The Kobe Bryant Trial fiasco

[thomas7g]

This is an amazing bad screw up.

For those who don't know, Kobe Bryant, one of the best basketball stars out there is on trial for rape in Colorado. Basically she is a girl known to get around, she was sexually teasing, Kobe went too far, but stopped himself in the act.

Well.... today had a rather insane mistake. A court employee accidentally sent a bunch of files to the wrong email address. These documents were kept secret by the "rape shield" law. And the defense was DYING to see them. This included her statements as to her sexual history, what her view of the evcents were, her suicide attempts, etc.

And all of this was accidentally sent to the email addresses of 7 news outlets. And legally there is nothing to stop them from printing them. Its already starting to spread to other news outlets....

[Rowan]

Originally Posted by thomas7g

This is an amazing bad screw up.


And all of this was accidentally sent to the email addresses of 7 news outlets. And legally there is nothing to stop them from printing them. Its already starting to spread to other news outlets....

or a deliberate act! sounds far too convenient to me!

[thomas7g]

That's what I thought. But... I'm beginning to think this small town's justice system is not up to the scrutiny of a world camera. This isn't the first leak. And then there were those 100+ antiKobe t-shirts the sherrif's department ordered for itself.

I don't think this prosecution is up to the job

[Darth Marley]

I am not at all convinced he is innocent.

Even so, there was a comedian remarking about the megabuck ring he bought his wife.
She said that if her hubby did that to apologize for cheating, she would be setting up dates for him.

[Senmut]

The problem is trying this on TV.

[thomas7g]

I just wish they would hurry up and finish this. They seem to be dragging this out.

I think the "victim" was a victim of her own sluttiness. She snuck up in the middle of the night into a superstar's room when he was all alone. Then she teased him and flirted and lifted up her dress and showed off her panties. Kobe got agressive. She said no at first then got scared, froze, and shut up. Kobe being the rocket scientist in the room mistook her silence as a positive sign and started to have sex with her limp body. When the light finally dawned he stopped midway.

After that everything got blown up into a media event.


I really wish someone would allow this to be plea bargained down so it would end. But then Colorado law is really screwed up regarding this. And they can't offer a lesser charge. Kobe needs to be punished but the charges they are seeking have ridiculously high penalties for this case.

[Gemini1999]

Originally Posted by Senmut

The problem is trying this on TV.

Senmut -

You hit the nail on the head! The problem with any trial these days, is trying it on TV. The media being what it is today, is all over every detail, every hour, every day to the point where I feel that it is almost impossible to get an uninformed and impartial jury. A local case here in California, such as the Laci Pederson murder case got to the point where you didn't even want to turn on the radio or TV! The particulars of the case were sensationalized to the point where it became a nationwide news item. Another thing that shocked me was that a TV movie about the murder was shown on TV before the actual trial started.... There was a question posed as to why this case got so much attention, while other pending murder cases were barely mentioned, except on page 5 or 15 in the paper, or a brief blurb on the evening news.

Court cases, even major ones, used to be tried in a courtroom, not in our living rooms, or on the evening news. It doesn't amaze me that "accidents" where info is leaked to the media occurs. The media is so hungry for details, I'm quite sure that money exchanged hands before the info was "leaked".

It's to the point where you just can't respect the news media anymore - they're all "information whores" in my book...

Best,
Bryan
________
UPSKIRT VIDEOS

[thomas7g]

I think 24hour cable has turned this into a rush for ratings. Its too prone for sensationalism now. TV made news filtered by what is entertaining. Cable hunger for 24 hours of news has turned relatively minor events into shocking must-see spectacles.

A 24-7 news channel is great when their is something important happening. But when the news cycle is stagnant, it makes its own news events to keep you watching.

[unowhoandwhy]

Originally Posted by thomas7g

I think the "victim" was a victim of her own sluttiness. She snuck up in the middle of the night into a superstar's room when he was all alone. Then she teased him and flirted and lifted up her dress and showed off her panties. Kobe got agressive. She said no at first then got scared, froze, and shut up. Kobe being the rocket scientist in the room mistook her silence as a positive sign and started to have sex with her limp body. When the light finally dawned he stopped midway.

Whether she is a "slut" or not is completely irrelevant. "No" means no, end of story. I am tired of there being one set of punishments for the rich and famous and another for the rest of us.

[Darth Marley]

I agree.
The shield laws were enacted for a good reason, and have been circumvented in this case.

I doesn't matter if the accuser was a protitute, the claim should be evaluated on merit.

[Rowan]

Originally Posted by Darth Marley

I agree.
The shield laws were enacted for a good reason, and have been circumvented in this case.

I doesn't matter if the accuser was a protitute, the claim should be evaluated on merit.

Thank you Darth Marley I agree. Here in BC we had a situation in which over 50 prostitutes had mysteriously disappeared over the course of 10 years but because they were prostitutes no one bothered to investigate. Finally and I'm not sure how or why someone did and they discovered they had all been murdered by the same man, their remains put through a meat grinder and mixed with his pigs meat on his farm and then generously given to his friends and neighbors. His trial is still in progress here but not televised.

[shiningstar]

Originally Posted by Rowan

or a deliberate act! sounds far too convenient to me!

I believe you're right Rowan.

[shiningstar]

Originally Posted by thomas7g

That's what I thought. But... I'm beginning to think this small town's justice system is not up to the scrutiny of a world camera. This isn't the first leak. And then there were those 100+ antiKobe t-shirts the sherrif's department ordered for itself.

I don't think this prosecution is up to the job

I truelly think that people who were very supportive of Kobe bryant had
something to do with this. I don't care if the girl 'got around' or not.
The ? is .........whether or not she was raped by Kobe bryant. NO one
had any right to harrass this girl and follow her as she was fired from
JOB, to JOB, to JOB as she was continuelly harrassed and her life
threatened by 'unnamed' sources.

As for BRYANT ..........if he isn't having any thing to do with her being
harrassed then let him has his day in court. If the prosecution is
as muddled as you think it is ..........he'll get off. And if the prosecution
isn't muddled and Kobe Bryant is innocent as he is by USA law
Constitution etc ............ then he'll get off too.

[shiningstar]

Originally Posted by Darth Marley

I agree.
The shield laws were enacted for a good reason, and have been circumvented in this case.

I doesn't matter if the accuser was a protitute, the claim should be evaluated on merit.

Well said Darth ...........well said indeed.

[thomas7g]

I agree... no means NO. Kobe's celebrity status should have nothing to do with this. Even a woman who was a prostitute serving a john deserves not to be raped or harmed afterwards. Problem is from the stuff that's leaked out, she was saying "no" while she was lifting up her dress. They were kissing and touching. Then when the sex started, she didn't say no. i don't know if that is true or not. But there are so many things in this case that seem iffy.

My whole problem with this case is that it is horribly incompetently being handled. The District Attourney gave early signs that it didn't want to charge Bryant. The Sherrifs Department were the ones that went full charge on it. The same ones that bought a hundred plus anti-Kobe shirts in lynch mob fashion. Which seems highly improper for a department charged with gathering impartially evidence in the case. Then the judge himself admonished the prosecution for lacking evidence to support their claims. There are even reports that they found caucasian dna in semen found in her panties. And she had sex before and after the rape.

There is no working rape shield in this case. Everything about this girl is now known to the world. Her name, her address, her email, phone number, her sexual habits, her suicide depression history, her prior unstableness. Lots of pictures. EVERYTHING. I'm sure everyone in Eagle Rock Colorado has seen everything. Her testimonies have been repeatedly leaked by the court itself.

That's not to say Kobe shouldn't be punished. He SHOULD. But I had hoped that other charges could have been used. Alot of experts have commented it seems odd that the DA isn't offering a plea bargain. I forget the exact terms, but they involved force being used baring exits and unwanted forced sexual contact. This would have ensured jail time. But probably more befitting the crime. A plea bargain to a lesser charge months ago would have spared everyone this fiasco..

[Darth Marley]

Well, it was either consensual, or not.
If not, the charges tendered seem appropriate to me.

[Rowan]

There are many times in my life where I have conveyed the meaning of the word no without ever having to say it, a man paying attention to the woman he’s with does not need to actually hear the words a man who isn’t paying attention does. If a woman is not feeling heard, or her limits respected gets to the point where she actually has to say the word no then I would say there is a problem especially if he continues after that. He needs to switch gears instantly, maybe let her take the lead, and slow down big time. There are also many times in my life where I started with conveying no but have changed my mind, but it was how I felt about him, the signals he was giving that caused me to change my mind, sometimes conveying no is a way of saying your moving to fast for me. If a man moves faster than the woman is ready for and is pushing against her boundaries he’s going to get turned down, pushed away or told no. It’s a wake up call to the woman if it gets to the point where she is saying no, women really should take that more seriously and be prepared to take physical action (like getting out of there, or pushing him away or more if necessary) if their no’s are not respected instead of thinking they are going to be heard eventually, if the man hasn’t paid attention so far and shown respect it’s unlikely this is going to end well.

[ojai22]

Originally Posted by thomas7g

I think the "victim" was a victim of her own sluttiness. She snuck up in the middle of the night into a superstar's room when he was all alone. Then she teased him and flirted and lifted up her dress and showed off her panties. Kobe got agressive. She said no at first then got scared, froze, and shut up. Kobe being the rocket scientist in the room mistook her silence as a positive sign and started to have sex with her limp body. When the light finally dawned he stopped midway.

I admit I don't follow this case closely but this sounds suspiciously like it's coming directly from Kobe. He first stated that nothing happened but I think they found his semen and he changed his story to Yes, it happened but it was consentual.

They will deliberately destroy this woman, that's the way to get him off. No wonder most women keep quiet about it when they're raped. OJ Simpson was set free through the destruction of a police officer's career. The cop ended up in Utah, or Idaho, no longer a policeman. Destroy the person who can convict you is the defense of a guilty person.

Her sexual history is her own business. It didn't matter to Kobe during the act, but it matters now. He isn't a helpless pawn, at the mercy of a slut. He's a grown man who should know how to say - I'm sorry, but I'm married and I'm faithful to the woman I love - IF he ever needs to say it. And if he's the agressor, and it's my belief he was - then why is he considering such an act in the first place? At the very least he has no morality and no character.



ojai22

[shiningstar]

***

{This reply was accidentally killed by a really stupid admin who clicked "edit" instead of "quote". see below....-Tom}

[repcisg]

I have some rather strong opinions about the criminal justice system that would fill a book.

Let's just say that the judges and prosecutors in this country would drop dead like flies from heart failure if they were put under the same scrutiny an aircraft manufacturer is placed under when one of their aircraft crashes.

Place this under personal experience and direct observation.

[thomas7g]

OH CRAP!!!! shining star!!!!


I'm a complete idiot!!! I killed your last reply.... instead of hitting the QUOTE button. I hit EDIT by mistake.....

DAMN DAMN DAMN.....I am SOOOooo Sorry .

Jeez can I be stupid at times.


This reply from SS is actually me...

Originally Posted by shiningstar(actually Tom)

He's a bastard. A lying cheating adulturer. Someone that deserves to be punished under the law. That's my opinion.

But what rights should we give the accused? The girl is being trashed. Kobe claims he didn't rape her. We all treat him like a rapist.


NBC news found five witnesses who said the girl was bragging about "being" with Bryant even bragging about his "size" just after the incident at a party. How many rape victims brag about the size of their rapist's genitals?




I've heard alot of the stuff on this trial. But from everything I've heard, no one in that room was a saint. No one was there with honest goodhearted intentions. Both were parasites.

That said... The prosecution's own DNA test is being disputed by the DA. They are hiring Henry Lee, from the OJ trial to do damage control. The sheriff detective in charge of the investigation said in his trial testimony that there were caucasian semen in the panties which obviously can't be Kobe's. The judge is admonishing the DA for not bringing up enough evidence. The judge said if the standards weren't so extrremly low, the trial would have ended in the pretrial hearings. And plenty of former prosecutors in Colorado have said this should not be going to trial.


...


Originally when I first heard about this, I felt this poor girl was done a absolutely horrid wrong. And what she is going through is horribly unfair. And I was pissed at Kobe Bryant. But after hearing so much about this. ..I'm disgusted with BOTH of them. And the legal system in Eagle Rock.

I also have noticed a weakness in what we are seeing in the prosecution's case. The judge himself expressed grave doubts about it. And in this country, we have to give the presumption of innocence, legally. And if the case does not have enough evidence, then it should be pleabargained down. Some charge that punishes Kobe for criminal sexual contact. The way we are headed its an all or nothing gamble. I am worried that the DA is unwilling to back down to alesser charge because of looking weak in a very public trial. That he would lose his job if he backed down. I do not believe all or nothing is the right course. Especially when OJ proved that you need a EXTREMELY strong case to win. And I don't think their case is so great. It may be riveting. But when a judge admonishes for lack of evidence, you have to wonder.

---
Anyways I appreciate all the fine input I've gotten on this. I appreciate all the polite and well thought out answers.

Hopefully the trial will be able to finally end this fiasco.

[thomas7g]

Gawd... with great power comes great stupidity....

[thomas7g]

btw, everyone... SS had a great reply....

[shiningstar]

Originally Posted by repcisg

I have some rather strong opinions about the criminal justice system that would fill a book.

Let's just say that the judges and prosecutors in this country would drop dead like flies from heart failure if they were put under the same scrutiny an aircraft manufacturer is placed under when one of their aircraft crashes.

Place this under personal experience and direct observation.

I've been there too.

And unlike Kobe bryant ...........and OJ Simpson ........I will never have my
day in court to clear my name. I was falsely accused of child abuse. All
the evidence 'PROVED' my innocence ............including ...........eyewitness
accounts of how good a mother I am to my kids ........Unfortunately for me
even though my 'case was dropped' I remained in the system for YEARS
as a POSSIBLE child abuser. That's New Mexico law. In the meantime
I am NOT allowed to face my accuser. A mean heartless lieing deceptive
person who has stalked me from the time that she WRONGLY referred
me to CWS as a UNFIT mother with MENTAL issues. ...............SHe got
away scot free with destroying my name and reputation. Even now the
woman who falsely accused me of abusing my child is still calling my
home and screaming at me at the top of her lungs. According to the
"Proper Authorities" ..............there is not ONE thing I can do about IT.
She has all the right and I have NO rights ......even though I have
never broken the law ..............I even begged for a trial so I could
legally face my accuser and end this FARCE once and for all.

THAT WAS DENIED ME. In the meantime she has gone on since 1998
spreading Obscene lies and rumours about my mental issues and
my being a fit mother.

So forgive me if I have no sympathy for KOBE BRYANT who has gotten
HIS 'facts' out there while wrongly harrassing the alleged rape victim.

Yes people are innocent until proven guilty. But that doesn't give
people the right to stalk their accusers. THat doesn't give them the
right to circumvent the law for their own purposes and to make
their accusers a prisoner in their own homes. And that is what
happened to the young women who claimed to be raped by
Kobe bryant. And as to the 'WITNESSES' who said what they said.
I truely wonder how much they will 'say' when they are on the
witness stand under penalty of PURJERY.

As I said in my previous post. What is said before the trial is
meaningless. The only thing that matters is the trial and getting
this case resolved one way or the other.

As someone who has been a victim of libel and slander; as
someone who has had her reputation destroyed by hateful
and spiteful people I can only have sympathy for anyone who
has been victimized by the very laws that were supposedly
there to PROTECT and to SERVE them.

[Dawg]

SS - have you considered civil action against her? Libel and slander, filing a false report, all this is against the law and you have remedies available.

You'd have to prove she knew the information was false when she filed that report, and it would help if you could show malice was intended.

You might also consider asking for a restraining order if she's continuing to harass you.

Find a good civil - not criminal - lawyer who can guide you.

This kind of thing ticks me off.....

I am
Dawg

[ojai22]

Ticks me off, too.

SS, go to Radio Shack and get a small recorder for your phone. Hook it up and leave it there. Turn it on before you answer the phone, if it isn't her just reset it afterwards.

I had to do this once because of a lying witch, my younger son's ex-girlfriend. She called my son and daughter, also with her ravings. We all taped them. When she filed something against me in court [actually it was against my son legally, but I was the one she was attacking] we all showed up with our tape recorders. The judge listened to them first and we were sent to talk to another person there at the courthouse. That person said the lying witch needed to be evaluated. She was and it turned out she had damaged her brain with drug overuse. She can't come within 300 feet of me now.

Tape as many conversations as you can, then go see an attorney.



ojai22

[shiningstar]

Originally Posted by Dawg

SS - have you considered civil action against her? Libel and slander, filing a false report, all this is against the law and you have remedies available.

You'd have to prove she knew the information was false when she filed that report, and it would help if you could show malice was intended.

You might also consider asking for a restraining order if she's continuing to harass you.

Find a good civil - not criminal - lawyer who can guide you.

This kind of thing ticks me off.....

I am
Dawg

Yes I was Denied the restraining order and the charges were 'dismissed' on
the grounds that the 'little dear' was merely 'DOING HER JOB'. And they
refused to consider the fact that MALICE in her was PROVEN beyond any
shadow of a doubt.

NO lawyer would take the case as there was "NO money to be made
in a case like this". This was inspite of the fact that I was willing to
pay them up front.

The state of New Mexico is so screwed up they put up a 1-800 number
saying if you even "SUSPECT" child abuse (EVEN IF THERE IS NO
"EVIDENCE" to support it) to call that number. And so what if you
destroy an innocent person's life and that of their family. THat's OK
if you "THINK" you are doing the right thing.

THere are even LAWS to protect the "IDENTITY" of the person
who is LIBELING/SLANDERING you. WHile the person who is
accused of child abuse is NEVER, EVER, EVER allowed to face
their accuser.

And people want to know why I became a CONSERVATIVE,
REGISTERED REPUBLICAN! THIS is ONE of the MANY reasons
WHY!

[shiningstar]

Originally Posted by shiningstar

Yes I was Denied the restraining order and the charges were 'dismissed' on
the grounds that the 'little dear' was merely 'DOING HER JOB'. And they
refused to consider the fact that MALICE in her was PROVEN beyond any
shadow of a doubt.

NO lawyer would take the case as there was "NO money to be made
in a case like this". This was inspite of the fact that I was willing to
pay them up front.

The state of New Mexico is so screwed up they put up a 1-800 number
saying if you even "SUSPECT" child abuse (EVEN IF THERE IS NO
"EVIDENCE" to support it) to call that number. And so what if you
destroy an innocent person's life and that of their family. THat's OK
if you "THINK" you are doing the right thing.

THere are even LAWS to protect the "IDENTITY" of the person
who is LIBELING/SLANDERING you. WHile the person who is
accused of child abuse is NEVER, EVER, EVER allowed to face
their accuser.

And people want to know why I became a CONSERVATIVE,
REGISTERED REPUBLICAN! THIS is ONE of the MANY reasons
WHY!

By the way it was only a 'fluke' that I discovered that SHE
was the one who 'turned' me into CWS at all. She happened
to admit it during one of her tirades on the phone to me.
And she told me that she destroyed me once and would do
so again. And yet not ONE lawyer will HELP ME!

[shiningstar]

Originally Posted by ojai22

Ticks me off, too.

SS, go to Radio Shack and get a small recorder for your phone. Hook it up and leave it there. Turn it on before you answer the phone, if it isn't her just reset it afterwards.

I had to do this once because of a lying witch, my younger son's ex-girlfriend. She called my son and daughter, also with her ravings. We all taped them. When she filed something against me in court [actually it was against my son legally, but I was the one she was attacking] we all showed up with our tape recorders. The judge listened to them first and we were sent to talk to another person there at the courthouse. That person said the lying witch needed to be evaluated. She was and it turned out she had damaged her brain with drug overuse. She can't come within 300 feet of me now.

Tape as many conversations as you can, then go see an attorney.



ojai22

I did that OJai. I even had my phone tapped by the phone company.
Not ONE lawyer would take my case. The police told me "Until she
committs a crime .........there's nothing they can do."

[Dawg]

Harrassment is a crime.

There's something else at work here, then, if nobody will touch this.

Is this woman in some official position?

First, change your phone number and make it unlisted/unpublished. Don't give it out to anyone you don't absolutely have to give it to. Keep track of who you DO give it to; if she gets it, then you can figure out where she got it.

You may as well make it difficult for her if you can.

And by all means document everything. You may not be able to do much right now, but a history trail will help in the long run.

I am
Dawg