Home>News Center>Sports
         
 

Race issue surfaces in Kobe Bryant rape case
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-06-22 09:27

Lawyers for Kobe Bryant want to ask prospective jurors in his rape trial their views on interracial dating, injecting race into the already highly charged case, prosecutors said on Monday.

The issue surfaced as lawyers for both sides hammered out questions for jury selection in the Eagle, Colorado case against the NBA star.

Bryant, who is black, is accused of raping a 19-year-old white woman last summer at a resort near Vail, Colorado where she worked and he was staying.

"This was not a relationship. This was not a date," Deputy District Attorney Dana Easter told Judge Terry Ruckriegle as she argued against allowing the defense to ask potential jurors about their views on interracial dating.

Bryant, 25, has pleaded not guilty to raping the woman last June 30.

The defense has contended that the two had consensual sex in his hotel room where they talked and kissed before she said he raped her. Until now, the question of race had not figured prominently in the sensational case.

Both sides on Monday told the judge -- who has not yet set a trial date -- that they would be ready by late August for jury selection to begin.

On Monday, Ruckriegle also rejected an unusual jury instruction that Bryant's lawyers had requested that might have made it harder for prosecutors to secure a conviction.

That instruction would have told jurors that police had failed in their duty to collect critical pieces of evidence from the crime scene that could have helped exonerate him.

Bryant's lawyers have said police did a sloppy job of collecting evidence such as sheets and towels and the chair she said she was raped on from the hotel room that could have supported Bryant's defense.

Ruckriegle said the defense could ask police officers who testify about the investigation, but rejected the request for a jury instruction. The judge said there is no indication that the particular items had they been gathered would have helped Bryant.

"It was a long shot," Craig Silverman, a former prosecutor in Denver who is observing the case, said of the defense's attempt to get the instruction accepted.

Bryant faces a prison term of four years to life if convicted at trial.

The Los Angeles Lakers star may leave the team after becoming a free agent last week, although the Lakers are keen to retain him and can under league rules offer him more money than any other franchise.

The Lakers were defeated last week by the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals, an upset that prompted the immediate dismissal of coach Phil Jackson. Star center Shaquille O'Neal has also demanded a trade.



 
  Today's Top News     Top Sports News
 

Asian nations vows to meet oil needs

 

   
 

FM sets up new branch to enhance security

 

   
 

NPC weighs momentous new bankruptcy law

 

   
 

Pro-independence investors not welcome

 

   
 

Japan-born panda cub happy back

 

   
 

Aussies restore purloined Sino dinosaur eggs

 

   
  McGrady-Francis swap leads NBA rumor mill
   
  Ralf Schumacher released from hospital
   
  Kupchak: Lakers hope to hire coach soon
   
  Police: Weapons not welcome at Wimbledon
   
  Rooney compared to Pele after England win
   
  Portugal through to quarter finals
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 精品一区二区三区在线观看视频| √天堂中文官网8在线| 欧美激情一区二区| 免费观看激色视频网站(性色)| 高清一级做a爱免费视| 国产精品videossex国产高清| 99精品国产99久久久久久97| 性做久久久久久| 久久久久无码中| 日韩欧美在线观看一区| 亚洲同性男gay网站在线观看| 污视频网站免费| 伊人任线任你躁| 精品久久久久久婷婷| 精品国产香港三级| 国产日韩亚洲欧美| 131的美女午夜爱爱爽爽视频| 天天做天天躁天天躁| 一级毛片在线观看视频| 无码日韩精品一区二区三区免费| 久久精品这里有| 最近的2019中文字幕hd| 亚洲国产成人精品无码区在线观看| 波多野结衣在线观看一区| 免费人成激情视频在线观看冫| 精品视频无码一区二区三区| 国产va欧美va在线观看| 青青国产线免观看手机版精品| 国产成人精品亚洲精品| 五月天久久婷婷| 国产精品99久久久久久www| 182tv在线观看国产路线一| 国产美女爽到喷出水来视频| 99re热精品视频国产免费| 天天5g天天爽永久免费看欧美| 一个人免费观看视频在线中文| 成视频年人黄网站免费视频| 久久久久777777人人人视频| 日本尤物精品视频在线看| 久久无码精品一区二区三区 | 欧美色视频在线|