Prosecutors in the Kobe Bryant case will continue toward trial despite the court ruling that will allow defense attorneys to raise the accuser’s sex life in front of a jury. The 20-year-old alleged victim intends to proceed with the case, spokeswoman Krista Flannigan told the Denver Post. The star’s trial is set for Aug. 27, although Judge Terry Ruckriegle extended the plea-negotiation deadline to tomorrow. Bryant faces four years to life in prison if convicted of the Class 3 felony sexual-assault charge, which accuses him of using physical force or violence to coerce the woman into having sex with him June 30, 2003, at a lodge.
Prosecutor Mark Hurlbert is considering whether to appeal Ruckriegle’s ruling, which could postpone the trial while the matter is heard by the Colorado Supreme Court. Prosecutors and the accuser already have criticized the slow pace of the 13-month-old case, but they might feel compelled to appeal the latest ruling, which allows Bryant’s attorneys to introduce evidence that the woman may have had sex soon after her encounter with Bryant.
Link: http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~28682~2296366,00.html