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URL: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/state/article/0,1299,DRMN_21_2494450,00.html

Kobe plaintiff: Keep med history private

Alleged victim's attorney lobbies for closed-door session

By Charlie Brennan, Rocky Mountain News
December 11, 2003

The alleged victim in the Kobe Bryant sexual-assault case wants any discussion at next week's hearing about her medical history to be conducted behind closed doors.

John Clune, an attorney representing the 19-year-old woman, filed a motion this week which said he expects a pretrial-motions hearing Dec. 19 to include defense attempts to learn more about the alleged victim's medical history, and that legal arguments and testimony on that issue should not be aired publicly.

Clune's motion says the alleged victim's mother and some of her friends have received defense subpoenas, and it's expected that Bryant's defense team will try to elicit testimony from them about "personal issues (that) would be harmful to the victim's right of privacy."

Her medical background is an issue in the basketball star's case because it has been reported that while a student last year at the University of Northern Colorado, she was taken to a hospital when police judged her to be a danger to herself.

Also, friends said she suffered a pill overdose in Eagle, just a few weeks before her June 30 encounter with Bryant.

Bryant's defense team attempted to obtain the young woman's medical records prior to his October preliminary hearing, but a county court judge decided to let that issue be decided at the district court level.

In another development, District Judge Terry Ruckriegle ruled this week that no cameras will be permitted in his courtroom for Bryant's next appearance in Eagle County.

Ruckriegle ruled that a still camera would be permitted in the hallway and at the entrance to the Eagle County Justice Center, with those photographers sharing their images with all media covering the case.

Bryant's lawyers had not taken a position as to whether cameras should be permitted outside the courtroom, but had opposed the presence of a camera in Ruckriegle's courtroom next week.

Ruckriegle, who allowed limited cameras in the courtroom at Bryant's Nov. 13 arraignment, sided with Bryant's lawyers this time and decided not to allow cameras for the upcoming motions hearing.