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CNN Live At Daybreak

Kobe Bryant Appears in Front of Eagle, Colorado Judge

Aired August 07, 2003 - 06:21   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: It was a relatively uneventful seven minutes in court, but it didn't matter. Kobe Bryant was there. He appeared in front of an Eagle, Colorado judge, said, "No, sir," and then flew on back to Los Angeles.
Live to Eagle now and CNN's Sean Callebs -- so I guess it's pretty quiet there now, Sean.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Very quiet, indeed. Very quiet, indeed. I think everybody is simply waiting for October 9 to roll around, that, of course, when they will have the next hearing in this case. And that is going to be important because at that preliminary hearing the state will have to release or unveil a decent amount of its information, its case against Kobe Bryant.

What we saw here yesterday was strictly procedural. Kobe Bryant and his legal team showing up, as you mentioned, for that short seven minute hearing. They went inside. He had the chance to hear the charges against him. He had the chance to be advised of his rights. He passed on both. And then when they were given the choice of asking for that preliminary hearing within 30 days, they asked to hold it somewhere down the road. The judge said October 9 and since the judge does have a gag order in effect, it's going to be very difficult to get any kind of information about this case until then -- Carol.

COSTELLO: We heard some cheers as Kobe Bryant was entering the courtroom. How many supporters were actually there on the scene, though?

CALLEBS: It's difficult to say because so many of them were mixed in with so many of the journalists who had been assembling out here throughout the week. But there was a decent number and they really began showing up several hours before this court appearance. You saw some with balloons on their cars, some with their cars painted in support of Kobe and some actually wearing Lakers' jerseys and cheering as the basketball star went in. But I don't know if that's a really good gauge of the way this small resort town feels about this case.

Remember, of course, the 19-year-old, one of their own, a local resident, is the accused, is the accuser in this case. But a lot of people we have talked to regarding the sexual assault case say they simply want to see and hear some of the forensic information that will come, that will have to come out during that hearing before they make up their minds about this case -- Carol.

COSTELLO: One more quick question, because you always wonder about the alleged victim in this case. Is she just holed up in her home, never -- I mean does she ever come out?

CALLEBS: We have not seen her. All we can do is just tell you that she has really kept a very low profile. Her family has asked all of her friends and people in this area not to talk to the media. There are some reports that she has left town. She, of course, is a college student, so it is about that time to begin thinking whether she is going to be heading back to the -- to college for the fall term. But she is certainly being kept out of sight at this point and the big question is will she show up at that October 9 hearing? No way of knowing at this point. And we don't know if the law enforcement in this area videotaped any comments that she had made to the police. Theoretically, those could be used at that October 9 or a detective could come in and simply paraphrase what she said.

COSTELLO: Well, you can bet we will be there on October 9 and you will be there, as well.

Sean Callebs reporting live from Eagle, Colorado this morning.

CALLEBS: Sure.

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 7, 2003 - 06:21   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It was a relatively uneventful seven minutes in court, but it didn't matter. Kobe Bryant was there. He appeared in front of an Eagle, Colorado judge, said, "No, sir," and then flew on back to Los Angeles.
Live to Eagle now and CNN's Sean Callebs -- so I guess it's pretty quiet there now, Sean.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Very quiet, indeed. Very quiet, indeed. I think everybody is simply waiting for October 9 to roll around, that, of course, when they will have the next hearing in this case. And that is going to be important because at that preliminary hearing the state will have to release or unveil a decent amount of its information, its case against Kobe Bryant.

What we saw here yesterday was strictly procedural. Kobe Bryant and his legal team showing up, as you mentioned, for that short seven minute hearing. They went inside. He had the chance to hear the charges against him. He had the chance to be advised of his rights. He passed on both. And then when they were given the choice of asking for that preliminary hearing within 30 days, they asked to hold it somewhere down the road. The judge said October 9 and since the judge does have a gag order in effect, it's going to be very difficult to get any kind of information about this case until then -- Carol.

COSTELLO: We heard some cheers as Kobe Bryant was entering the courtroom. How many supporters were actually there on the scene, though?

CALLEBS: It's difficult to say because so many of them were mixed in with so many of the journalists who had been assembling out here throughout the week. But there was a decent number and they really began showing up several hours before this court appearance. You saw some with balloons on their cars, some with their cars painted in support of Kobe and some actually wearing Lakers' jerseys and cheering as the basketball star went in. But I don't know if that's a really good gauge of the way this small resort town feels about this case.

Remember, of course, the 19-year-old, one of their own, a local resident, is the accused, is the accuser in this case. But a lot of people we have talked to regarding the sexual assault case say they simply want to see and hear some of the forensic information that will come, that will have to come out during that hearing before they make up their minds about this case -- Carol.

COSTELLO: One more quick question, because you always wonder about the alleged victim in this case. Is she just holed up in her home, never -- I mean does she ever come out?

CALLEBS: We have not seen her. All we can do is just tell you that she has really kept a very low profile. Her family has asked all of her friends and people in this area not to talk to the media. There are some reports that she has left town. She, of course, is a college student, so it is about that time to begin thinking whether she is going to be heading back to the -- to college for the fall term. But she is certainly being kept out of sight at this point and the big question is will she show up at that October 9 hearing? No way of knowing at this point. And we don't know if the law enforcement in this area videotaped any comments that she had made to the police. Theoretically, those could be used at that October 9 or a detective could come in and simply paraphrase what she said.

COSTELLO: Well, you can bet we will be there on October 9 and you will be there, as well.

Sean Callebs reporting live from Eagle, Colorado this morning.

CALLEBS: Sure.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com