Posted on 07/13/2004 10:36:37 AM PDT by Hawk44
DENVER - The inadvertent release of a hearing transcript containing information about the sex life of Kobe Bryant's accuser might tempt the judge to admit that information as evidence to reduce the magnitude of the mistake, the woman's attorney warned.
John Clune told District Judge Terry Ruckriegle in a court filing late Monday that he should not let the mistake influence his upcoming decision on whether to allow the information into the trial, scheduled to begin Aug. 27.
"Although the victim remains confident that this court will be unaffected by improper motives, the appearance still remains," Clune said.
Transcripts of a two-day closed hearing were accidentally e-mailed to the Associated Press and six other media organizations by a court clerk on June 26.
Ruckriegle quickly threatened media organizations with a contempt citation if they published information from the transcripts. The organizations have challenged the order but have not published any of the information. Clune blamed the release of the transcript on the court's use of the Internet and e-mail to distribute information and post documents for attorneys and news media. He said the practice has caused "irreparable" harm to his client and asked the judge to halt it.
Ruckriegle began the practice last year to reduce pressure on court clerks, who received dozens of requests a day to make copies for reporters.
Nearly 400 documents have been posted on the site, including one on Jan. 2 that named the accuser. That document was quickly removed and reposted with the name blacked out.
Bryant, 25, has pleaded not guilty to felony sexual assault. He has said he had consensual sex with the woman at the resort where she worked last summer.
If convicted, Bryant faces four years to life in prison or 20 years to life on probation, and a fine up to $750,000.
Bryant's attorneys want to argue to the jury that the woman had other sexual partners around the time she met Bryant, and that injuries found on her during a hospital examination could have been caused by them.
Clune did not immediately returned a call Tuesday.
I tossed this idea out a few days ago.....If Kobe signs with the Nuggets..would it be an obvious case of jury tampering?..
Oh, yeah, sure ...
Is there a schedule yet for an actual trial? Will it perhaps overlap with election season, driving JohnJohn off the front pages?
I bet that judge is earning a little extra for that move!
Telling a judge not to act on "improper motive" is not exactly the best way to win friends and favorable court rulings.
Are you suggesting that our judiciary is ... venal? Naw, I'm sure it was an accident, don't know what I was thinking before ...
That is the 60K question, isn't it. How do you accidently send sealed stuff to only 6 media outlets?
As I understand, the trial is scheduled to begin August 26.
What really hacks me off about that whole thing, as a Laker fan, is that on the one-year remembrance of legendary broadcaster Chick Hearn's death (August 5, 2003), all I heard about was the preliminary hearing of an overpaid, spoiled brat superstar, with a hottie for a wife and a young daughter, who couldn't keep it in his (ahem!!) for whatever reason...
Trust me, the Second Coming could happen before the Election, and the 'Rats would blame it on the Bush Administration, trying to get help from it's "higher power"...and that is the only thing that the Fraudcast Media would show about the President, in its oar-gee over the TNC (Toilet National Committee).
So the trial will stomp on the end of the GOP convention, and roll through the early weeks of the post-Labor Day campaign season....
"So the trial will stomp on the end of the GOP convention, and roll through the early weeks of the post-Labor Day campaign season...."
I hadn't thought of it that way...as if the media needed any MORE help in diverting from the Adults' campaign...
However, if it is true that people don't start really paying attention until the start of the Presidential debates (which start September 30), and if F911, Anchorman, the John-John wedding, and all of the Bush-bashing books haven't destroyed the President yet, this won't either.
This is the alleged team? What happened to the real team? Is this like the difference between the Bulls and the Pistons?
Excuse me? Just exactly who do you think you are saying rape victims do not have the right to privacy?
This judge is doing his dead level best to make sure Kobe Bryant walks.
Time to throw his butt off the bench.
Right now would be nice.
I think that's the consensus here!
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