By Charlie Brennan, Rocky Mountain News
July 9, 2004

The lawyer for John and Patsy Ramsey is now also representing the alleged victim in the Kobe Bryant case.

Atlanta attorney Lin Wood has initiated several libel actions on behalf of the Ramseys and for one-time Atlanta Olympics bombing suspect Richard Jewell. He also is representing former California congressman Gary Condit in a lawsuit filed against writer Dominic Dunne.

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It was announced Thursday that Wood has been retained by the Eagle firm of Wheeler & Clune to assist in protecting the interests of the 20-year-old woman Bryant is charged with raping. A statement from Wheeler & Clune said Wood will help "address growing concerns regarding media coverage of our client, her privacy rights and potential civil litigation related to those and other concerns."

The statement said the Colorado lawyers and Wood would have no further comment "at this time."

Wood's entry into the case makes him the ninth figure to have a hand in both the Ramsey and Bryant cases. Wood was hired by the Ramseys about three years after the unsolved murder in Boulder of their 6-year- old daughter, JonBenet.

The announcement of Wood's addition comes during a tense legal battle over the potential publication of a Bryant case document.

On June 24, court reporter Michelle Goodbee accidentally e-mailed a 206-page transcript of a June 21-22 closed-door "rape shield" hearing that was held to help Chief District Judge Terry Ruckriegle decide what part, if any, of the young woman's sexual history should be admissible at Bryant's trial.

Ruckriegle promptly ordered reporters who received the sensitive document to delete or destroy it and not publish it.

That order has been appealed to the Colorado Supreme Court, and it has not been determined whether the media will be free to report on the transcript's contents.

"I think that's actually the stimulating impetus for the adding of Lin Wood to the team of lawyers representing Bryant's accuser," said Denver defense lawyer and legal analyst Scott Robinson.

"This is clearly designed to intimidate any imperious media outlet out there into not publishing any portion of the rape shield hearing transcript. John (Clune) did well to get him on board."

It already has been a rough road for Bryant's alleged victim, who said she was assaulted the night of June 30, 2003, at the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera in Edwards, where she was employed and Bryant was a guest.

In addition to exhaustive media coverage, numerous defense motions in the case have attacked the credibility of the young woman, putting her mental health and dating habits under relentless scrutiny.

Bryant, who pleaded not guilty May 11, is scheduled to stand trial in Eagle District Court starting Aug. 27.

Also Thursday it was learned that an ex-boyfriend of the alleged victim will not have to supply a sample of his DNA to Bryant's lawyers.

Bryant's lawyers had requested DNA samples from Matt Herr and a second acquaintance of the alleged victim, Bobby Pietrack, who was a bellman at the lodge at the time of the alleged assault.

Copyright 2004, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved.