WE'LL KO KOBE: DA

NY Post ^ | August 6, 2003 | DOUGLAS MONTERO, BARRY BORTNICK and DAN MANGAN

[ellery]

The prosecutor in the Kobe Bryant rape case says he has slam-dunk evidence to prove the NBA superstar's guilt, it was revealed on the eve of the hoopster's first court appearance today. Eagle County District Attorney Mark Hurlbert made that strong claim in court papers arguing against making public the police affidavit written to justify Bryant's arrest early last month.

[FITZ]

there you are .....Kobe's defense tactics....

But look at post 340 --"Now we learn that Kobe's dad was caught in the 70s in a car with a woman and cocaine." If the prosecution has to smear Kobe Bryant's parents, then I'm wondering if they don't have much to go on. What would his father's doings in the 70's have anything to do with this case?

[FITZ]

I know ---I kind of hate to admit it ---but I've always had my doubts too. I don't know what else or what other kind of people Nicole Simpson was into ---but I read about her drug use --- and to me it sounded more like some drug related killing. I never thought OJ would even be clever enough to act that calm right after his first double murder.

[cyncooper]

OJ was on an airplane 25 minutes after those murders supposedly took place and eyewitness accounts describe him as happy, talkative, and apparently lacking a care in the world.

Your timing is wrong and also the demeanor was not as you describe.

I won't comment on why you would make your race statement.

[cyncooper]

The prosecution isn't putting stories out about Bryant's family. That's the "reporters" digging for dirt.

And I agree, those tales are totally irrelevant.

[cyncooper]

Ah, the shadowy world of Faye Resnick rears its head.

(He did it. No doubt about it.)

[FITZ]

Maybe it's reporters digging for dirt in both cases. Do we have any evidence that the defense team has been the ones looking for flaws in the accuser?

[justshe]

Although I do think many of the smears have been leaks from the prosecution team and/or staff....I don't put it past the tabloid mentality journalists to do their own digging. For some reason this story about the father just smacks of that type of digging to me.

[cyncooper]

Although I do think many of the smears have been leaks from the prosecution team and/or staff....

Ah, we differ on this topic, I see. I don't for one minute think this prosecutor would be putting out stories about Bryant's family.

I don't think they've been leaking and the DA has stated that forthrightly on the record, unlike other offices that "could not be reached" when certain stories hit the papers.

Whatever, I'm interested in seeing the facts come out and haven't seen "smears" as far as Bryant goes.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

But look at post 340 --"Now we learn that Kobe's dad was caught in the 70s in a car with a woman and cocaine." If the prosecution has to smear Kobe Bryant's parents, then I'm wondering if they don't have much to go on. What would his father's doings in the 70's have anything to do with this case?

It has nothing at all to do with the case. There was a small vingette about sports figures with serious problems, and Bryant's father's problems were reported. It has nothing to do with the prosecution. The prosecution didn't present the story, it was a story on Court TV. James Worthy and a bunch of other athletes were mentioned.

Therefore the prosecution is not smearing Kobe's parents. It is just a part of history.

[Yaelle]

I want to know what those 911 calls from her house were. If they have any connection to suicide attemps or other accusations, I'm going to have a hard time believing her story.

Everyone will. That is why this case will have to be made on physical evidence, which in this case means bruises and wounds on her.

[Brandon]

Abrams was saying the other morning that Kobe's attorneys are looking into the fact that there were allegations of racial profiling on the part of the sheriff's dept and that several hundred thousands were paid out...

I read a bit more about this. It was ten years ago, under a different sheriff (but same county). According to he story I read, there was a big drug sweep going on, with specific suspicion on the part of the police (not just this local sheriff's dept.) that the Crips were running drugs along I-70. Knowing that the likelihood of a white person being a member of the Crips is something less than zero, the Eagle Co. sheriff focused his attention on black motorists passing through his county. They got hit with a racial profiling suit, and settled out of court for $800K -- but did not admit to any wrongdoing. They were just making the lawsuit go away. My take on it all is that the sheriff at the time probably stepped over the line, but that it wasn't as evil as it sounds -- they weren't just pulling blacks over for the heck of it.

[Yaelle]

I stand corrected. An episiotomy is performed before the baby's head might rip a woman's vagina, not after. However, a birth might require stitches after if no episiotomy were performed and the birth was allowed to proceed without care, or the head were very large. Either way, that could mean 6 stitches after.

That sounds to me like a very serious injury from her attacker. I would gather that even most rapes in dark alleys don't include such wounding. Perhaps something else occurred, if you know what I mean. While Kobe may be built like a Kielbasa, it may turn out to be something worse, like an object or something... Ugh.

[justshe]

I am not saying the Prosecutor himself put out leaks...but there could be other staff/assistants etc in either that office...or for that matter, in the Sheriff's office....that might say something inadvertently to so and so.....who says something to the local stringer....who PROBABLY calls Rita Cosby...lol.

I think it is inevitable that leaks can happen. And people can draw (usually erroneous) conclusions based on the flimsiest of stories. Look at the Scott Peterson case.

I am one of those 'waiting for facts'...so I tend to give a wide berth and a raised eyebrow to most 'stories' I read or hear reported about either Kobe or the alleged victim.

[cherry]

the 800 thousand sounds like the story Abrams was referring too....

tell you the truth, I have so little patience or respect for the media, including Fox, that I will listen to stories for about a half a minute and then turn the channel..

thank God for baseball and my garden.....

[Brandon]

I want to know what those 911 calls from her house were. If they have any connection to suicide attemps or other accusations, I'm going to have a hard time believing her story.

Everyone will. That is why this case will have to be made on physical evidence, which in this case means bruises and wounds on her.

That's also why the judge will look at the 911 calls and the accuser's mental health history (if any) very carefully before allowing the jury to hear it: because it is extremely prejudicial to the average person. The judge will want to be very careful not to admit any testimony that of this sort, unless it is clearly relevant.

[cyncooper]

I am one of those 'waiting for facts'...so I tend to give a wide berth and a raised eyebrow to most 'stories' I read or hear reported about either Kobe or the alleged victim.

Good. Then we DO agree.

I see you were NOT saying you suspected the prosecutor of the story about the father---sorry for skimming. So much excitement, what with Arnold and all!

[Kevin Curry]

True. Then the perversion of truth begins in earnest.

[Brandon]

I am not saying the Prosecutor himself put out leaks...but there could be other staff/assistants etc in either that office...or for that matter, in the Sheriff's office....that might say something inadvertently to so and so.....who says something to the local stringer....who PROBABLY calls Rita Cosby...lol.

It doesn't have to always (or ever) be leaks from an official source. Remember that the police and the prosecutor got their information from private citizens, so it could have come from them, or from other peoplethey talked to. I'm sure the rumors are flying thick and fast in Eagle, Colorado, and have been for weeks. And the gag order wasn't issued until -- what? -- a week or ten days ago? So there was plenty of time for these stories to get out into the community.

Notice how the bell hop, for example, is repeatedly cited as refusing to talk to reporters, because he's been told not to? That doesn't mean he didn't tell his friends and family about it when it first happened, before there was a gag order -- and then they could talk to someone else, who talks to someone else -- and sooner or later (probably sooner) a reporter hears about it, and traces it back as close as he or she can to the original source.

I think it is inevitable that leaks can happen. And people can draw (usually erroneous) conclusions based on the flimsiest of stories. Look at the Scott Peterson case.

I am one of those 'waiting for facts'...so I tend to give a wide berth and a raised eyebrow to most 'stories' I read or hear reported about either Kobe or the alleged victim.

I think you are very wise.

[connectthedots]

I think that the judge may have ordered Kobe to show up just to let him know that Kobe isn't going to control the court proceedings; and maybe a little payback for all the defense PR efforts.

[justshe]

No....that little factoid was posted as a report off of Court TV. A silly, shallow little fact meant to inflame...that somehow the sins of the father are NO DOUBT visited on the son. You know, the old apple not falling far from the tree B.S. that masquarades as intelligent commentary.