The Denver Post
Bryant ready to enter not-guilty plea, lawyer says
Wednesday, April 07, 2004 -
Kobe Bryant's defense lawyers today said that the basketball star has no problem with entering a plea or setting a trial date as requested by prosecutors and the woman accusing him of rape, as soon as a judge decides "the appropriate date" for the plea.
Bryant's lawyer, Hal Haddon, said that Bryant will plead "not guilty" to the allegation he sexually assaulted the 19-year-old woman on June 30. "Kobe Bryant has always wanted an early trial date that would accommodate the court's docket and scheduling requirements," Haddon wrote on behalf of Bryant. Once Bryant enters the plea, the trial would have to be held within six months, unless the basketball player would later waive his right to a speedy trial. Haddon also branded the woman's accusation as untrue. "The accuser's false allegation of rape has exacted a personal and professional toll on Mr. Bryant that is incalculable as it is indescribable. No one looks forward to this case being over more than Mr. Bryant." But Haddon said that Bryant has been following the procedure that District Judge Terry Ruckriegle likes to follow - to hear motions before the formal arraignment, where Bryant would enter his plea. Haddon said that although Ruckriegle gave Bryant the opportunity to enter a plea at his first appearance in district court, Bryant agreed to follow the policy set by Ruckriegle. As a result, said Haddon, Bryant will enter his not-guilty plea when the judge determines "the appropriate date for that event."
Click here for an interactive presentation on Kobe Bryant's career.
Click here for an archive of court documents in the People v. Bryant case.
Click here for The Denver Post's graphic on the events of June 30.
Click here for the 9NEWS archive on the case.
Click here for the CourtTV archive on the case.
John Clune, the accuser's lawyer, claimed in a March 25 motion that his client has been forced to deal with unusual and harmful consequences for reporting the incident, which allegedly occurred at an Edwards hotel where the woman worked. Bryant claims the sex was consensual. "She has been forced to quit school, she cannot live at home, she cannot talk to her friends, and she has received literally hundreds of phone calls and e-mails threatening either death or mutilation," Clune wrote. Clune told Ruckriegle that because of the circumstances, it's appropriate that the trial date be set promptly. A week later, District Attorney Mark Hurlbert asked Ruckriegle to ask Bryant to enter a plea, saying the "emotional and mental toll on (the accuser) is truly devastating as this case lingers on." Hurlbert also said that prosecutors were not the reason for the delay, saying that most of the evidence in the case has been available to the defense for months. "They elected to pick up all the evidence at once," Hurlbert said of the defense. But Haddon strongly disputed Hurlbert's claim in his motion filed today. He said that in July, the defense was notified that three items of evidence would be tested by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. During the testing, the items being tested would be consumed or destroyed. Haddon said he and co-counsel Pamela Mackey then exercised their right to be there during the testing. "For months thereafter, the prosecution refused to agree to allow a defense representative to be present at this consumptive testing," Haddon said. "The prosecution consumed valuable court time arguing its untenable position and demanding a full evidentiary hearing on the matter." Hurlbert, however, maintains that although prosecutors originally objected to the defense being present for the DNA consumptive testing, after negotiating with the CBI and other labs across the country, they agreed to allow the defense to be present for all testing. "This did not delay proceedings," Hurlbert maintained. "During the time (the district attorney) was negotiating with various labs, various motions were heard by this court." |