Decision In Kobe Bryant Case To Be Announced Friday
Eagle County DA Has Made Decision
POSTED: 5:14 p.m. MDT July 16, 2003
UPDATED: 3:31 p.m. MDT July 17, 2003
EAGLE, Colo. -- The Eagle County District Attorney said he will announce Friday whether criminal charges will be filed against Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant , who has been accused of sexually assaulting a young woman.
District Attorney Mark Hurlbert said he will make the announcement at 3 p.m.
Bryant (pictured, left) was arrested July 4 on allegations that he sexually
assaulted a 19-year-old woman June 30 at the exclusive Lodge and Spa
at Cordillera in nearby Edwards.
An attorney for the five-time NBA All-Star has said Bryant is
innocent, and that he was in Colorado for knee surgery at a Vail
clinic. In a brief interview with the Los Angeles Times, Bryant
said he "would never do something like that."
Bryant attended the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles on Wednesday
night, but avoided the media in his first public appearance since
his arrest. He sat in the audience smiling and laughing with his
wife, Vanessa. He was nominated for two awards but did not win.
A judge ordered all records in the case sealed at the request of
the sheriff's office.
A hearing was held Thursday on a request from the Vail
Daily and other media organizations to force Eagle County authorities to
explain why law-enforcement dispatch records to the victim's home
over the last year are being withheld. A decision in that case was pending.
In this mountain town about 100 miles west of Denver, the case
has caused quite a stir. Everyone has an opinion and everyone knows the identity of Bryant's accuser, even though the police and the media have not released her name.
Bryant's attorney has said his client, who was in Colorado for knee surgery at a Vail clinic, is innocent.
7NEWS Investigates investigator Tony Kovaleski asked Hurlbert for reaction to some legal experts' opinion that the longer it takes for prosecutors to file charges, the weaker the case.
"I don't know what experts are saying that, and that is not true," Hurlbert told Kovaleski in Vail.
If charges are filed, Bryant would have to return to Colorado on
Aug. 6.
7NEWS has also learned that the alleged victim's family has hired a lawyer.
Bryant (pictured, left) was arrested July 4 on allegations that he sexually
assaulted a 19-year-old woman June 30 at the exclusive Lodge and Spa
at Cordillera in nearby Edwards.
An attorney for the five-time NBA All-Star has said Bryant is
innocent, and that he was in Colorado for knee surgery at a Vail
clinic. In a brief interview with the Los Angeles Times, Bryant
said he "would never do something like that."
Bryant attended the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles on Wednesday
night, but avoided the media in his first public appearance since
his arrest. He sat in the audience smiling and laughing with his
wife, Vanessa. He was nominated for two awards but did not win.
A judge ordered all records in the case sealed at the request of
the sheriff's office.
A hearing was held Thursday on a request from the Vail
Daily and other media organizations to force Eagle County authorities to
explain why law-enforcement dispatch records to the victim's home
over the last year are being withheld. A decision in that case was pending.
In this mountain town about 100 miles west of Denver, the case
has caused quite a stir. Everyone has an opinion and everyone knows the identity of Bryant's accuser, even though the police and the media have not released her name.
Bryant's attorney has said his client, who was in Colorado for knee surgery at a Vail clinic, is innocent.
7NEWS Investigates investigator Tony Kovaleski asked Hurlbert for reaction to some legal experts' opinion that the longer it takes for prosecutors to file charges, the weaker the case.
"I don't know what experts are saying that, and that is not true," Hurlbert told Kovaleski in Vail.
If charges are filed, Bryant would have to return to Colorado on
Aug. 6.
7NEWS has also learned that the alleged victim's family has hired a lawyer.
Previous Stories:
- July 15, 2003: State Crime Lab Working On Kobe Bryant Case
- July 14, 2003: Friends Of Kobe Bryant Accuser Go On National TV
- July 12, 2003: Kobe Bryant's Accuser Had Tried Out For 'American Idol'
- July 10, 2003: Prosecutors: Decision In Bryant Case Won't Come This Week
- July 9, 2003: Sheriff Concerned About Pressure On Kobe Bryant's Accuser
- July 9, 2003: Taxi Driver Says NBA Star Was At Hospital After Assault Claim
- July 7, 2003: Kobe Bryant Arrested For Alleged Sexual Assault
Copyright 2003 by TheDenverChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
