s_knight8
2004-07-30 03:06:25 UTC
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1848697
DENVER -- Kobe Bryant returns to Colorado on Friday for one of the final two
hearings before the NBA star's sexual assault trial begins and after nearly
a month of upheaval over how much the public should know about evidence in
the case.
The first order of business is a discussion on the use of DNA evidence
obtained from Bryant during a hospital exam after the alleged attack last
summer.
Also scheduled for discussion are requests by Bryant's attorneys to keep his
tape-recorded statements to investigators under seal until trial and to
limit the prosecution's use of those statements.
"Certainly, you can read into it that there's things within those statements
that the defense thinks are hurtful and doesn't want the jury to hear about
and doesn't want the public to hear about," said Dan Recht, past president
of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar.
Both sides will use expert witnesses to deliver different interpretations of
the DNA evidence, former prosecutor Karen Steinhauser said.
"I don't see it as that big a deal," she said. "This case is not going to
come down to experts. This case is going to come down to credibility and
either jurors will believe her or not."
"If it turns out that there was another man during that 72-hour time period
that she didn't disclose, it affects her credibility," Silverman said. "In a
he-said, she-said case, obviously credibility is key."
Prosecutors are also scheduled to explain behind closed doors Friday why
they want to limit testimony from DNA analysts Elizabeth Johnson of
Technical Associates Inc. and Yvonne Woods of the Colorado Bureau of
Investigation.
DENVER -- Kobe Bryant returns to Colorado on Friday for one of the final two
hearings before the NBA star's sexual assault trial begins and after nearly
a month of upheaval over how much the public should know about evidence in
the case.
The first order of business is a discussion on the use of DNA evidence
obtained from Bryant during a hospital exam after the alleged attack last
summer.
Also scheduled for discussion are requests by Bryant's attorneys to keep his
tape-recorded statements to investigators under seal until trial and to
limit the prosecution's use of those statements.
"Certainly, you can read into it that there's things within those statements
that the defense thinks are hurtful and doesn't want the jury to hear about
and doesn't want the public to hear about," said Dan Recht, past president
of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar.
Both sides will use expert witnesses to deliver different interpretations of
the DNA evidence, former prosecutor Karen Steinhauser said.
"I don't see it as that big a deal," she said. "This case is not going to
come down to experts. This case is going to come down to credibility and
either jurors will believe her or not."
"If it turns out that there was another man during that 72-hour time period
that she didn't disclose, it affects her credibility," Silverman said. "In a
he-said, she-said case, obviously credibility is key."
Prosecutors are also scheduled to explain behind closed doors Friday why
they want to limit testimony from DNA analysts Elizabeth Johnson of
Technical Associates Inc. and Yvonne Woods of the Colorado Bureau of
Investigation.