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   Kobe Bryant accused of sexual assault

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Topic: Kobe Bryant accused of sexual assault (Read 1244 times)

Rhune
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Kobe Bryant accused of sexual assault
« on: Jul 7^th, 2003, 11:16am »

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Lakers' star accused of sexual assault in Colorado

DENVER (AP) -- Kobe Bryant, one of basketball's brightest stars, was arrested after a woman accused the Los Angeles Lakers' guard of sexual misconduct at a hotel near Vail.

The 24-year-old Bryant was released after turning himself in Friday and posting a $25,000 bond on suspicion of felony sexual assault, the Eagle County sheriff's office said Sunday.

Bryant was not formally charged. District Attorney Mark Hurlbert said Sunday night he hadn't made a decision on whether to file charges and had not yet seen the arrest report.

"Kobe is innocent," Bryant's Denver-based lawyer, Pamela Mackey, told the Los Angeles Times in Monday editions. "Can you imagine being accused of this? It's awful."

The woman, who was not identified, told sheriff's deputies on Tuesday that Bryant sexually assaulted her the previous night in a hotel in the Edwards area. No other details were released about the case, which has been sealed by a judge.

The Denver Post reported Monday that Paul Pastoor, general manager for the Lodge and Spa at Cordillera, said Bryant stayed at the Edwards hotel. Bryant, who was not available for comment, was in the area to have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Tuesday at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic.

After a series of interviews and a review of the physical evidence, investigators met with representatives of the district attorney and concluded they had enough evidence for the felony sexual assault count, the sheriff's office said.

Hurlbert said the sheriff's office asked a judge for an arrest warrant instead of requesting one through his office, the usual practice. In Colorado, police officers can make an arrest on suspicion of a crime but only the district attorney's office can file charges.

"It's very distressing that the sheriff's office, who is supposed to be conducting the unbiased investigation, ignores what the district attorney says and goes out and gets a warrant," Mackey said. "It's outrageous."

NBA spokesman Tim Frank said the league had no immediate comment.

"These allegations are completely out of character of the Kobe Bryant we know," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said in a statement. "For the seven years he's been with us, he has been one of the finest young men we've known and a wonderful asset to both our team and our community.

"However, since this is a legal matter being handled by the authorities in Colorado, we must refrain from further comment at this time."

Since entering the NBA straight from high school, Bryant has drawn comparisons to the league's greatest players. Despite early struggles, Bryant quickly established that he deserved the hype.

He was a star when Los Angeles won three consecutive titles from 2000-02 and was the Most Valuable Player of the 2002 All-Star game.

Bryant was the NBA's second-leading scorer last season, averaging a career-best 30 points and signed a lucrative endorsement deal with Nike last month.

He married Vanessa Laine in April 2001. The two met on the set of a music video where Laine was working and were engaged while she was still in high school.

Laine gave birth to their first child, Natalia Diamante Bryant, in January. Bryant wore his hospital ID bracelet in a game the day after his daughter was born.

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azure
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Re: Kobe Bryant accused of sexual assault
« Reply #1 on: Jul 7^th, 2003, 12:26pm »

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this shocks me

I always liked kobe, and he seemed to keep his nose pretty clean considering how young he was when he started playing professionally.

Oh well if he is guilty then he should pay the price for sure

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Rhune
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Re: Kobe Bryant accused of sexual assault
« Reply #2 on: Jul 7^th, 2003, 12:46pm »

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My husband regularly listens to sports radio and he said that's pretty much the reponse from the djs/personalities on this - shock.

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Rhune
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Re: Kobe Bryant accused of sexual assault
« Reply #3 on: Jul 8^th, 2003, 12:09am »

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EAGLE, Colorado (CNN) -- Prosecutors in western Colorado said Monday they have not yet decided whether to file criminal charges against Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant for an alleged sexual assault that police said happened last week.

District Attorney Mark Hurlbert said his office hopes to make a decision by the end of the week, but said it may take longer.

"It's possible he will be charged with sexual assault," Hurlbert said. "It's possible he won't be charged with anything. It's possible he'll be charged with something different."

Bryant's attorney, Pamela Mackey, issued a statement saying her client "is innocent and expects to be completely exonerated."

The Eagle County Sheriff's Office said it received a report July 1 from a woman who alleged sexual misconduct by Bryant. The incident allegedly happened June 30 in a hotel in the Edwards area, just west of Vail, the sheriff's office said.

Investigators issued an arrest warrant after gathering evidence and consulting with the district attorney, a statement from the sheriff's office said.

Sheriff Joseph Hoy said Bryant, 24, voluntarily complied with the warrant and returned to Colorado from Los Angeles to turn himself in last Friday. Bryant is free on a $25,000 bond.

No details of the victim's allegations have been made public, and a judge has sealed information in the case.

The district attorney did not explain why there was a delay in charging Bryant, other than to say sexual assault cases are complex and take time to investigate.

Mackey said the sheriff ignored the "direct instruction" of the district attorney's office that there was "insufficient information to issue a warrant or to file charges," illustrating his office's "complete bias" in the case.

Hurlbert denied the accusation and said nothing improper or illegal was done.

"I want to look forward and not backwards," he told reporters. "I support the sheriff, the sheriff's office, and their investigators in this investigation."

The district attorney said that under Colorado law neither the victim's name nor any identifying information may be released by authorities.

"I have talked with her and she seems to be doing OK considering the circumstances," Hurlbert said.

Bryant, who is married with a daughter just born in January, stayed at The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera in Edwards from Monday through Wednesday last week, hotel manager Paul Pastoor told CNN. Pastoor declined to say whether the alleged incident occurred there or involved any of his employees.

It was unclear whether Bryant had returned to his Los Angeles area home, and he could not be reached for comment.

Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak said the allegations are "completely out of character" for Bryant.

"For the seven years he's been with us, he has been one of the finest young men we've known and a wonderful asset to both our team and our community," Kupchak said in a statement Sunday night. "However, since this is a legal matter being handled by the authorities in Colorado, we must refrain from further comment at this time."

Kupchak referred all questions to Bryant's lawyers in Colorado.

Two of Bryant's teammates came to his defense.

"That's totally out of his character, but who knows," said Kareem Rush. "I don't think it's true, so I'm going to stand by him and say that it's 100 percent not true."

"He's a happily married man and I'm sure he's happy. He talks about his wife all the time," Jannero Pargo said. "I can't wait for the truth to come out."

A frequent member of the Lakers' traveling party, which accompanies the team on road trips, told CNN that Bryant is known for his straight-laced style. Bryant doesn't entertain groupies and always travels with two bodyguards, who screen visitors and phone calls, said the traveling party member, who did not want his name used.

Instead of going out to party with the team at night, Bryant plays video games in his hotel room and calls his wife, said the source, who believes Bryant refrains from drinking alcohol.

"This (accusation) would be a complete Jekyll and Hyde if this was true," the source said. "This would be shocking if there was any meat to it."

The 6-foot-6-inch Bryant was a member of the 2002 Laker championship team, averaging 26.6 points per game in four games in the NBA finals against the New Jersey Nets. He was selected to the 2001-2002 All-NBA First Team.

Bryant was named MVP of the 2002 All-Star Game after tallying 31 points, five rebounds and five assists.

CNN National Correspondent Frank Buckley contributed to this report.

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azure
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Re: Kobe Bryant accused of sexual assault
« Reply #4 on: Jul 8^th, 2003, 10:26am »

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I really like kobe and hope this is not true

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MzWings
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Re: Kobe Bryant accused of sexual assault
« Reply #5 on: Jul 8^th, 2003, 12:11pm »

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Very odd. I don't know much about Kobe - just that he's an outstanding basketball player with a clean record. Who knows.......... Huh

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Rhune
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Re: Kobe Bryant accused of sexual assault
« Reply #6 on: Jul 8^th, 2003, 12:52pm »

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It seems to me he's been around for quite some time now, and if a man is prone to this kind of behaviour it would have come up before now. I could be wrong, but most men don't just suddenly assault a woman. Before that there is usually womanizing, other sexually harassing comments, sexist comments, etc. Up to this point he has kept his nose very clean, and this just doesn't jibe with me. The fact that the entire sports community seems to be shocked by it as well, is telling. How many were shocked when Mike Tyson was acused? Not many...and that's because you could see it coming. Anyway, I haven't met any of these people or spoken to them in person and looked in their eyes, but based on what this guy's past behaviour is telling me, I'm just not buying it at this time. My "gut" tells me he's wrongfully accused.

« Last Edit: Jul 8^th, 2003, 2:32pm by Rhune »

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azure
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Re: Kobe Bryant accused of sexual assault
« Reply #7 on: Jul 8^th, 2003, 2:27pm »

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oh I hope so!!!

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Rhune
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Re: Kobe Bryant accused of sexual assault
« Reply #8 on: Jul 14^th, 2003, 12:38pm »

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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Speaking publicly for the first time since he was accused of sexual assault, Kobe Bryant denied the allegations and said he "would never do something like that."

"When everything comes clean, it will all be fine, you'll see," Bryant, 24, told the Los Angeles Times in a story published Sunday.

The five-time NBA All-Star would not discuss details of the case, the newspaper said.

"You guys know me. I shouldn't have to say anything. You know I would never do something like that," the Los Angeles Lakers star said in the brief telephone interview.

Bryant is accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman who worked at the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera in Edwards, Colo., on June 30. All records in the case have been sealed.

Bryant sounded surprised at the rumors being spread about that night.

"Man, there's a lot of crazy stories out there," he said.

The alleged victim has accused Bryant of sexual assault. Under Colorado law, sexual assault encompasses a wide range of behavior, and what the accusations are is not clear because the woman's account to authorities has been sealed, the Times said.

Bryant, who was in Colorado for knee surgery at a Vail clinic, surrendered to authorities on July 4 and was released after posting a $25,000 bond. Prosecutors have said they expect to decide this week whether to file charges against Bryant.

Bryant's attorneys have previously said he is innocent and expects to be exonerated.

On Friday, Eagle County (Colo.) Sheriff Joe Hoy released Bryant's booking mug shot after news media challenged Hoy's earlier refusal. Hoy said he acceded to media demands on advice of counsel.

The low-resolution picture on the sheriff's Web site shows Bryant, 24, looking directly into the camera. He is wearing what appears to be a white shirt or a warmup jacket with black stripes on the shoulders.

Bryant had been a guest at the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera from June 30-July 2, lodge and spa officials said.

Both Bryant and his accuser went to hospitals after the alleged attack, authorities said. They declined to discuss details.

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MzWings
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Re: Kobe Bryant accused of sexual assault
« Reply #9 on: Jul 14^th, 2003, 6:36pm »

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I wonder if she could be preggers and decided to blame Kobe - and get lots of $'s. How sad for whatever reasons she had to make up what I believe is a Whopper - with everything on it.

Uh Rhune.....do you realize - you're adding "U's" in behaviour? I love it! Wink

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"Senility Prayer"...God grant me...
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The good fortune to run into the ones that I do
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Rhune
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Re: Kobe Bryant accused of sexual assault
« Reply #10 on: Jul 14^th, 2003, 6:57pm »

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Heh.. guess I better look up the spelling of that word...

They aren't specifying the details of the charge, but it seems pretty clear to me the charge is rape, since they made both go to the hospital and give dna samples. They just wouldn't be taking his dna if he supposedly did something like shove her against a wall and feel up her boobs.

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azure
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Re: Kobe Bryant accused of sexual assault
« Reply #11 on: Jul 14^th, 2003, 7:25pm »

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Rhune
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Re: Kobe Bryant accused of sexual assault
« Reply #12 on: Jul 14^th, 2003, 7:57pm »

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I still expect to find out that he is innocent. Something just doesn't seem right.

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azure
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Re: Kobe Bryant accused of sexual assault
« Reply #13 on: Jul 15^th, 2003, 9:30am »

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I agree and Lord I hope so

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david
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Re: Kobe Bryant accused of sexual assault
« Reply #14 on: Jul 15^th, 2003, 12:12pm »

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I believe in "Innocent until PROVEN guilty" but are we all forgetting THE VICTUM!!! Could she be making it up? yes of course but then Kobe could be lieing also! Did all forget he isnt exactly perfect he and Shaq had some EGO clashes and if memory serve me correct Shaq acted more adult then Kobe. This by no means makes him guilty but we only know The Kobe we see on court and commercials. Remeber how shocked we all were to find out our all American boy OJ really was!!! I too hope the charges are wrong but lets not be so quick to defend him without knowing all the details or talking to the victum. Kobe is a very talented player but he also wasnt allowed time to mature either remember he went to Lakers straight from High School! I hope he did NO WRONG I have no reason to dislike him or even believe him guilty I just feel we should reserve our defense of him less we have egg on our faces! For now Kobe is innocent as our legal system states. We do this woman a discredit and insult by basically accusing her of making up this Sexual assault just because its Kobe! If Kobe were just your normal citizen we would all be condeming him! Give the victum her rights also! If she lied then let her go to jail for false Police report but also show her some concern also she is (far as we know) a VICTUM! One last thing (like OJ) we dont know the REAL KOBE we only know the part of him we see on TV! THINK ABOUT IT

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