Posted on 12/19/2003 1:29:59 PM PST by Smogger
EAGLE, Colo. -- In an embarrassing admission, the man prosecuting Kobe Bryant said Friday that someone in his office ordered T-shirts that mock the NBA star, including one carrying the words: "I'm not a rapist; I'm just a cheater."
Eagle County District Attorney Mark Hurlbert also said he and fellow Bryant prosecutor Greg Crittenden were each given one of the shirts by "an unknown source."
Hurlbert said he immediately disposed of the shirt and Crittenden did so later. Neither wore the shirt, the prosecutor said in a prepared statement.
Hurlbert said "office support staff" had ordered the shirts without his knowledge or authorization -- something he didn't know in October when his office denied any involvement in ordering the shirts -- and that he had taken unspecified action to "address this matter."
He said no money was paid for the shirts.
The issue came up during a pretrial hearing Friday to determine, among other things, what evidence will be allowed at trial. Defense attorney Pamela Mackey called the shirts inflammatory and derogatory, and asked for an investigation. The judge, however, told prosecutors to supply details to the defense by Jan. 5 -- including who is involved.
Last week, Bryant's attorneys asked the judge to help them find out whether sheriff's deputies or prosecution employees had ordered the shirts, accusing the investigating agencies of bias. Mackey mentioned bias again in open court Friday, but did not elaborate.
Bryant, 25, is charged with attacking a 19-year-old employee at a Colorado resort last June. He has said the two had consensual sex.
Officials with the Eagle County sheriff's office have said a company called hangmantees.com gave the office two black T-shirts with a Bryant theme on Oct. 9, the first day of his preliminary hearing.
One has Bryant's No. 8 on the back with the words, "I'm not a rapist; I'm just a cheater." The other lists the costs of Bryant's trip to Eagle County and ends with, "Not bringing your wife to Colorado with you -- priceless.''
Mackey said the shirts have been characterized as racist and "invocative of Klan lynching."
Hurlbert disagreed.
"The shirts may be inappropriate, but they are certainly not racist," he said in the statement. He called the shirts a "peripheral issue that has diverted attention away from the actual issue of the sexual assault charges."
First, if you mention me, ping me.
Second, I don't follow basketball, and, if I did, I'd despise KB, as I live near Dallas, and I'd be a Mavericks fan.
I've followed this case very closely, and the accuser has some MAJOR problems.
Kobe Bryant is an adulterer, no doubt. But, to be found guilty of rape requires more proof than we've seen so far. Already, there's reasonable doubt about who inflicted the "injuries" on the accuser, her having had sex with three men in three days.
Many on this thread have thought of it, and it was a very shameful part of American history, since much of this lynching was perpetrated by vigilantes on men who were falsely accused.
I'd say so. lol
Where's your proof of this?
Just those that want the trial moved to an OJ jury.
What a twisted view. A more accurate one might be that they've disposed of the big issues and now are cleaning up the crumbs. Game, set, match to Kobe.
Earth to CBG: The trial hasn't started yet. No issues have even been visited, let alone disposed of. That's why this looks so desperate for the defense. They don't have a defense so their going for the race and sluts defense.
Really. Until a few days ago?
Can you prove that?
Don't chicken out.
You can't have it both ways JR. If there are no issues visited, you can't say their is no defense.
JR?
If there are no issues visited, you can't say their is no defense.
It's a sign of weakness when a defense takes a chance on alienating the jury to insult them with stupidity. Stupidity such as making up rumors about the alleged victim and claiming this trial is a racial trial. If they had a strong defense they'd be better off just waiting for the trial to present it.
Rumors? The press has uncovered the accuser's background, and the prosecution didn't dispute the "three guys in three days" line of questioning in the preliminary hearing.
Face it. The prosecution has a very weak case, with an even weaker plaintiff, and their star witness is compromised, since he admits to having sex with the accuser a week before he just "happened" to be the first person the accuser told of her "rape."
If the judge allows the mental history of this accuser into the trial, there likely won't be a trial.
What a silly theory. All you have to do is plant reasonable doubt in the mind of ONE jurist. How naive it would be to wait till trial to do that when you have to do battle in the war of pre-trial publicity. I certainly hope that someone with your mindset is some sort of government bureaucrat rather than a defense attorney.
The preliminary hearing wasn't the trial. Arguing with made-up rumors wouldn't have been applicable to achieving a trial. The defense was just being sleazy trying to try this case in the media. Must be weak.
Face it. The prosecution has a very weak case, with an even weaker plaintiff, and their star witness is compromised, since he admits to having sex with the accuser a week before he just "happened" to be the first person the accuser told of her "rape."
It's weak because the alleged victim has has sex before? Glad to see you're backing off the 3 men in 3 days claim and going with what's known that it was a week before. If it's true that she had 3 men in 3 days, you need to prove it.
If the judge allows the mental history of this accuser into the trial, there likely won't be a trial.
If I were rich, I would have fun a lot more.
Remember OJ? No defense so play race.
All you have to do is plant reasonable doubt in the mind of ONE jurist. How naive it would be to wait till trial to do that when you have to do battle in the war of pre-trial publicity.
Glad to see you admit that the defense is trying this in the media. Is that the way you want justice served, by trying the cases in the media?
I certainly hope that someone with your mindset is some sort of government bureaucrat rather than a defense attorney.
I certainly hope that people like you that enjoy seeing possible rapists go scot-free without a trial is no where near our judicial system or law enforcement.
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