By Charlie Brennan, Rocky Mountain News
October 16, 2004

EAGLE - The contents of as many as 59 sealed court documents in the dismissed rape case against Kobe Bryant will soon be released, a judge decided on Friday.

With the courtroom nearly empty, an attorney representing a coalition of 11 news organizations argued to Chief District Judge Terry Ruckriegle that there is no longer any reason to shield the documents from public scrutiny.

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Media attorney Christopher Beall said the public deserves to know "as much as possible, as soon as possible" about how officials handled Bryant's case.

Beall pointed out that there is an election less than three weeks away. Eagle County District Attorney Mark Hurlbert is seeking a new term on Nov. 2.

The Eagle County sheriff's and district attorney's offices have released a combined 979 pages of their Bryant case files. But there are 238 legal motions and arguments submitted by lawyers to Ruckriegle that remain under seal.

Ruckriegle questioned whether the public has a continuing thirst for Bryant case details.

"Most of the public that I have heard from have heard enough about it," he said.

Ruckriegle noted that despite the ruling by U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch that Bryant's alleged victim, Katelyn Faber, cannot proceed anonymously in her civil lawsuit against the Los Angeles Lakers star, her name must be removed from any criminal case documents he unseals.

"We do go through exercises in futility, and that is sometimes frustrating," said Ruckriegle.

The Rocky Mountain News published Faber's name for the first time Friday after her lawyers refiled her civil suit using her name in place of "Jane Doe."

Neither Bryant nor Faber attended Friday's hearing. But Faber's parents, who live in Eagle, watched the proceedings from a front-row seat.

Ruckriegle said that he will review the 59 targeted documents for information that he believes should be blacked out, and notify all parties in the case as documents are deemed suitable for release.

The criminal case against Bryant was dismissed on Sept. 1, four days into the jury selection process, after Faber told prosecutors she no longer wished to go forward.

Brennanc@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-2742

Copyright 2004, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved.