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CNN Live At Daybreak
Kobe Bryant's First Court Appearance
Aired August 06, 2003 - 05:03 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We start this morning with Kobe Bryant and his first court appearance. Today the judge will read the charge and advise Bryant of his rights, but Bryant will not enter a plea. He's charged with one count of sexual assault in the fourth degree. The stakes are high. If convicted, he could face four years to life in prison.
The hearing begins at 6:00 p.m. Eastern and can be seen live right here on CNN because cameras are allowed in the courtroom.
Our Deborah Feyerick has more on the hearing and the media invasion of Eagle, Colorado.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Outside Eagle County court, media central, 30 satellite trucks from around the country, hundreds more journalists, technicians, photographers, all gearing up for a hearing likely to last less than 10 minutes.
The show's reluctant star, Kobe Bryant, ordered by a judge to show up and face the sexual assault charges against him. Bryant will not enter a plea. That comes later. But the L.A. Lakers All Star guard beloved for his style, grace and decency has told the world he's guilty of adultery, but not guilty of rape.
KOBE BRYANT: I didn't force her to do anything against her will.
FEYERICK: The intensity of the spotlight seems to defy logic. The judge tells CNN he's flabbergasted by the attention Bryant's receiving. And if anyone knows media, it's Judge Frederick Gannett. His grandparents were New York City newspaper journalists. Then again, everyone linked to this case seems to know someone famous. There's Kobe Bryant's defense team, Pamela Mackey and Hal Haddon. Individually, they've represented JonBenet Ramsey's parents, author Hunter Thompson and Colorado Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy.
District Attorney Mark Hurlbert has fewer celebrity ties. But those who know him and his trial partner Ingrid Bakke say they're a good match against Bryant's defense team.
DAVID LUGERT, FORMER PROSECUTOR: And you're going to see a battle of four effective, but different courtroom communicators.
FEYERICK: And cameras or not, Kobe Bryant knows the stakes are high. (on camera): Colorado has some of the toughest penalties for people convicted of sex crimes. If Kobe Bryant is found guilty, his sentence could range from probation to life in prison. Meantime, Bryant's defense team is asking a judge to sanction the sheriff and other local law enforcement authorities, saying they're leaking information to the press.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Eagle, Colorado.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And while thousands of members of the media stake out the Bryant hearing, one NBA owner thinks this case could actually be good for basketball. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says people who are not basketball fans, who are just casual fans, will now tune into Lakers games just for the curiosity factor.
Cuban clarified his comments to CNN's Paula Zahn.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK CUBAN, OWNER, DALLAS MAVERICKS: You know, there's a reason why Mike Tyson is the number one attraction in boxing. There's a reason why the Monica Lewinskys get the top rating. There's a reason why CNN has a live reporter at the courthouse for Kobe Bryant. And the net result of all those, I mean the fact that every news media outlet has got somebody covering this case builds awareness and really people are going to want -- again, I'm not saying this is a good thing. If anything, it's s sad reflection on who we are as a country and our media consumption habits. But the reality is because of all of this notoriety, people are going to want to see what's going on with Kobe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: NBA Commissioner David Stern calls Cuban's comments misinformed and unseemly.
CNN legal analyst Kendall Coffey will be along in our next hour to discuss more of what can be expected in today's hearing, as well as other possible legal maneuverings in the Kobe Bryant case.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 6, 2003 - 05:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We start this morning with Kobe Bryant and his first court appearance. Today the judge will read the charge and advise Bryant of his rights, but Bryant will not enter a plea. He's charged with one count of sexual assault in the fourth degree. The stakes are high. If convicted, he could face four years to life in prison.
The hearing begins at 6:00 p.m. Eastern and can be seen live right here on CNN because cameras are allowed in the courtroom.
Our Deborah Feyerick has more on the hearing and the media invasion of Eagle, Colorado.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Outside Eagle County court, media central, 30 satellite trucks from around the country, hundreds more journalists, technicians, photographers, all gearing up for a hearing likely to last less than 10 minutes.
The show's reluctant star, Kobe Bryant, ordered by a judge to show up and face the sexual assault charges against him. Bryant will not enter a plea. That comes later. But the L.A. Lakers All Star guard beloved for his style, grace and decency has told the world he's guilty of adultery, but not guilty of rape.
KOBE BRYANT: I didn't force her to do anything against her will.
FEYERICK: The intensity of the spotlight seems to defy logic. The judge tells CNN he's flabbergasted by the attention Bryant's receiving. And if anyone knows media, it's Judge Frederick Gannett. His grandparents were New York City newspaper journalists. Then again, everyone linked to this case seems to know someone famous. There's Kobe Bryant's defense team, Pamela Mackey and Hal Haddon. Individually, they've represented JonBenet Ramsey's parents, author Hunter Thompson and Colorado Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy.
District Attorney Mark Hurlbert has fewer celebrity ties. But those who know him and his trial partner Ingrid Bakke say they're a good match against Bryant's defense team.
DAVID LUGERT, FORMER PROSECUTOR: And you're going to see a battle of four effective, but different courtroom communicators.
FEYERICK: And cameras or not, Kobe Bryant knows the stakes are high. (on camera): Colorado has some of the toughest penalties for people convicted of sex crimes. If Kobe Bryant is found guilty, his sentence could range from probation to life in prison. Meantime, Bryant's defense team is asking a judge to sanction the sheriff and other local law enforcement authorities, saying they're leaking information to the press.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Eagle, Colorado.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And while thousands of members of the media stake out the Bryant hearing, one NBA owner thinks this case could actually be good for basketball. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says people who are not basketball fans, who are just casual fans, will now tune into Lakers games just for the curiosity factor.
Cuban clarified his comments to CNN's Paula Zahn.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK CUBAN, OWNER, DALLAS MAVERICKS: You know, there's a reason why Mike Tyson is the number one attraction in boxing. There's a reason why the Monica Lewinskys get the top rating. There's a reason why CNN has a live reporter at the courthouse for Kobe Bryant. And the net result of all those, I mean the fact that every news media outlet has got somebody covering this case builds awareness and really people are going to want -- again, I'm not saying this is a good thing. If anything, it's s sad reflection on who we are as a country and our media consumption habits. But the reality is because of all of this notoriety, people are going to want to see what's going on with Kobe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: NBA Commissioner David Stern calls Cuban's comments misinformed and unseemly.
CNN legal analyst Kendall Coffey will be along in our next hour to discuss more of what can be expected in today's hearing, as well as other possible legal maneuverings in the Kobe Bryant case.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
