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CNN Live Event/Special
Kobe Bryant Faces Two Separate Sexual Assault Charges
Aired August 04, 2003 - 19:38 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Four days before his arraignment for the alleged sexual assault of a 19-year-old woman in Colorado, Kobe Bryant showed up Saturday at the Teen Choice Awards, there he is, where he was named favorite male athlete. He is there with his wife in a hat. His appearance raised some eyebrows.
CNN's Deborah Feyerick has more on that and other developments as well.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There will be two TV images of Kobe Bryant Wednesday. The first, Kobe the superstar voted best athlete at Teen Choice Awards to air that night. The second, Kobe as criminal defendant entering a Colorado court. A judge is refusing to let Bryant skip his initial appearance, ordering him to show. Though there is one charge it lays out two theories on what prosecutors believe happened at the exclusive lodge where the woman worked. One theory says Bryant used physical force during the alleged sexual assault. The other that the victim was subdued another way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This might be such things as threats, intimidation, body posturing, tone, innuendo, communication.
FEYERICK: Former prosecutor David Luger (ph) says breaking the charge into two parts could make it easier for the district attorney to convince a jury Bryant's guilty of something.
He's covering his bases because he's alleged two forms of sexual assault occurring. And actually in a trial posture, if both are presented to the jury, he would only be required to have to prove one of them to be successful.
FEYERICK: Bryant, has maintained his innocence saying the sex was consensual. And though his big sponsors were sticking with him, he's just been dropped by Nutella, a chocolate product that pays him half a million dollars a year to use his picture on the label. Bryant has been staying at his New Port Beach, California, mansion. While the young woman at the center of the storm in Eagle, Colorado, has left town. A sources tells CNN she'll be gone for two weeks before returning briefly to pack for college.
(on camera): Now, Kobe wanted to keep the cameras out of the court on Wednesday, but a judge just ruled no, that the cameras are going to be in the court. He says he doesn't think it is going to hurt Kobe's right to a fair trial. Also, the district attorney there wanted to keep the whole court file sealed. His request to the judge actually itself was sealed, that has just been released just a few minutes ago. But in it he does point out that the media attention has interfered with his investigation. He also says that if the details of this case come out, then it will be difficult, if not impossible in his words for Kobe Bryant to get a fair trial -- Anderson.
COOPER: Thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 4, 2003 - 19:38 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Four days before his arraignment for the alleged sexual assault of a 19-year-old woman in Colorado, Kobe Bryant showed up Saturday at the Teen Choice Awards, there he is, where he was named favorite male athlete. He is there with his wife in a hat. His appearance raised some eyebrows.
CNN's Deborah Feyerick has more on that and other developments as well.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There will be two TV images of Kobe Bryant Wednesday. The first, Kobe the superstar voted best athlete at Teen Choice Awards to air that night. The second, Kobe as criminal defendant entering a Colorado court. A judge is refusing to let Bryant skip his initial appearance, ordering him to show. Though there is one charge it lays out two theories on what prosecutors believe happened at the exclusive lodge where the woman worked. One theory says Bryant used physical force during the alleged sexual assault. The other that the victim was subdued another way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This might be such things as threats, intimidation, body posturing, tone, innuendo, communication.
FEYERICK: Former prosecutor David Luger (ph) says breaking the charge into two parts could make it easier for the district attorney to convince a jury Bryant's guilty of something.
He's covering his bases because he's alleged two forms of sexual assault occurring. And actually in a trial posture, if both are presented to the jury, he would only be required to have to prove one of them to be successful.
FEYERICK: Bryant, has maintained his innocence saying the sex was consensual. And though his big sponsors were sticking with him, he's just been dropped by Nutella, a chocolate product that pays him half a million dollars a year to use his picture on the label. Bryant has been staying at his New Port Beach, California, mansion. While the young woman at the center of the storm in Eagle, Colorado, has left town. A sources tells CNN she'll be gone for two weeks before returning briefly to pack for college.
(on camera): Now, Kobe wanted to keep the cameras out of the court on Wednesday, but a judge just ruled no, that the cameras are going to be in the court. He says he doesn't think it is going to hurt Kobe's right to a fair trial. Also, the district attorney there wanted to keep the whole court file sealed. His request to the judge actually itself was sealed, that has just been released just a few minutes ago. But in it he does point out that the media attention has interfered with his investigation. He also says that if the details of this case come out, then it will be difficult, if not impossible in his words for Kobe Bryant to get a fair trial -- Anderson.
COOPER: Thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
