurlbert, who didn't file a sexual-assault charge against Bryant until 15 days after Hoy got the arrest warrant.

"There is no feud. I do not work for the DA. He does not work for me. ... I know we did the right thing, no doubt about it in my mind," Hoy said.

Hurlbert's office agrees there is no feud between the two lawmen.

"He is in no way at odds with the sheriff," Hurlbert's spokeswoman Christa Flanagan said.

Hardly the image of the leathered, rough-and-tumble Western sheriff, the 56-year-old Hoy is more a "granola tree hugger," as one patron at the Bush Creek Saloon - the town's only bar - put it.

The lanky, gray-haired sheriff does not carry a gun, prefers shorts and sandals to his uniform and spends his lunch hour bicycling 22 miles through the mountains.

"I don't like to carry a weapon when I'm not in uniform, and I only wear my uniform to events," Hoy said.

He moved to the tiny upscale town of Eagle in the early 1980s, after a long stint in the Army as a helicopter pilot that included a tour in Vietnam.

For 14 years, he was the town's deputy, running the drug and alcohol awareness program for a dozen years.

Hoy was elected sheriff in November and took office Jan. 14. Six months later, he was at the center of the most notorious rape case in the country.

Kobe Bryant News

2003-08-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

Looking for more news on the Kobe Bryant case? Click here for Kobe Bryant News Guilty or Innocent?

Who Is the Real Kobe Bryant?

2003-08-09T08:07:00.000-07:00

Who Is the Real Kobe?

When Kobe Bryant was arrested two weeks ago after a 19-year-old Colorado woman accused him of sexual assault, the reaction from friends and fans was almost universal: that’s just not like Kobe.

IT SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE that the 24-year-old Los Angeles Laker, best known for his signature slam dunks and megawatt smile, could commit such a crime. But on Friday, the Eagle County, Colo., district attorney, Mark Hurlbert, charged Bryant with felony sexual assault. Now, as the basketball star prepares to convince a jury that his only crime was “the mistake of adultery,” not rape, friends and fans are wondering this: who is Kobe Bryant?

Bryant’s life on the court has been an open book—from his leap straight out of high school to the NBA in 1996 to his public rivalry with team captain Shaquille O’Neal. Yet even those who should be familiar with Bryant’s every move admit the young man in the No. 8 jersey is something of an enigma. “I think a lot of people never really got to know Kobe at all,” says fellow Laker Rick Fox, adding that Bryant was hard to connect with, even from the very beginning. When he arrived in Los Angeles, Bryant would dress and undress in a separate part of the Laker locker room, and to this day he prefers to hole up in his hotel room after road games instead of partying with his teammates. “He kept to himself and we let him do that. I can only imagine what it was like for him then, being so isolated,” Fox says. Other teammates are less diplomatic: “The way he was so into his wife, you figured he would never stray from her. He was too goody-two-shoes to do that,” says one. “But obviously we didn’t know him as well as we thought.” So secretive was Bryant that he apparently didn’t even tell Laker management that he had gone to Colorado for knee surgery, the reason for his June 30 stay at the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera, where the alleged victim was working at the front desk.

PERSONAL ISSUES
Bryant’s tendency to isolate himself (coupled with his tendency to hog the ball) is strangely at odds with his public persona as the squeaky-clean Laker who speaks Italian and is faultlessly polite to everyone from reporters to hangers-on. But being a loner hasn’t endeared him to his teammates, and he’s had numerous run-ins with coach Phil Jackson, who’s criticized him in the press for a lack of maturity and an “all about me” attitude. The alienation doesn’t end at the locker-room door: after marrying an 18-year-old high-school student in April 2001, Bryant became temporarily estranged from his parents and two older sisters, who quickly moved back to their hometown of Philadelphia in a show of protest. “His family did not at all approve of the marriage,” says a friend of Bryant’s.
Eagle County District Attorney Mark Hurlbert has charged Bryant with felony sexual assault

Kobe’s friends say race was small part of the family’s problem: Kobe’s wife, Vanessa, is half Hispanic and half white. But mostly “they thought she had too much control over him and that he was way too wrapped up in her,” the friend says. “He didn’t even get a prenup. That’s how whipped he was. Other guys in the business tried to tell him, but that’s how Kobe is, stubborn to a fault and never listening to anybody about anything, even his family.” When Bryant went home to Philadelphia for last year’s All-Star Game and took home the MVP award, his family was nowhere in attendance, and the local crowd booed him for disloyalty to their city. “I guess I never realized how people felt about me,” he told NEWSWEEK at the time. “I never saw a problem with the way I handled things. I was trying to be me.”

Despite the criminal charge, the Lakers say they have no intention of keeping Bryant out of the lineup when training camp starts in September—assuming he fully recovers from the knee surgery. But it remains to be seen how much play he’ll get once his trial is underway after an Aug. 6 arraignment. For now, the team is hoping that the recent addition of Karl Malone and Gary Payton will somehow distract fans’ attention from Bryant’s troubles. The NBA has made no official comment, but sources say the league will just wait it out and let Bryant’s legal team do its job.

PARTING WAYS WITH NIKE?
Meantime, Nike, McDonald’s and Sprite will have to decide for themselves whether they still want Bryant as a spokesman, given the kind of public speaking he’s doing these days. In other words, don’t expect to see Bryant’s mug on any commercials, except those advertising on the evening news. Sprite and McDonald’s have been silent on the matter, as has Nike, which just signed the star to a $40 million contract. “I can’t imagine that these companies will support him for long,” says Harold Jones, a sports agent in Utah. “They will probably quietly pull out without much fanfare. And it’s not about the charges, really. Even without them, he’s been cheating on his wife and that’s enough.”

On Friday, a tearful Bryant appeared at the Staples Center with his wife to declare his innocence. “I love my wife,” he said, while explaining that the sex he’d had in Colorado was consensual—and a mistake. “Together, we’re going to fight these false accusations.” Earlier that day Vanessa herself made a statement: “I know my husband made a mistake—the mistake of adultery. He and I will have to deal with that.” Byrant’s advisers have hinted at a possible defense that will include calling the young woman’s character into question. Until the trial, Bryant can only wait and hope that his legal team is as skillful in the courtroom as he’s been on the court.

Kobe Bryant Works On Public Image - Cleaning Up His Act and Appearing w/ Wife

2003-08-08T18:36:00.000-07:00

NBCSandiego.com - Sports - Bryant Works On Public Image: "While his attorneys are working to build his case, Kobe Bryant is working to build his public image.
FeedRoom

The Lakers star went to Disneyland with his wife Vanessa Thursday night.
The two have recently been seen together around the Southland. Experts said this is part of the strategy to keep Bryant's image positive as he faces charges of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman in a Colorado hotel.

Due to a gag order from Eagle County, Colo., Judge Frederick Gannett, very little information is expected to be released regarding the case until the next court date. "

Bryant Case Judge Orders Probe of Leaks

2003-08-08T18:34:00.000-07:00

Bryant Case Judge Orders Probe of Leaks: "EAGLE, Colo. - The judge in Kobe Bryant's sexual assault case appointed a special investigator Wednesday to determine whether law enforcement officials are leaking information about the case to reporters.

Eagle County Judge Frederick Gannett's order, during the NBA star's initial court appearance, came in response to a request from Bryant's attorneys.
The lawyers said recent news reports quoted anonymous sources describing injuries to Bryant's accuser and the amount of time she spent in his hotel room. Reports also said Bryant gave inconsistent statements to law enforcement officials.

Bryant is charged with assaulting an employee at a resort in nearby Edwards on June 30. He has said the sex was consensual."

Pics of Kate Farber, Kobe Bryant's Accuser

2003-08-08T18:03:00.000-07:00

We usually do not do this but as many of you already know that Basketball Star Kobe Bryant has been charged with Sexual Assualt of a 19 year old girl, Katelyn Kristine Faber.

Katelyn Kristine Faber, the 19-year-old hotel worker who came to his room at the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera, a resort in Vail Valley, and later accused him of forcing her to have sex.

In a nationally televised news conference, Eagle County District Attorney Mark Hurlbert announced the charges, saying Bryant had 'caused sexual penetration or intrusion and ... caused submission of the victim through actual physical force.

Sounds like a real asshole for an NBA Star. Oh well.

Why We Want to Watch Kobe

2003-08-08T17:40:00.000-07:00

From CoversAccused of sexual assault, Bryant appeared in a Colorado court for the first time Wednesday afternoon in full view of the television cameras. The superstar basketball player will be back in court on October 9 for a preliminary hearing.

Wednesday's court appearance was a teaser for what promises to be a riveting television drama, with plenty of twists and turns.

While unpopular with his colleagues, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said what we all know is true: this is must-see, reality TV folks.

Let’s just hope the judge in Colorado doesn’t get all high and mighty and bars cameras from the courtroom.

BET.com - Who is the Prosecutor in the Kobe Bryant Alleged Sexual Assault Case?

2003-08-08T17:37:00.000-07:00

BET.com - Who is the Prosecutor in the Kobe Bryant Alleged Sexual Assault Case?

On July 18, the Eagle County district attorney announced that he would try Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant on charges that he had raped a 19-year-old hotel worker.

Following is some background on the prosecutor who will take on one of the world's most popular athletes in the case that has everyone talking.

Name: Mark Hurlbert

Age: 34 years old

Jurisdiction: Eagle County, a small mountain town about 100 miles west of Denver"

ABCNEWS.com : PR Is Key for Kobe Bryant

2003-08-08T17:35:00.000-07:00

ABCNEWS.com : PR Is Key for Kobe Bryant: "In a case like the one Kobe Bryant is facing, legal strategy and public relations strategy are essentially one and the same.
'There's really no separation in a case like this where there's a tremendous amount of public knowledge of an accused before the case starts, and a lot of public interest,' said Bill Moffitt, a defense attorney.

Bryant made his first court appearance Wednesday in Eagle, Colo., on a sexual assault charge. He is accused of raping a 19-year-old woman on June 30. Bryant, who is married and has a baby daughter, says he committed adultery with the woman but insists the sex was consensual.

Standing quietly between his attorneys, the NBA superstar only spoke once during the seven-minute hearing. When the judge asked if he objected to giving up his right to have the preliminary hearing held within 30 days, he answered, 'No sir.' The preliminary hearing was set for Oct. 9."

Kobe Bryant faces loss of TV deals

2003-08-08T17:34:00.000-07:00

Kobe Bryant faces loss of TV deals

The New York Post reported Monday that Nutella, the maker of a popular hazelnut sandwich spread, has stopped airing all of its Kobe Bryant commercials, even though his contract with the company doesn’t run out for another five months or so.

Nutella pays Bryant an estimated $500,000 a year to endorse the product which is extremely popular in Europe. But days after Bryant was arrested, Nutella removed a picture of the player from its Web site and stopped using promotional material as well.

Fox cuts part of Kobe Bryant's Teen Choice Awards speech

2003-08-08T17:32:00.000-07:00

Fox cuts part of Kobe Bryant's Teen Choice Awards speech: "Some statements are too hot even for Fox.
The network took out part of Kobe Bryant's acceptance speech at the Teen Choice Awards.
The awards show aired on Fox Wednesday, after being taped last week. Bryant was accepting the award for favorite male sports figure when he appeared to refer to the sexual assault charge against him.
He said, 'an injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere.'
A Fox spokesman says the network didn't feel the remark was suited to accepting an award for his sports exploits.
The rest of his remarks did make it into the broadcast. He said he's 'flying through some dark clouds' now, but he says with God's will, the sun will shine again. He also thanked his supporters."