The Denver Posteditorial
No surprise ending in Eagle melodrama
Thursday, September 02, 2004 -
When prosecutors went to the Eagle County District Court yesterday and asked for dismissal of charges against NBA star Kobe Bryant, it was a surprise ending that was no surprise at all.
The case had been star-crossed for months. District Attorney Mark Hurlbert told Judge Terry Ruckriegle that the woman who accused Bryant of sexual assault in June 2003 was no longer willing to testify. Ruckriegle had no choice but to throw out the charges. Bryant, who apologized to his wife last summer when he admitted to extramarital relations but nothing more, apologized to the alleged victim as part of an orchestrated end to the criminal case. His statement of remorse was well considered, for whether there was criminal culpability or not, Bryant has much to be remorseful about. "I want to apologize to her for my behavior that night," he said, "and for the consequences she has suffered in the past year. Although this year has been incredibly difficult for me personally, I can only imagine the pain she has had to endure." Hurlbert said the prosecution felt it had a "great case" and he characterized the accuser as a "credible and brave young woman." Her attorney, John Clune, said his client was disturbed by a series of court errors. Indeed, the judge and court adminsitrator have apologized for mistakes of disclosure. The motion to dismiss came in the midst of a contentious jury selection process. One prosecution setback came Tuesday when lawyers asked Ruckriegle to disqualify jurors who indicated on a questionnaire that they already believed Bryant was "definitely not guilty" or "probably not guilty." Ruckriegle, however, said that he wouldn't allow detailed questioning of potential jurors about their preconceived opinions. Now there may be respite for Eagle, which has played host to a horde of national media. The dismissal ends the criminal prosecution of Bryant, but a civil case is pending. There is likely to be momentum toward some sort of settlement. There would be no surprise ending to that, either. |