By Charlie Brennan, Rocky Mountain News
April 24, 2004

A diary kept by the alleged victim in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case is among the material his lawyers continue to demand from prosecutors.

The diary is one of 12 items the Bryant defense team targeted in a filing made public this week. The Los Angeles Lakers star is due in Eagle County District Court on Monday for a pretrial hearing expected to last through Wednesday.

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The latest case filing, authored by defense attorney Hal Haddon, claims prosecutors have not adequately met their responsibility to disclose numerous pieces of evidence, despite seven letters of request dating back to September.

In its latest filing, the defense says that in a burglary reported last summer at the home of Bryant's alleged victim, a 19-year-old Eagle resident, an intruder allegedly left her "diaries" open, according to one published report.

In that incident, one of the family's dogs, which was loose in the house when they left their residence, was found upon their return confined to a bathroom with the door closed.

But Eagle Police Sgt. Gary Ward said at that time, "The evidence to call this a burglary is pretty lean."

Haddon sent a letter to prosecutors April 7, asking Hurlbert's office "for all reports of law enforcement investigations of this Aug. 14 'burglary' and any other information you have concerning her notes, correspondence and diaries related to Mr. Bryant."

According to Haddon, that request has not yet been answered.

Monday and Tuesday's portion of the upcoming proceeding is expected to be largely devoted to a continuing closed-door "rape shield" hearing. District Judge Terry Ruckriegle must decide what parts of the alleged victim's sexual conduct, before and after her June 30 encounter with Bryant - if any - will be admissible at trial.

It's also possible that potential trial dates may be discussed.

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