By Associated Press
June 17, 2004

DENVER - When NBA star Kobe Bryant goes on trial this year, jurors will be allowed to submit questions for witnesses in the sexual-assault case under what is believed to be the first rule of its kind.

The possibility of juror questions in criminal cases is exciting and scary to judges and attorneys.

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"I'm hopeful this will be beneficial, even though I'm nervous about this. The reality is (that) no one knows how this will work," said Scott Robinson, a Denver criminal defense attorney.

The rule takes effect statewide July 1.

State Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Love-Kourlis, who led a panel that studied the issue, said other states have tried the jury question option in various forms but Colorado is the first to make it a rule.

Colorado judges will be trained in how to handle the new rule and will be able to bar questions in cases involving suppressed evidence and other potentially thorny legal issues. Most are expected to give jurors a chance to participate.

The rule was adopted after a pilot program ended in 2002. Jurors in the study said they felt more involved in the trial and the questions removed some doubt in their verdicts. Attorneys said it gave them more insight into the jury but also opened up the potential for new challenges.

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