Bryant denial made accuser 'sick to her stomach,' friend says

CNN ^ | July 21, 2003 | CNN

[Recourse]

EAGLE, Colorado (CNN) --Hearing NBA all-star Kobe Bryant deny the sexual assault charge filed against him made his accuser "sick to her stomach," a friend of the woman said Monday.

Bryant, an all-star guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, has been charged with one count of sexual assault. He has steadfastly maintained his innocence, and after the charge was announced Friday, he admitted having sex with his 19-year-old accuser but said the encounter was consensual.

[ER_in_OC,CA]

Good point. Bryant's prior conduct AS KNOWN SO FAR bears no resemblance to that of OJ Simpson. Furthermore, it was the mountain of evidence that piled up which caused us all to become convinced of his guilt.

I would more appropriately draw a parallel between this case and the Mark Chmura case, though I believe the Chmura case was full of witnesses of immediate aftermath and physical evidence. The parallel stands in light of the accusation and the reputation of the individual (Chmura was generally seen as a "great guy.") Surprised I haven't seen this comparison anywhere else.

[sinkspur]

Or do you still think it is because her daddy didn't like her having sex with a black man as you posted serveral days ago..????

Don't know yet. Do you?

[ER_in_OC,CA]

Don't forget Larry Bird and his out of wedlock child (or it it children?)

[oldcomputerguy]

police are extremely confident of their case based on physical evidence alone.

Since we don't know how, erh, large Mr Bryant is, uh, we can't say whether some brusing might be expected in any case.

[Arpege92]

Know this....we might have a "hung" jury here on Free Republic!

[MEGoody]

I would agree that the circumstances surrounding the charges against Kobe and O.J. are dissimilar in many respects. However, the fiasco that was the O.J. trial goes to show that the guilty are not always FOUND guilty in a court of law.

[honeygrl]

Her name has already been mentioned on another thread I think. Someone correct me if I'm confused, but isn't her name Allison Scriver? Or was that just one of her friends?

[cyncooper]

Depends where the bruising is. Did he strike her? Did he hold her in place? It could be bruising other then her private area in addition to whatever trauma may have been present there.

It could be Cosby screwed up her report and there is no bruising.

And frankly I'm tired of hearing how normal sex results in all this tearing and lacerations. Most of us are adults and have an idea of how things work.

[Xenalyte]

That's one of her friends.

[Snerfling]

If we start hearing stories about how Kobe is a well known hound dog that regularly picks up sports groupies, I think he's gonna have a problem. I for one would stop giving him the benefit of the doubt.

However, as it stands, if it's true that a couple of other NBA players know who she is, and possibly Kobe himself, then I think it's the DA's turn to be on the hot seat.

[Yeti]

Historically, all threads about trials and legal action turn into slug-fests.

Do tell ... ; )

[newgeezer]

Rita Cosby just ... said the authorities are extremely confident of the their case and they do have evidence of physical injury like bruising.

I heard early on that there were other hotel guests who said things were VERY loud in that room during the time of the alleged attack.

If so, perhaps the noises didn't sound entirely consentual.

[oldcomputerguy]

Let's play "speculation": This rather wounded soul brings Kobe his room service, he treats her nicely. She, being a bit sensitive, shows some signs of taking to him. He overestimates her emotional leaning, and takes it too far.

I heard he was playing chess in the lobby prior to the incident so I much like this scenario: He makes eye contact and flirts with her in the lobby, she is responsive(the bait). He later invites her to his room under a pretext after she gets off(setting the hook). This is how it is done. But wait! There are bodyguards in the room and she balks. Is it rape? who knows, but I suspect Kobe thought it wasn't.

[cyncooper]

Sure would like to know the title of that pay-per-view movie he ordered at 11:43.

The movie was ordered at 12:36 a.m..

Cosby reported (and other reporters have also said) that the girl was in the room about 20 minutes, so she would have been gone by then. I, too, am curious about what movie it was.

[Dolphy]

If she was positive in her own mind, wouldn't she have immediately called the law?

Any number of things can account for that, including her belief that maybe she contributed to the incident by going to his room. On the other hand, she may have been overcome by a sense of shame over her actions that led her to look to shun responsibility and accuse Kobe.

As for going to his room, so what? It could be that she believed in Kobe's press, that he was a gentleman, married and not some stereotypical NBA thug. Maybe she was intoxicated by that attention of a celebrity. Afterall, she didn't climb in a lion's cage. Kobe has responsibility, he is a worldly man, exposed to the spotlight of celebrity from a young age as the son of an NBA player. There are some here who seem to think a 19 year old, small town girl somehow used her sexuality to manipulate Kobe. Well, regardless of rape, it seems more likely that Kobe used his celebrity to manipulate a naive woman.

[Howlin]

Oh, I think you are most certainly right. I know the charges were dropped.......but I can't remember the exact circumstances; I do believe it was because the boy wouldn't testify, right, because his dad got the big dollars?

[ravinson]

Kobe has a sterling reputation.

Perhaps, if you're only comparing him to other NBA All stars, but he has had trouble getting along with Shaq and his coaches and definitely has a reputation as an aloof ball hog.

[Zevonismymuse]

Twenty minutes in the room

That is the part that has her so upset. He was supposed to let her spend the night, ask her to sing, tell her how talented she is.

When it was over and he rolled over and told her to make sure she locked up on the way out left her feeling so used.

[riri]

LOL. That's exactly what I thought. Then when he didn't call the next morning proclaiming his love and announce he was leaving his wife and to be packed the limo was on the way...

[cyncooper]

Another thing - what's the timeline again on when they took the rape kit on her at the hospital? If there indeed was a rape and ejaculation, then that's a long time to expect the evidence to remain behind and not leak out.

The girl went at noon the next day to the hospital.

The timeline I linked at #134 says that Sheriff's investigators arrive the next night at 11:30 pm to interview him and take evidence from the room. At 2:30 a.m. they take him to a hospital for DNA samples.

Now, I posted last night when I first saw this, that I don't think Bryant was as cooperative as some might think, like some think he admitted right up front that he'd been with the girl. I don't think he did. (Total speculation, but THREE hours to interview him?) Unbeknownst to him at that point, the investigators knew the girl had been examined and they already had some physical evidence. Three hours is a long time for an interview and evidence collection.....Then off he was taken to the hospital.