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Bryant accuser's lawyer denies sex claims
The attorney for Kobe Bryant's accuser in a sexual assault case on Tuesday denied as "patently false" claims his client had sex with another man the morning after her encounter with the NBA star.
"Anyone trying to prove otherwise will be chasing ghosts," John Clune said in a statement. "The victim has confidence that the judge in this case will appropriately resolve these `rape shield' issues, and that the focus of this trial will remain on the conduct of the defendant."
Bryant's attorneys argue injuries to the accuser might have been caused by another man, and that she had sex with Bryant, 25, as part of a scheme to get the attention of an ex-boyfriend.
They say the woman had sex with "multiple" men in the week before her encounter with Bryant, including one the morning after the alleged attack. The woman has told police she had sex with someone two days before the alleged attack.
Clune's statement came while attorneys were in court for a closed hearing whether any of the 19-year-old woman's sexual activity in the days surrounding her June 30 encounter with Bryant are relevant to the case.
Also on the agenda Tuesday was whether Bryant was illegally questioned by investigators July 1, the day after the alleged assault at the posh Vail-area resort where he was a guest and the woman was an employee.
Defense attorneys want Bryant's secretly recorded police statement and physical evidence, including a T-shirt stained with the accuser's blood, barred as evidence.
Lead investigator Doug Winters acknowledged during the last hearing a month ago that Bryant was subjected to a pre-dawn hospital examination in violation of state law calling for the work to be done during daylight hours.
During last month's hearing, Winters said he never intended to arrest Bryant that night. He executed the court order to take the NBA star to the hospital because of an "incident" during the interview in Bryant's room.
Winters didn't explain, but said Bryant spoke with investigators willingly and knew he was free to leave at any time.
The defense subpoena of Bryant's accuser prompted complaints from the prosecution and victims' advocates. They say her sexual conduct in the days surrounding her encounter with Bryant is irrelevant, and the defense has based its arguments on rumor and innuendo.
Bryant's attorneys said he has a right to confront his accuser, and that discussing the woman's past sexual relations will help explain whether she consented to have sex with Bryant.
Prosecutors want state District Judge Terry Ruckriegle to limit the defense questions to two issues: the source of injuries discovered during the woman's rape exam, and the source of semen found in the underwear she wore to the exam. |
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