The Denver Post
Bryant filing blames media
Tuesday, November 09, 2004 -
Kobe Bryant, the NBA star who is facing a lawsuit over rape allegations, filed notice in federal court Monday that he intends to blame the media and other people and agencies for his accuser's alleged injuries.
The pleadings are part of the woman's civil lawsuit against Bryant in which she is seeking damages for the encounter. Bryant's notice lists 27 entities, including 15 media agencies, five websites and the Colorado state court administrator, as potentially contributing to the damages being sought by his accuser. Those listed include The Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News. The filing also included a stack of exhibits, largely a compilation of published reports about the case. Bryant's lawyer Pamela Mackey did not return phone calls for comment Monday night. Meanwhile, the lawyer for his accuser called the filing in U.S. District Court in Denver a publicity stunt. "It does appear to acknowledge that there have been some very serious consequences to this young girl," said Lin Wood, an Atlanta lawyer representing the woman. "It's just an attempt to shift blame." Bryant, a Los Angeles Lakers guard, has been accused of sexually assaulting the hotel clerk, then 19, in June 2003 in his hotel room at the upscale Lodge & Spa at Cordillera near Edwards. In September, prosecutors dropped criminal charges against Bryant after the woman said she didn't wish to proceed. Bryant has said the sex was consensual. Although the woman's name appears in documents in the civil court case, The Post is not printing it because the newspaper's policy is to withhold names of people who allege they were raped. The filing said that media outlets' fault may be based on negligence, outrageous conduct, false light and defamation. It also said the court administrator's office harmed the woman during the criminal case by twice disclosing her identity publicly. Meanwhile, the judge in the criminal case against Bryant on Monday released 14 additional sealed documents from the case, notably the final witness lists that included more than 100 people from each side. Staff writer Steve Lipsher contributed to this report. Staff writer Alicia Caldwell can be reached at 303-820-1930 or acaldwell@denverpost.com . |