hacker
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2003
- Messages
- 1,112
- Reaction score
- 0
supz w/ kobe!!!!!!!!
- Thread starter hacker
- Start date
Steel X
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2003
- Messages
- 13,821
- Reaction score
- 45
EAGLE, Colo. -- Kobe Bryant was charged Friday with sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman in a case that is bound to tarnish the career of the NBA superstar.
The 24-year-old Bryant faces four years to life in prison if convicted on the single felony count, Eagle County District Attorney Mark Hurlbert said during a news conference.
Bryant's Denver-based attorney, Pamela Mackey, has scheduled a news conference at 9 p.m. ET time tonight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, but there is no word whether Bryant will be there. Mackey also released a statement on Bryant's behalf shortly after the announcement.
"I am innocent of the charges filed today. I did not assault the woman who is accusing me," Bryant said in the statement. "I made the mistake of adultery. I have to answer to my wife and my God for my actions that night and I pray that both will forgive me.
"Nothing that happened June 30th was against the will of the woman who now falsely accuses me."
The woman worked the front desk at the resort where Bryant was staying while in the state for knee surgery.
Bryant's wife, Vanessa, also released a statement, saying she stood by her husband. "He is not a criminal," she said.
NBA Commissioner David Stern released a statement Friday afternoon. "As with all allegations of a criminal nature, the NBA's policy is to await the outcome of a judicial proceeding before taking any action," he said. "We do not anticipate making further comments during the pendency of the judicial process."
Hurlbert refused to talk about the details of the case.
He said he reviewed all evidence during the last two weeks and consulted prosecutors around the state before making his decision.
"This did not come easily," he said.
Bryant, free on $25,000 bail, must return to court in Eagle on Aug. 6 for an advisement hearing.
Legal experts said the case could come down to witnesses.
"When you start with both people saying there was sex an enormous amount of the evidence doesn't matter anymore," said Larry Pozner, former president of National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. "Did anyone hear anything unusual. Was her clothing torn? Was he bruised, was she bruised? These become critical."
Loyola University law school professor Laurie Levenson said if the case goes to trial, a jury might feel a personal connection to Bryant, just as they did in the O.J. Simpson murder trial.
"As a celebrity he comes in with a super presumption of innocence," she said. "Any defendant whom the public knows by his first name, their reaction is, 'No, not Kobe.' You will come in with jurors thinking, 'We don't want him to have done it.' "
The case has riveted the sports world for nearly two weeks because it involves one of the NBA's brightest and most magnetic young stars.
Bryant, a father of a baby girl, has also used his clean image to land multimillion-dollar endorsement deals.
Documents in the case, including the arrest warrant, have been sealed.
Authorities have said Bryant assaulted the woman June 30 at the gated Lodge & Spa at Cordillera in nearby Edwards. He was in Colorado for knee surgery at a Vail clinic, and was booked at the lodge from June 30 to July 2.
Eagle County sheriff's deputies took Bryant to Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs for tests early July 2, later letting him leave in a taxi with his bodyguards.
The woman also underwent tests, and Hurlbert has said he needed information from the state crime lab before making his decision.
Bryant surrendered to authorities July 4 and was released an hour later after posting bond. The sheriff refused to release Bryant's booking photo for days.
The arrest was announced July 6, prompting a firestorm of media attention on this small mountain town 100 miles west of Denver.
Reporters swamped the cul-de-sac where the woman lives with her parents, but she has said nothing publicly. Her family has consulted an attorney.
The news stunned basketball fans: Bryant, a five-time All-Star who has already won three titles with the Lakers, is by most accounts a quiet man who prefers dinner with a few friends to joining teammates for a night on the town.
Sports marketing experts say the case will be a permanent blow to Bryant's image, and could cost him millions in lost endorsements.
"The image was of a perfect role model, a superstar athlete who didn't have a parking ticket, the all-American boy and now, well, that image is tarnished," said Bob Williams, chief executive of Burns Sports & Celebrities Inc. in Evanston, Ill.
"As of today and until the trial, his image is going to take a beating."
Nigel Powell, Nike Communications Director, issued a statement Friday that said the company remains "pleased to have a relationship with Kobe Bryant. He is a great player. Kobe has stated that he is innocent of the charges today. You will understand that this is a legal matter and we cannot comment further at this time."
Bryant entered the NBA in 1996 at age 18, straight out of high school. He has drawn comparisons to the league's greatest players and helped Los Angeles win titles from 2000-02.
Along with his determination, Bryant has also shown class, something many fans feel are missing from other NBA stars. He wept when the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs by San Antonio in May, and he wore his hospital ID bracelet in a game the day after his daughter was born.
He married Vanessa Laine in April 2001. The two met on the set of a music video where Laine was working, and got engaged while she was still in high school. Vanessa gave birth to their first child, Natalia Diamante Bryant, in January.
The 24-year-old Bryant faces four years to life in prison if convicted on the single felony count, Eagle County District Attorney Mark Hurlbert said during a news conference.
Bryant's Denver-based attorney, Pamela Mackey, has scheduled a news conference at 9 p.m. ET time tonight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, but there is no word whether Bryant will be there. Mackey also released a statement on Bryant's behalf shortly after the announcement.
"I am innocent of the charges filed today. I did not assault the woman who is accusing me," Bryant said in the statement. "I made the mistake of adultery. I have to answer to my wife and my God for my actions that night and I pray that both will forgive me.
"Nothing that happened June 30th was against the will of the woman who now falsely accuses me."
The woman worked the front desk at the resort where Bryant was staying while in the state for knee surgery.
Bryant's wife, Vanessa, also released a statement, saying she stood by her husband. "He is not a criminal," she said.
NBA Commissioner David Stern released a statement Friday afternoon. "As with all allegations of a criminal nature, the NBA's policy is to await the outcome of a judicial proceeding before taking any action," he said. "We do not anticipate making further comments during the pendency of the judicial process."
Hurlbert refused to talk about the details of the case.
He said he reviewed all evidence during the last two weeks and consulted prosecutors around the state before making his decision.
"This did not come easily," he said.
Bryant, free on $25,000 bail, must return to court in Eagle on Aug. 6 for an advisement hearing.
Legal experts said the case could come down to witnesses.
"When you start with both people saying there was sex an enormous amount of the evidence doesn't matter anymore," said Larry Pozner, former president of National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. "Did anyone hear anything unusual. Was her clothing torn? Was he bruised, was she bruised? These become critical."
Loyola University law school professor Laurie Levenson said if the case goes to trial, a jury might feel a personal connection to Bryant, just as they did in the O.J. Simpson murder trial.
"As a celebrity he comes in with a super presumption of innocence," she said. "Any defendant whom the public knows by his first name, their reaction is, 'No, not Kobe.' You will come in with jurors thinking, 'We don't want him to have done it.' "
The case has riveted the sports world for nearly two weeks because it involves one of the NBA's brightest and most magnetic young stars.
Bryant, a father of a baby girl, has also used his clean image to land multimillion-dollar endorsement deals.
Documents in the case, including the arrest warrant, have been sealed.
Authorities have said Bryant assaulted the woman June 30 at the gated Lodge & Spa at Cordillera in nearby Edwards. He was in Colorado for knee surgery at a Vail clinic, and was booked at the lodge from June 30 to July 2.
Eagle County sheriff's deputies took Bryant to Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs for tests early July 2, later letting him leave in a taxi with his bodyguards.
The woman also underwent tests, and Hurlbert has said he needed information from the state crime lab before making his decision.
Bryant surrendered to authorities July 4 and was released an hour later after posting bond. The sheriff refused to release Bryant's booking photo for days.
The arrest was announced July 6, prompting a firestorm of media attention on this small mountain town 100 miles west of Denver.
Reporters swamped the cul-de-sac where the woman lives with her parents, but she has said nothing publicly. Her family has consulted an attorney.
The news stunned basketball fans: Bryant, a five-time All-Star who has already won three titles with the Lakers, is by most accounts a quiet man who prefers dinner with a few friends to joining teammates for a night on the town.
Sports marketing experts say the case will be a permanent blow to Bryant's image, and could cost him millions in lost endorsements.
"The image was of a perfect role model, a superstar athlete who didn't have a parking ticket, the all-American boy and now, well, that image is tarnished," said Bob Williams, chief executive of Burns Sports & Celebrities Inc. in Evanston, Ill.
"As of today and until the trial, his image is going to take a beating."
Nigel Powell, Nike Communications Director, issued a statement Friday that said the company remains "pleased to have a relationship with Kobe Bryant. He is a great player. Kobe has stated that he is innocent of the charges today. You will understand that this is a legal matter and we cannot comment further at this time."
Bryant entered the NBA in 1996 at age 18, straight out of high school. He has drawn comparisons to the league's greatest players and helped Los Angeles win titles from 2000-02.
Along with his determination, Bryant has also shown class, something many fans feel are missing from other NBA stars. He wept when the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs by San Antonio in May, and he wore his hospital ID bracelet in a game the day after his daughter was born.
He married Vanessa Laine in April 2001. The two met on the set of a music video where Laine was working, and got engaged while she was still in high school. Vanessa gave birth to their first child, Natalia Diamante Bryant, in January.
hes innocent until proven guilty and its all really a "he said, she said" situation and possibly the woman in this case may be looking for money so create false charges qq 
CatoCooper13
New Member
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2003
- Messages
- 6,441
- Reaction score
- 0
Man charged with offering to kill Bryant's accuser
Charges could carry more than nine years in prison
Tuesday, September 23, 2003 Posted: 0023 GMT ( 8:23 AM HKT)
Patrick Graber was charged with solicitation of murder and solicitation to commit a crime.
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The Los Angeles County district attorney charged a Swiss national Monday with offering to arrange the killing of the woman who has accused Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant of raping her.
Patrick Graber -- who claims to have ties to the Russian mafia -- was charged with solicitation of murder and solicitation to commit a crime. Bail was set at $1 million. He is to be arraigned next Monday.
If convicted, Graber, 31, could spend a maximum of nine years and eight months in state prison.
Asked if his client has a history of mental illness, defense attorney Peter Kanecht said, "I think he's a little bit naive and not very swift. He's not the most intelligent guy in the world."
Investigators said they believe Graber, a physical trainer, acted alone.
Lt. Jim Taylor, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's lead detective in the case, said Graber was caught in a sting operation that was videotaped by undercover agents.
"The suspect agreed to carry out the act in exchange for $1 million up front and $2 million after the deed," Sheriff Lee Baca said Friday.
Although investigators have not ruled out the possibility that Graber has mob ties, he has an arrest record in his native Switzerland for fraud and is "a proven con artist," Baca said.
Graber, whose visa allowing him into the United States expired six months ago, sent a letter in early August to the Los Angeles Lakers asking that Bryant meet with him to "discuss a solution to your recently occurred problem," said a statement of probable cause in support of a request filed by police to obtain a search warrant for Graber's home.
Jose Revilla, director of security for the Lakers, intercepted the letter and, at the request of police, participated in the sting, police said.
On September 2, at a Starbucks in El Segundo, California, Revilla met with a man who identified himself as "Yuri," the affidavit said.
"During the meeting, 'Yuri' discussed several schemes that would benefit Kobe Bryant in his case in Colorado," the affidavit said.
At one point, "Yuri" said he could accomplish the plan for $3 million, the affidavit said. A records check on the man's cell phone and license plate led authorities to Graber, according to the affidavit.
On September 11, the two met again at the Starbucks, with Revilla wearing a wire, the affidavit said.
"The informant asked the suspect what he was proposing," the affidavit said. "The suspect stated that he was willing to go 'all the way.' The informant asked him what he meant by 'all the way,' and the suspect told him that he knew what he meant by 'all the way.' "
Graber was arrested after attempting to pick up what 'Yuri' was told would be his first payment, authorities said.
Bryant, 25, is accused of raping a 19-year-old employee of a Colorado resort hotel June 30. He has maintained that the sex was consensual.
Charges could carry more than nine years in prison
Tuesday, September 23, 2003 Posted: 0023 GMT ( 8:23 AM HKT)
Patrick Graber was charged with solicitation of murder and solicitation to commit a crime.
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The Los Angeles County district attorney charged a Swiss national Monday with offering to arrange the killing of the woman who has accused Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant of raping her.
Patrick Graber -- who claims to have ties to the Russian mafia -- was charged with solicitation of murder and solicitation to commit a crime. Bail was set at $1 million. He is to be arraigned next Monday.
If convicted, Graber, 31, could spend a maximum of nine years and eight months in state prison.
Asked if his client has a history of mental illness, defense attorney Peter Kanecht said, "I think he's a little bit naive and not very swift. He's not the most intelligent guy in the world."
Investigators said they believe Graber, a physical trainer, acted alone.
Lt. Jim Taylor, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's lead detective in the case, said Graber was caught in a sting operation that was videotaped by undercover agents.
"The suspect agreed to carry out the act in exchange for $1 million up front and $2 million after the deed," Sheriff Lee Baca said Friday.
Although investigators have not ruled out the possibility that Graber has mob ties, he has an arrest record in his native Switzerland for fraud and is "a proven con artist," Baca said.
Graber, whose visa allowing him into the United States expired six months ago, sent a letter in early August to the Los Angeles Lakers asking that Bryant meet with him to "discuss a solution to your recently occurred problem," said a statement of probable cause in support of a request filed by police to obtain a search warrant for Graber's home.
Jose Revilla, director of security for the Lakers, intercepted the letter and, at the request of police, participated in the sting, police said.
On September 2, at a Starbucks in El Segundo, California, Revilla met with a man who identified himself as "Yuri," the affidavit said.
"During the meeting, 'Yuri' discussed several schemes that would benefit Kobe Bryant in his case in Colorado," the affidavit said.
At one point, "Yuri" said he could accomplish the plan for $3 million, the affidavit said. A records check on the man's cell phone and license plate led authorities to Graber, according to the affidavit.
On September 11, the two met again at the Starbucks, with Revilla wearing a wire, the affidavit said.
"The informant asked the suspect what he was proposing," the affidavit said. "The suspect stated that he was willing to go 'all the way.' The informant asked him what he meant by 'all the way,' and the suspect told him that he knew what he meant by 'all the way.' "
Graber was arrested after attempting to pick up what 'Yuri' was told would be his first payment, authorities said.
Bryant, 25, is accused of raping a 19-year-old employee of a Colorado resort hotel June 30. He has maintained that the sex was consensual.