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CNN Live At Daybreak
Announcement on Kobe Bryant's Alleged Assault Charges Pending
Aired July 11, 2003 - 06:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: L.A. Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant probably will not rest easy this weekend. He may learn next week if charges will be filed against him for an alleged sexual assault against a 19-year-old woman.
Our Brian Cabell has more on the story from Vail, Colorado.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No decision yet on whether to file charges against Kobe Bryant. The district attorney says he'll need at least until Tuesday to make that decision. Apparently he wants to take a further look at all the evidence.
We know now, according to a cab driver, that Bryant and his entourage and some deputy sheriffs went to a hospital the day after the incident, presumably to give some physical evidence. Normally in cases like this it might be something like hair, blood and skin. All of this was done very secretly, according to the cab driver. This, of course, has been a very long and embarrassing week for Bryant.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kobe Bryant has taken a beating in the media for being investigated, even though there's a presumption of innocence.
CABELL (on camera): Is he getting a break, in any sense, because of his celebrity?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't see him getting any breaks here. I don't think any of this has played better for him because of who he is.
CABELL: That, of course, is the word from a defense attorney. But if you talk to a victims rights advocate, you'll get a very different story.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anything that this victim has read, anything that she's seen on TV, any negatives, she is absorbing them and she's starting to believe them about herself. She's wondering -- at this point a victim is wondering why she should have even come forward, why she did this, what's going to happen to her and she -- truly she's doubting herself.
CABELL (voice-over): No word from the alleged victim in this case. We know that she was a 19-year-old student, graduated high school about a year ago from a local high school here. She was a cheerleader, she was in the select chorus here, apparently very talented. According to friends, they said she was nice, she's friendly, very polite and very pretty. But now this 19-year-old finds herself in the middle of a media storm.
The next step in this case will be when the D.A. makes his announcement and that could come next Tuesday.
I'm Brian Cabell, CNN, Vail, Colorado.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Now because of the nature of the alleged crime, police aren't releasing much information about the women involved. However, her neighbors know who she is and some have spoken up.
One of her friends refers to her as a real sweetheart, while someone else says she craves attention. But in this case that isn't such a good thing.
Lindsey McKinney says she and the victim traveled to Austin, Texas in November to audition for "American Idol," but neither made it to the second round. CNN has learned the woman graduated last year from a high school in Eagle, Colorado.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Pending>
Aired July 11, 2003 - 06:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: L.A. Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant probably will not rest easy this weekend. He may learn next week if charges will be filed against him for an alleged sexual assault against a 19-year-old woman.
Our Brian Cabell has more on the story from Vail, Colorado.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No decision yet on whether to file charges against Kobe Bryant. The district attorney says he'll need at least until Tuesday to make that decision. Apparently he wants to take a further look at all the evidence.
We know now, according to a cab driver, that Bryant and his entourage and some deputy sheriffs went to a hospital the day after the incident, presumably to give some physical evidence. Normally in cases like this it might be something like hair, blood and skin. All of this was done very secretly, according to the cab driver. This, of course, has been a very long and embarrassing week for Bryant.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kobe Bryant has taken a beating in the media for being investigated, even though there's a presumption of innocence.
CABELL (on camera): Is he getting a break, in any sense, because of his celebrity?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't see him getting any breaks here. I don't think any of this has played better for him because of who he is.
CABELL: That, of course, is the word from a defense attorney. But if you talk to a victims rights advocate, you'll get a very different story.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anything that this victim has read, anything that she's seen on TV, any negatives, she is absorbing them and she's starting to believe them about herself. She's wondering -- at this point a victim is wondering why she should have even come forward, why she did this, what's going to happen to her and she -- truly she's doubting herself.
CABELL (voice-over): No word from the alleged victim in this case. We know that she was a 19-year-old student, graduated high school about a year ago from a local high school here. She was a cheerleader, she was in the select chorus here, apparently very talented. According to friends, they said she was nice, she's friendly, very polite and very pretty. But now this 19-year-old finds herself in the middle of a media storm.
The next step in this case will be when the D.A. makes his announcement and that could come next Tuesday.
I'm Brian Cabell, CNN, Vail, Colorado.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Now because of the nature of the alleged crime, police aren't releasing much information about the women involved. However, her neighbors know who she is and some have spoken up.
One of her friends refers to her as a real sweetheart, while someone else says she craves attention. But in this case that isn't such a good thing.
Lindsey McKinney says she and the victim traveled to Austin, Texas in November to audition for "American Idol," but neither made it to the second round. CNN has learned the woman graduated last year from a high school in Eagle, Colorado.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Pending>
