Bryant case looking like defense dunk

The Denver Post ^ | 10/16/2003 | Jim Spencer

[Therapist]

EAGLE - Folks at the Eagle County Justice Center received Kobe Bryant as if he were royalty rather than an accused rapist.

Bryant and his posse of lawyers and bodyguards got a king's welcome when they showed up Wednesday for the continuation of a preliminary hearing of Bryant's sexual assault charge. Deputies shooed everyone away from the circular driveway so the professional basketball star and his entourage could pass undisturbed through the front doors.

It's hard to imagine any other defendant in this small mountain town getting such a regal reception.

But the problem here isn't preferential treatment for a celebrity.

It isn't even a big-shot ball player buying justice.

The problem here is that any lug off the street with a half-decent defense lawyer could beat this case. The prosecution evidence presented at the two-day preliminary hearing was that Bryant lured the victim to his room, then bent her over a chair and raped her from behind as she said no and tried to resist. The allegation alone will probably lead to a trial in district court. But that's only because the standard of proof is so low.

[Therapist]

Now we know that The Accuser did not tell Kobe Bryant "No"! That was the testimony of detective Winters, who investigated the case. Winters asked The Accuser why she did not say "No!". She had no answer. She added that when she physically showed that she did not want the sex act, he stopped. This was no rape.

We have a star struck looney tune girl and a politically motivated D.A. in Eagle County. Shame on both of them!

[AppyPappy]

Now we know that The Accuser did not tell Kobe Bryant "No"!

The article I read yesterday said she did say "no". I seriously doubt the detective was in the room. If she physically showed that, how did they get a DNA sample from her underwear?

[AppyPappy]

``He held her by the back of the neck with his hand during sexual intercourse,'' prosecutor Greg Chrittenden said. ``He lifted up her skirt. She said 'no.' He pulled down her underpants and she said 'no.' He penetrated her from behind and she cried.''

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?floc=FF-APO-PLS&idq=/ff/story/0001/20031015/173176700.htm

[Sacajaweau]

This is a hearing. The standard is probable cause. There is sealed evidence which the judge has seen and what has occurred in the court is sufficient to go to trial.

We know they were both in the room. They have DNA on Kobe and they do if you go back. And there were bruises.

It amuses me that they say that Kobe had no bruises or scratches of a woman fighting rape. Would you fight? Would you risk getting killed by a dude rather than submit? We ALL know the answer to that!

P.S. There are a lot of women out there who have been raped and have remained silent. And the rapists are someone's brother, uncle, son, father.

[Vaduz]

And sister

[Dog Gone]

I initially thought Bryant was probably guilty. But now it's pretty clear that this woman wasn't saying "no" to very many people at all.

Given the fact that she didn't initially tell the detective that she said no, but only in a later interview (when the thought had been planted in her mind), I'm having second thoughts.

[sgtbono2002]

The lines are drawn on this one some say rape ,some say she asked for it. Will he be found guilty of rape? IMO no. Did he rape her? Its questionable ,Reasonable doubt exists.

[xzins]

There really appears to be no case here. I can't figure out why a prosecutor would bring this to trial. Maybe just to protect their office from accusations of favoritism of the powerful and well-heeled????

The judge should dismiss this case.

The county should pay Bryant's expenses.

[AppyPappy]

Of course he had no wounds. He nailed her from behind.

[wimpycat]

Would you fight? Would you risk getting killed by a dude rather than submit? We ALL know the answer to that!

Of course, we never know what we'd do if we were really faced with that situation, but I'd like to think I would fight. I'd rather die than submit. If it was just me being threatened, I hope I would fight to the death. But if they threatened to kill someone else who was in the house or room, then that would change the whole ball game, of course.

[MindBender26]

That is State contention, but on cross, detective admitted as follows.

"(Detective) Winters also acknowledged the woman didn't tell him she told Bryant ``no'' when he interviewed her the day after the alleged rape.

``I asked the accuser why she never told Mr. Bryant `no,''' Winters wrote in his report.

Last week, however, Winters testified the victim told him she told Bryant ``no'' repeatedly, and that Bryant even forced her to turn around and face him and say it at one point.

It was not clear if that came from a later interview with the woman." (changing story?)

Case is a POS. Only witness, the supposed vic, has multiple psychotic breaks in few months prior to incident. Witness has history of seeking publicity. Defense will show that she had sex with others just before indicent and with others just before she went to hospital. (what woman would put on a pair of dirty, semen stained, pubic hair filled undies to go to hopsital.

Did he rape her? No one but the two of them will ever know for sure. Are the close to proving a case, getting a conviction? Not by a mile.

[AppyPappy]

I think we will have to wait for the detective to hit the stand.

[AppyPappy]

``I asked the accuser why she never told Mr. Bryant `no,'''

The question doesn't make sense.

[sinkspur]

Unless the DA's got a hell of a lot more than he's shown, there's no way a jury will convict KB.

This accuser looks like a flake.

BTW, the detective said that KB stopped when she told him to stop.

That's not rape.

[AppyPappy]

the detective said that KB stopped when she told him to stop.

Not true. See my second post.

[AppyPappy]

``He held her by the back of the neck with his hand during sexual intercourse,'' prosecutor Greg Chrittenden said. ``He lifted up her skirt. She said 'no.' He pulled down her underpants and she said 'no.' He penetrated her from behind and she cried.''

[sinkspur]

There's no case here, Pappy.

Oh, it will go to trial, but the prosecution has already been shredded by KB's defense.

[MindBender26]

But he supposedly held her by the neck, and there were no neck bruises. One facial bruise was so small, no one but the ER nurse saw it, and she wan't sure if it was a bruise or an old zit!

The vaginal trauma was so slight as to be seen only under a microscope! If she had sex with three men in three days, of course there might be some vaginal trauma.

So she bled a few drops on his T-shirt. Big deal. With sex with three men in three days, she might have been a little raw.

[sandydipper]

What was she thinking?? Wearing a pair of soiled underwear to the forensics lab?? She can not be very bright.

The woman likes sex - no problem. Just don't make a big fuss if it gets rowdy.

[sinkspur]

The prosecutor? The prosecutor can say anything he wants to say.

His statements are not evidence. And the descriptions given by Winters are mixed as to what happened.

In addition, the auditor who was the FIRST person to see the accuser said she acted normally and didn't say a word about anything adverse occurring.

There's already reasonable doubt.