The Denver Post
Bryant case records going public
Friday, October 29, 2004 -
District Judge Terry Ruckriegle on Thursday ordered that most of the remaining records still sealed in the Kobe Bryant criminal case be made public, saying it serves the public interest.
Among the 68 items ordered released are documents that may shed light on the sexual activity of Bryant's accuser in the 72-hour period surrounding her encounter with the professional basketball star. Also expected to be released are several versions of Bryant's statements to police, records of crime victim compensation paid to the accuser, and prosecution and defense witness lists. Also to be released are documents that may reveal what the now 20-year-old Eagle woman said to her friends about the June 30, 2003, encounter in Bryant's room at the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera. The woman, a front desk employee at the hotel, claimed she was raped. Bryant said the encounter was consensual. Prior to the criminal case being dropped last month, she filed a civil suit against Bryant in Denver. Ruckriegle said he was reluctant to release the documents before the case was dropped to preserve the fair trial rights of all participants. He will release the documents as soon as possible, he said.. "There is no doubt that this case has been the subject of considerable public and media interest," Ruckriegle said. He said the interest had been exacerbated by extensive statements by the accuser's attorneys, Lin Wood and John Clune, before jury selection and comments by District Attorney Mark Hurlbert and prosecutor Dana Easter after the dismissal of the case.
Click here for a timeline of the People v. Bryant case.
Click here for the official court website with officials court orders, filings and documents in the case.
Click here to see a copy of the felony charges against Bryant in the PDF format. The charges were dropped Sept. 1.
Click here for the questions that were asked asked of potential jurors in the case.
Click here for an interactive presentation on Bryant's career.
"The public comment and the unauthorized disclosure of sealed information rendered much of the continued sealing of documents in the court file futile," the judge said. "Further ... there remains a public as well as an academic interest in what occurred in this case as many of the issues have not been addressed in any reported decisions." Howard Pankratz can be reached at 303-820-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com . |