Denver Post
Next step for Bryant ahead
Thursday, November 13, 2003 - Kobe Bryant is expected back in Eagle today for his first appearance in district court, but officials don't expect much drama to occur in the advisement of charges and setting of a future court date.
Appearing for the first time before Judge Terry Ruckriegle after a two-day preliminary hearing in Eagle County Court last month, Bryant is expected for only a brief hearing, scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. "Much ado about nothing" is how Krista Flannigan, the spokeswoman for the Eagle County District Attorney's office, described what is likely to be a mere formality. "We're expecting a crowd because the defendant will be there," she said. "As long as he's present, I believe that the media is going to be there." The all-star guard for the Los Angeles Lakers is accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old former employee of the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera near Edwards, where he was staying while in the area for minor knee surgery. At today's hearing, Ruckriegle is expected to advise Bryant of the charges and set a date for a hearing on various anticipated motions. Prosecutors do not believe he will ask to enter a plea, since that step has not been discussed with the judge. "Everyone agreed to schedule the motions hearing first and do the arraignment after that," Flannigan said. "It may be at the same time, once the motions hearing is complete." Among other possible motions, Bryant's attorneys - who decline to discuss the case outside the courtroom - likely will renew attempts to get the accuser's medical records, including documents detailing an incident in February at the University of Northern Colorado where the woman was held by authorities "as a danger to herself." The hearing in Eagle today, however, likely will stand in stark contrast to the explosive preliminary hearing last month. During the contentious hearing, prosecutors detailed the woman's accusation that Bryant aggressively grabbed her by the neck and raped her over a chair in his room at the upscale hotel. Defense attorneys, meanwhile, raised questions about the woman's willingness to flirt and kiss Bryant, and her initial account in which she never recalled saying "no." They also suggested her injuries could have been consistent with having sex with other men in the days leading up to the June 30 incident, a discussion that might not be allowed at trial under the provisions of the state rape-shield law. Bryant was expected to travel to Eagle after Wednesday night's game in Los Angeles against the Toronto Raptors. In a related debate, attorneys for several media outlets, including The Denver Post, filed a motion Wednesday asking Ruckriegle to unseal the portion of the transcript from the preliminary hearing detailing Bryant's statements to Eagle County sheriff's deputies. "The county court indicated that it had considered the defendant's recorded statements (which it had reviewed outside the presence of the public) in reaching its conclusion that there was probable cause," attorney Steven Zansberg wrote in a motion supporting his appeal of the ruling to seal the files. The ongoing dispute over access to what are normally open records stems from the days immediately following the incident, when authorities refused to disclose arrest- and search-warrant documents. Click here for court documents and rulings in the Bryant case. |