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."
If this is true all charges should be dropped and the offending officers or prosecuters should be in an unemployment line.
Carpio
Well, it's true.
The MSNBC correspondent just reported that the judge turned down a prosecution request to investigate the defense for violating the previous judge's gag order.
Supposedly, the accuser's mother is going to testify at the request of a subpoena from the defense.
If someone writes something you disagree with you slur them! Libertarians and Liberals - sheeeze!
Well, who's the "messenger"? The prosecution, which admitted receiving racist t-shirts making light of the person they're prosecuting?
This accuser is an unstable girl, who had sex with three guys in three days, one of whom she accuses of rape.
The prosecution's prime witness is also compromised, as he nailed her a week before the supposed rape.
There seem to be few men who come in contact with her that she doesn't jump in the sack with.
How wussie.
It's not nearly as inflamatory or derogator as arresting him was.
So9
Why does anyone other than a reporter really care who or what agency "breaks" a story?
Racist? How? Are you a liberal or something? Bryant said he was an adulterer. Therefore the shirts are undoubtedly truthful in their paraphrase. What's wrong with wearing a shirt that has the truth on it?
Of course, the cops started it, so one has to wonder what kind of people populate the justice system in this lily-white community.
Some of you Bryant defenders are liberals playing the race card. Do you see everything in black and white?
Hangman? Black man accused of raping white woman?
Surely you're familiar with the ugly history behind these images.
FMCDH
That's not racist?
Yeah, look at the Bryant defenders on this thread. If you call Bryant an adulterer, then you're a racist Klan member...they're nuts and as bad as liberals.
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