Denver Post

Rich, famous slide through Colo. courts
By Diane Carman
Denver Post Columnist

Wednesday, July 23, 2003 - It was another Colorado prosecutor in the national spotlight. I was watching the scene in my mother's living room in Florida. Like the rest of the country, I was fascinated.

Eagle County District Attorney Mark Hurlbert stepped before a crowd of reporters to announce that he would charge basketball star Kobe Bryant with felony sexual assault on a 19-year-old hotel employee.

Then, in Los Angeles, Bryant wiped away tears as he proclaimed his innocence.

Hurlbert insisted he has enough evidence to convict him.

I'll believe that when I see it.

Even if Hurlbert has a solid case - and with sex crimes that's always a challenge - Colorado has a long history of protecting celebrities from the inconvenient consequences of breaking the law.

Whether it's the occasional driving under the influence arrest of the late John Denver or the sensational shooting death of skier Spider Sabich by singer Claudine Longet in 1977, the rich and famous have managed to get famously generous treatment from Colorado courts.

And then there are the legendary criminals who have outsmarted our law enforcement agencies and avoided prosecution entirely.

Consider that at this point, JonBenet Ramsey speculation is its own literary genre, and, all in all, it makes Colorado appear to be the ideal place to go to get away with crime.

Among the earliest successful outlaws was Butch Cassidy, who only later would become a beloved Hollywood icon.

Historians place his first bank robbery in Telluride in 1889. Cassidy and his fellow bandits stole $20,500 from the San Miguel Valley Bank and fled to a secluded area, appropriately called Robbers' Roost because it was a fine place to hide from the sheriff.

Given the tourist value over the past 100 years, it's clear the town got an excellent return on its initial investment. The crime is commemorated with a plaque downtown, and most folks surely figure the community is better off having let him get away.

Another legendary Colorado escape has not been nearly so celebrated.

The infamous serial killer Ted Bundy managed to flee a courthouse in Aspen and break out of a Glenwood Springs jail in 1977. He continued his killing spree until he was arrested in Florida and put to death.

Somebody later tried to sell the jail bed that Bundy had slept in, but unlike the Butch Cassidy promotion, I'm not sure it was such a hit with the local chambers of commerce.

Not every celebrity is beloved, after all.

Among the ones who were, however, was Claudine Longet, ex-wife of singer Andy Williams.

Longet was accused of shooting her lover, skier Spider Sabich, in his home in Aspen. She claimed it was an accident, which was all the court needed to hear, especially since the trial was a colossal media event.

She was convicted of criminally negligent homicide, sentenced to 30 days in jail and ordered to perform community service. Part of her service involved painting her soon-to-be-famous jail cell.

Ultimately the case proved to be an inspiration to a whole generation of late-night talk-show comedians and secured Colorado's reputation for having star-struck courts.

While other famous people got lenient treatment when they were pulled over for driving while under the influence or other infractions, the celebrity who is renowned for getting the biggest pass in the 1980s was Neil Bush, son of the first President Bush.

Neil Bush was an executive for a Colorado oil company, JNB Exploration, and a member of the board of directors of Silverado Banking, Savings & Loan here.

The oil company never was profitable, but its investors still were rewarded. Bush approved hundreds of millions in loans to them from Silverado, loans that were never repaid.

When Silverado failed, it posted $1 billion in losses, most of which were covered by taxpayers.

Bush was not prosecuted in the Silverado fraud. He was fined $50,000 instead.

For Bryant, though, the closest comparisons are with the many professional athletes who've had run-ins with the law in Colorado. They've faced charges ranging from domestic violence and armed assault to fraudulent acquisition of prescription drugs.

Rarely has anyone been convicted.

Among those who were are Broncos linebacker John Mobley, who was arrested in June 1999 for driving with a suspended license and DUI. He was sentenced to probation and 24 hours of community service.

Another Bronco, Rod Smith, pleaded guilty to domestic violence in 2000. He was sentenced to probation.

Pedro Astacio, a pitcher for the Rockies, was charged with assault in a 1999 incident involving his wife. He pleaded guilty but amazingly was allowed to change his plea when he discovered that he would be deported back to the Dominican Republic. He negotiated a plea bargain and never faced jail time, deportation - or even missed a game.

Hurlbert could defy the historic odds and win his case against Bryant. It's entirely possible.

I wouldn't bet on it, though.

Diane Carman's column appears Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. E-mail: dcarman@denverpost.com .