Some people act differently to sexual situations. I personally know a very wise and dear friend who was raped a few years ago. It was a horrible situation and a few days later she slept with her best guy friend. Some women throw themselves back into a sexual situation to get over the last horrible experience.

Being a recent college graduate, its easier for me to think that this could occur. Stuff like this happens every day in college. A lot of guys assume that because you are there hooking up, that sex is implied. NBA stars have women constantly throw themselves at them for no strings attacked sex. It could be easy to not think about the consent issue when your used to people just giving it up on command

I personally feel that Bryant thought this was another tryst with women that thrust themselves at basketball stars for fun or bragging rights. I do not think this was violent, but I think he may have taken it a little too far too fast and she was not comfortable. However, her mental and sexual history makes it shaky. The case has been compromised and a fair trial is very unlikely. Twice, documents were accidently given to the defense. Everyone is the US knows how many people she slept with that week and could find her name and address online if they wanted.

This was my understanding, too - that's why I put a limit on the number of days. I've known more rape victims than I ever thought I would; maybe they're the exception to the rule, but none of them (that I can think of right now) was willing to be even touched within a month or so of the rape.

Let me state this upfront: If Kobe really did rape this woman, I hope he ends up in a cell with the hugest guy in any given prison, and I hope the woman ends up with every cent of the civil lawsuit. But I just get a hinky feeling about this one - and I'm not a big fan of Kobe to begin with.

I would guess that the following would indicate that the civil action will be tried here in Denver:

From the AP, Via Court TV:

"A no-nonsense federal judge who presided over the Oklahoma City bombing trials now has another high-profile case in his court: the civil lawsuit filed against NBA star Kobe Bryant by the woman accusing him of sexual assault.

U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch is best known for handling the trials of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols in the 1995 Oklahoma City case. But in 30 years on the bench, he also presided over a protracted school busing case, the trials of anti-Semitic militants convicted of assassinating a talk show host, and the sentencing of a forestry worker who admitted starting Colorado's worst wildfire.

He was given the Bryant civil case as a result of the random-assignment system used in Denver federal court.

Matsch, appointed to the bench by President Nixon in 1974, keeps tight control of his courtroom. Given to wearing cowboy boots and hats, he sometimes raises his voice to dress down an attorney for asking witnesses repetitive questions, or for coming to court unprepared."

DA comments:

Well, we haven't had a real good media circus for the past few years...Matsch is a piece of work. This should be interesting.

I followed the OKC bombing trial pretty closely. This guy does an amazingly good job of managing the courtroom. He'll do everything in his power to minimize the media influence.

Oooh, I wonder if I could get a job as his law clerk. :)

I would just like to add that you all have to remember this woman possibly attempted suicide twice and may be in treatment for bi-polar disorder. IF she made it up I think there's more going on here than the money. She might be a very troubled young woman. I think statements like "she just wants his millions" are crass and I want to smack anyone who says it.

Just my $.02.

Remember he had blood on his shirt and she was seriously bruised. Lets not just presume he's innocent.

Your point is well taken, but I believe under our Constitution we are supposed to presume he's innocent until proven guilty.

As for Judge Matsch, he does run a very tight courtroom and trial. For the OKC Bombing Trial we actually had a paid media type coordinating coverage, a huge home base platform for standups, etc. The company I was with at the time did all of the transmission for CNN and some others and we had a mini-remote control room in a building on the next block from the courthouse.

The good news is that Denver is much better prepared to handle this than a small mountain town (that's assuming the criminal trial up there will not take place). In the past few years we've had the G-8, the Pope, the OKC trial and a number of other high profile events.

The radio host murder trial alluded to was a talk show host (Alan Berg) who worked in the same building I did until the radio station was sold. Strange guy, but good person.

Okay. Some of us in G-town *Greeley* think that she did actually have sex with him. When she found out she was just some kind of toy for him to have sex with she claimed rape. I'm sorry, but when you get raped and have sex with 2 more guys in the same night....no, I don't think so...

Oh, that's right she went to school there for a year. Do you know anyone that knows her? UNC can be a small school sometimes.

p.s. - my little brother is a recent graduate.

For some reason, I hadn't heard about the blood. Whose blood was it?

As for the serious bruising, that goes more towards not having sex with someone else than against it - not, of course, taking any possible mental problem into consideration.

Well, and well.

Lets just say its nice and serendipitious that she may never have to work ever again because of this :p .

The lesson for Kobe is that he should be wary of the mentally ill when he just wants to get some.

Okay, okay. So I read the first page filled with posts that said "it's just about money" and got a little pissed off. I'll back off a little now. However: A) I really don't think the issue is that cut and dried and B) The civil suit is for $70K. No small chunk of change but hardly enough to never work again.

Nope; the $75k is for the literal damages to the case; it also seeks unspecified compensatory damages 'to be determined later' . . . she'll get hers.

Exactly.

Also, seeing as this is the U.S. we are supposed to assume the man is innocent until proven guilty and not the other way around.

The Colorado Supreme Court has refused to grant a prosecution request to deny the defense use of information on the alleged victim's sex life.

http://www.courttv.com/trials/bryant...appeal_ap.html

This is seen as another big problem for the prosecution.


Former Denver DA Norm Early thinks criminal trial will proceed, high visibility defense attorney Scott Robinson is not so sure.