DENVER -- Family members of the 19-year-old woman who's accused Kobe Bryant of rape were in the courtroom Thursday morning as Bryant made his first appearance in front of a judge who will preside over his sexual assault trial.

The woman's parents, along with two brothers and a cousin sat in the front row of the courtroom, 7NEWS reported. It marks the first time they have attended a court hearing and the first time they have seen the NBA star in person. Eagle County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Krista Flannigan said they wanted to be there to put a human face on the case and afterward, told her that they were glad they came.

The family left and entered the courthouse without speaking with reporters.

Thursday's 12-minute advisement hearing was brief and mostly technical. Bryant was calm and showed no emotion as he looked at Judge Terry Ruckriegle, and dipped his head occasionally to confer with attorney Hal Haddon.

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Bryant did not enter a plea and did not speak. His lawyers waived his rights to have the charges against him read again in court.

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"I fully advised my client of the charge against him and the possible penalty," defense attorney Pamela Mackey said.

Bryant's $25,000 bail was left unchanged.

Attorneys on both sides told the judge they expect the trial to last two to three weeks. The judge said his clerks would begin looking at potential dates. If it does span two to three weeks, the trial will last longer than the majority of the cases in Eagle, which last just two to three days, 7NEWS reported.

Ruckriegle set a pretrial hearing for Dec. 19 at 9 a.m. -- the same day that the Los Angeles Lakers will be in Denver for a game against the Nuggets.

Another hearing was also set for Jan. 23. Both trial dates are meant to settle various disputes, including whether records from an Eagle-area rape crisis center should be given to the defense.

District Attorney Mark Hurlbert indicated he will try to keep a defense expert out of the laboratory when Colorado Bureau of Investigation experts test unidentified evidence in the case. Ruckriegle said the tests must be completed in 30 days and that Bryant's attorneys must be notified before any tests that could destroy evidence.

Legal experts said such evidence could include blood, semen and pubic hair. Defense attorney Bruce Carey said he was confused by the prosecution's effort to keep the defense out of the lab.

"It stands to reason that they would want the defense expert to observe testing procedures to make certain they are not accused of doing anything improper," he said. "It doesn't make sense for them to try to do it unless they are trying to hide something."

Prosecutors and court officials had not expected Bryant to enter a plea until his arraignment, which hasn't been scheduled. After a formal plea, state law requires the trial must be scheduled within six months unless Bryant waives his right to a speedy trial.

Many legal experts believe that Bryant's attorney will request that the trial begin between May and July, around the end of the NBA season.

The drama many witnessed inside the courthouse last month did not repeat itself Thursday, 7NEWS reporter Tony Kovaleski said. After two days of graphic, fact-filled testimony in October, County Judge Frederick Gannett determined that there was enough evidence for Bryant to face trial for allegedly raping a resort employee. Once the trial moved forward, the process moved from county court to district court and into Ruckriegle's courtroom.

Eagle County District Attorney Mark Hurlbert announced his decision to file charges against Bryant 117 days ago. Since June 30, when Bryant checked into the Lodge and Spa Cordillera and met the alleged victim, the Lakers All-Star has attended four court hearings in Eagle County.

Before Bryant's fifth hearing began, about a dozen people rallied outside the courthouse in support of the 19-year-old woman who has accused Bryant of assaulting her.

"We are here to remind everyone to treat this sexual assault case as a serious crime that it is rather than as fodder for entertainment," said Robin Finegan, a board member of Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance.

She criticized a supermarket tabloid for printing the victim's name and photograph, and Bryant's attorneys for using her name during last month's preliminary hearing.

"It's disconcerting to me when a victim's name is used in court because sexual assault is not like a carjacking," she said. "It's a very personal crime."

Watch 7NEWS and log on to TheDenverChannel for updates on the Bryant case.