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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Kobe Bryant Scheduled to Appear in Court in Eagle, Colorado; U.S. Troops on the Ground in Liberia

Aired August 06, 2003 - 17:00   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.


WOLF BLITZER, HOST: It's something none of us who follow professional basketball ever thought we'd see, Kobe Bryant in a court of law facing a felony sexual assault charge but that's precisely what's going to happen. We'll have extensive coverage. That's coming up on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): The Kobe Bryant case, just one hour from now the NBA superstar will appear in a Colorado courtroom. We'll take you inside where the judge will read the sexual assault charge and, outside, where it's been described as a media circus. We'll look back at Bryant's record on and off the court and ahead to the legal battle.

We'll go to Liberia where U.S. troops are on the ground.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Part of what we said we would do.

BLITZER: Israel frees hundreds of Palestinian prisoners but is it enough to keep the peace process going?

Did the Pentagon know enough to head off a deadly terror bombing in Indonesia?

And, a therapy meant to head off heart disease, does it work? We'll have the latest research.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: CNN live this hour WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, live from the nation's capital with correspondents from around the world. WOLF BLITZER REPORTS starts now.

BLITZER: It's Wednesday, August 06, 2003. Hello from Washington, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting.

We'll get to the Kobe Bryant story in just a moment, first though let's check headlines making news around the world right now.

We begin with three U.S. Black Hawk helicopters that are now on the ground in Monrovia, Liberia, on board a ten member advisory team that will assist hundreds of West African peacekeepers as they begin patrolling the besieged capital. The United Nations, meanwhile, is appealing for millions of dollars in humanitarian aid. We'll have more on this story. That's coming up.

President Bush is showing his support for Secretary of State Colin Powell. The two men appeared together outside a restaurant in Crawford, Texas. The president says Secretary Powell remains, and I'm quoting now, "completely engaged doing what he needs to do," but neither would confirm nor deny a report that Powell will not serve a second term.

Episcopal conservatives walked off the floor of their national legislative meeting earlier today. They're protesting the election of the Reverend Gene Robinson as the church's first openly gay bishop. There was also some angry dissent from Anglicans in many other parts of the world. The U.S. Episcopal Church is part of the global Anglican Communion.

We'll have much more on those stories coming up. Let's get back to the Kobe Bryant story. He's used to the spotlight but the big city superstar faces a different kind of attention in a small town. Instead of a basketball court, the setting right now is a courtroom and it's not a game being played but a real life drama centering around a sexual assault charge.

Let's go live to CNN's Rusty Dornin. She's in Eagle, Colorado. Rusty, just under an hour from now he should be showing up.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right and Kobe Bryant will not likely utter a word in that courtroom and he'll be in there perhaps all of ten minutes but there have been hoards of national and local media assembling here, of course, in anticipation of his every move.

To give you an idea of what's going on here at the Eagle County Courthouse, you can see on the front lawn of the courthouse photographers, reporters, and member of the community, some Kobe Bryant fans who have come here to see the superstar as he enters the courthouse.

And, right as you can see the area that's roped off, it's called the bullpen. That's where the reporters and photographers will be kept behind the line when Bryant makes his entrance into the courthouse.

Now, there are more than 30 satellite trucks here and more than 100 photographers, reporters, and producers here to capture this event. In court, as I said, he will not be uttering a word. He will hear the charges against him.

Also likely to be discussed a preliminary hearing, will he have one? Will that be waived? Also, the prosecution has asked for sanctions against some local law enforcement media for what they saw are leaks to the media. The judge could perhaps address that.

Now, ironically, Kobe Bryant will be coming here for his very first court appearance in this rape case but about two hours after he appears here he will be on the "Teen Choice Awards" that were taped over the weekend in Los Angeles where he received an award. That will be aired tonight just about two hours after Bryant is in court here.

However, he will not be receiving that kind of special attention when he comes here. He will be required to go through the front door of the courthouse and go through the special metal detector that has been set up specifically for this hearing. Kobe Bryant and his entourage will be required to go through that metal detector before they go into the hearing and he could be arriving at any time -- Wolf.

BLITZER: We'll be watching. We'll keep that picture up. Thanks very much Rusty Dornin.

Today's hearing is just one small step in what could be a long legal drama. The case is barely a month old and could last well into the next year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Kobe Bryant first came to Colorado for knee surgery. The night he arrived, June 30, was the night of the alleged assault. By the end of that week he was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault. The formal charge came two weeks later.

MARK HURLBERT, EAGLE COUNTY D.A.: The defendant was charged with one count of sexual assault, a Class 3 felony.

BLITZER: The same day Bryant issued a statement admitting adultery but denying any sexual assault; later, an emotional news conference.

KOBE BRYANT, DEFENDANT: I sit here before you guys embarrassed and ashamed for committing adultery but I'm innocent.

BLITZER: Now, Bryant's legal future has seemingly endless and ominous possibilities. A preliminary hearing where some evidence could be made public could come in the weeks ahead.

DAVID LUGERT, FORMER COLORADO ASST. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Today, you may see both the defense and the government in writing request a preliminary hearing.

BLITZER: If the trial is held it could be months, possibly even a year away. David Lugert, a former federal and state prosecutor in Colorado, says if Bryant is convicted on the charge filed against him the judge has two options for sentencing: Probation, the minimum sentence would be 20 years; or, what the judge would call an indeterminate number of years in prison. Lawyers say that could be from four years to life.

After sentencing, the judge would be out of it. The actual sentence served would be determined by the state probation department or the parole board and Bryant himself. After serving a minimum sentence, Lugert says, a convicted sex offender has to prove he has progressed in treatment and is no longer a threat to the community. Under Colorado law, whether he gets probation or prison, the offender has to undergo genetic testing, his DNA placed in a nationwide database. He has to register as a sex offender reporting at least once a year to local law enforcement and report any change of address within 30 days.

At any time he could be legally required to take a polygraph and a test that measures sexual arousal patterns. Some experts argue Colorado's laws are too invasive. Others say they at least give convicted sex offenders a chance to legally redeem themselves.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: So, who are the legal players in this real life courtroom drama? Pamela Mackey and Hal Hadden are defending Bryant. She's a former public defender in Eagle, County whom colleagues say is known for her passion and conviction. He's described as tough and shrewd with former clients including JonBenet Ramsey's father.

On the opposite side, District Attorney Mark Hurlbert, who grew up in the area. Although he has less than ten years actual legal experience, co-workers and friends say he's intelligent and well respected. He says he feels up to the high profile challenge.

For a closer look now at what's at stake for Kobe Bryant, his accuser, the other parties in this drama, let's turn to our CNN Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin outside the court in Eagle, Colorado. Jeffrey, I know you're going to be going inside once the proceedings get underway but this is a relatively modest deal what we're all bracing for right now.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: It really is. There's really only one issue that we expect will be discussed and that's the scheduling of the preliminary hearing. The defense has the right to ask for it within 30 days or they may ask for it delayed for more than 30 days.

I think the significance of it is to learn whether the defense thinks they want an immediate trial. They want to go as fast as they can or do they want to, as defendants usually do, take their time, learn more, investigate more, and hope that will time the prosecution's case will fall apart.

BLITZER: And, if they ask for a longer period of time before that actual first proceeding, what will that say to you?

TOOBIN: Well, that will say that they think that their investigation is something that they really need to pursue, that they are out there investigating the accuser, her background, the circumstances of what happened that night, potential witnesses.

And, you know, he is an unusual defendant in that he has the resources to hire private investigators and if they want a delay it says that they think this will be useful and they think that they are not ready at this point to go to trial or even to go to a preliminary hearing. BLITZER: Jeffrey Toobin, go inside. We'll be speaking to you after this hearing. Thanks very much for joining us.

TOOBIN: OK.

BLITZER: The case against Kobe Bryant is just the latest chapter in what has been a stellar career condensed in just 24 eventful years.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Kobe Bryant was born in Philadelphia, August 23, 1978 with basketball in his blood. His father, Joe "Jelly Bean" Bryant played eight seasons with the NBA and named his son after the famous Japanese steaks which he'd seen on a menu shortly before Kobe's birth.

In addition to the NBA, the older Bryant played for a time in Italy. Kobe spent eight years of his childhood there and learned to speak fluent Italian. He attended high school back in Pennsylvania, playing ball and leading his team to the state championships. He was named high school player of the year in 1996.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Charlotte Hornets select Kobe Bryant.

BLITZER: The same year he was picked by the Charlotte Hornets, who almost immediately trade him to the L.A. Lakers.

In 1996, he makes his NBA debut at 18 years two months and 11 days old the league's youngest player ever.

JOE BRYANT, FATHER: Not too many guys really had a chance to see Kobe, because the NBA players don't scout high school kids. So, when I think Kobe really decided to make this move I think there's a lot of people trying to gather information now and gather films. Oh, man, we got to see this kid.

BLITZER: Bryant's career skyrockets and starting in 2000 he helps lead the Lakers to three consecutive championships. Also in 2000, he meets his future wife, Vanessa Lane (ph). A year later they were married over his father's objections. They have one daughter born this past January.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The defense and the prosecution go head-to-head, we'll hear from both sides on the Kobe Bryant case, Robert Shapiro and Craig Silverman. They'll be joining me live.

Plus, U.S. troops on the ground in Liberia right now and a dictator clinging to power. We're live in Monrovia.

And, a dangerous mission in the hunt for Saddam Hussein, we'll take you on the search for a dictator, at least the former dictator with U.S. Troops.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: For a preview of today's hearing and the legal battle which is clearly developing, I'm joined from Eagle, Colorado by Craig Silverman. He spent 16 years in the Denver District Attorney's Office where he prosecuted dozens of rape cases.

Also joining me from Los Angeles the well known criminal defense attorney Robert Shapiro, he represented many celebrities, of course, including O.J. Simpson, other star athletes.

Thanks to both of you for joining us. Craig, first to you, did the judge in this particular case have any option but to mandate that Kobe Bryant appear at this relatively routine hearing today?

CRAIG SILVERMAN, FORMER DENVER PROSECUTOR: Yes. He had a lot of options. The Colorado Rule of Criminal Procedure 43 specifies certain hearings where a defendant must appear. An advisement hearing such as today is not one of them. This judge exercised his discretion and made Kobe Bryant appear.

BLITZER: Some people are suggesting, Bob Shapiro, that that was unfair to Kobe Bryant, only showboating, if you will. Is that a fair criticism of the judge?

ROBERT SHAPIRO: I'm sorry, Wolf, the audio is not working. Would you tell me what the statement was please?

BLITZER: The question, Craig is pointing out that the judge didn't necessarily have to force Kobe Bryant to make this personal appearance, this public appearance in the courtroom today. He had other options available but he forced him to come. Some are criticizing the judge for that. What do you say?

ROBERT SHAPIRO: I think in a felony case it's always appropriate and generally required that a person who is accused make a personal appearance so I don't find anything out of the ordinary about that.

SILVERMAN: Wolf, not here in fact. When the defense moved to waive his appearance the prosecution did not object. It was the judge that wanted this little show and a little show is what we're going to have today.

BLITZER: So, what you're suggesting, Craig, is both the defense attorneys representing Kobe Bryant, as well as the prosecution, they didn't demand that Kobe show up. That was only the judge who insisted he show up?

SILVERMAN: Precisely so and it's important to remember that this judge only has jurisdiction for a limited time. After the preliminary hearing it moves to a higher court. This is county court. It's going to go up to district court.

BLITZER: Bob Shapiro, if he were your client is it smart for him to be going out to public events like the "Teen Choice Awards" event over the weekend, the Espy Awards from ESPN? Is that smart for him to be doing this? SHAPIRO: You've asked probably the most challenging question a lawyer could get on a high profile person. Generally, my advice to people is to go about their life, do what they would normally do because if they are, in fact, innocent that's how an innocent person would behave rather than cloister themselves in a shell which is impossible for a high profile person in any event -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Is that the kind of advice you'd give your clients, Craig?

SILVERMAN: Yes. I have to agree, especially that "Teen Choice Awards." You then see a smiling, laughing, Kobe Bryant as he was at the Espy Awards. That might have been an inappropriate image but after all when he won an award and it's ironic that he won the Teen Choice Award particularly in light of the fact that he's accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old.

BLITZER: Bob Shapiro, as we wait to see Kobe's arrival, we have a live picture over at the courthouse. We'll put it up on the screen and show our viewers what we're waiting for. There is some speculation he may show up with his wife Vanessa. Would that be good legal strategy?

SHAPIRO: You know it's not legal strategy. I think people really try to over analyze what happens. Normally, if somebody is accused their spouse and their supporters will appear with them and I would find that to be highly regular and what people would expect.

BLITZER: Does it make much of a difference, Craig?

SILVERMAN: I think it does. Obviously, the defense is concerned about Kobe Bryant's image. That's why they didn't want cameras in the courtroom today. This is the equivalent of a perp walk and I expect Vanessa to be holding his hand and it's appropriate for her to do so.

But once he gets in front of the bar he's going to be flanked by his attorneys and that's an image that's going to be shown over and over internationally and it's an image that Kobe Bryant really wanted to avoid.

BLITZER: Bob Shapiro, Kobe Bryant is going to be on trial obviously but what about the accuser. The defense attorneys are going to put her almost on trial as well. How far should they be able to go in terms of looking at her history of perhaps mental problems or her sexual activity?

SHAPIRO: Wolf, the law in rape cases in America has changed dramatically over the last 20 years. We used to have a standard which said that charges such as these are easily brought and, once brought, are very, very difficult to defend.

So, therefore, view the testimony of the alleged victim with caution. That has been changed dramatically. We have gone to situations where people have been prosecuted for date rape and now it's gone to an extreme where people are being prosecuted for withdrawal of consent. BLITZER: What about that, Craig? You know the laws in California about rape and sexual -- in Colorado, that is, excuse me. You know the laws over there quite well. How much of her past will the judge do you believe allow to be admitted as evidence?

SILVERMAN: Well, it's interesting that Bob Shapiro cited that old instruction. There's a specific statute in Colorado which forbids that instruction about how a rape charge is easily brought and hard to defend. We do have a strong rape shield statute but it only addresses sexual conduct on the part of the alleged victim and it makes it presumptively inadmissible.

You can't try to overcome that presumption. Understand, though, that if the defense has evidence of overdoses and suicide attempts that has nothing to do with sexual conduct. They will try to get it in through other means and the trial court will decide it on a relevancy basis and it will be an interesting and important call by the trial court.

BLITZER: We're going to be calling on both of you a lot in the coming weeks and months. Craig Silverman, Bob Shapiro, thanks as usual for joining us.

SHAPIRO: You're welcome, thank you Wolf.

SILVERMAN: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: And here's your turn to weigh in on this story. Our web question of the day is this. "Should the Kobe Bryant trial be moved from Eagle, Colorado?" Well have the results later in this broadcast. You can vote right now at cnn.com/wolf.

While you're there, I'd love to hear directly from you. Send me your comments. I'll try to read some of them on the air on this program. That's also, of course, where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.

U.S. troops step up the hunt for Saddam Hussein. Coming up how troops are changing tactics and how they measure success in Iraq.

Also, U.S. forces fly into Liberia, what role will they play in a country ripped apart by civil war?

And later, the controversy over hormone replacement therapy and heart health, our Dr. Sanjay Gupta is live with a report out just this hour that may settle the issue at least for now. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: You're looking at a live picture of the courthouse. We're expecting Kobe Bryant to be showing up any moment now, a hearing scheduled at the top of the hour. In about a half an hour we'll have live coverage, much more coming up on that.

But, let's check some other news making headlines around the world right now. Hundreds of West African peacekeepers are set to begin patrolling the Liberian capital of Monrovia. The United Nations, meanwhile, is asking for a lot more money to help. We're going to be going live to Monrovia shortly to speak with our Jeff Koinange.

But first, let's move on and see what's happening in Iraq right now. It's become a daily routine for U.S. troops in Iraq, house-to- house raids designed to root out followers of Saddam Hussein and perhaps even the former Iraqi leader himself.

A primary target, Tikrit, that's where we find out Harris Whitbeck. He filed this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): High noon in the western Iraqi desert, soldiers and armored vehicles roar into position, testing their weapons before heading out on yet another raid in the area near Tikrit, the ancestral homeland of Saddam Hussein.

Storming into a house, the soldiers throw a man to the ground, his children cry out in fear. All the men are handcuffed and led away. Women and children kept well apart.

This scene is now routine in many parts of Iraq. The hunt for Saddam loyalists and those who attack coalition troops is relentless and it is now taking place at all hours.

(on camera): The military says it is changing some of its tactics because its objectives are too.

(voice-over): It's trying to prevent suspects from detecting patterns in the raids. That means more daytime operations.

CAPT. KENNETH N. REED, U.S. ARMY: Their aim is just like we are beginning to learn from our mistakes and get a little smarter, so it's just a game where you're attempting to keep him on his toes as well as he's trying to keep you on your toes.

WHITBECK: On this raid, soldiers find weapons, documents, and materials that could be used to build homemade bombs. Field officers say even if nothing is found the raids are a successful tactic.

REED: And, as long as you show that presence that helps to deter. If there's nothing but a deterrence, that's a success.

WHITBECK: But, as it deters new attacks, the U.S. must also gain the trust of the Iraqi population, a delicate balance to keep when a war is still being fought.

Harris Whitbeck CNN, Tikrit, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The courthouse in Eagle, Colorado, that's going to be the scene in about a half an hour. Kobe Bryant will face the music. He'll at least hear the charge against him, felony sexual assault. You're looking at a live picture. We'll have live coverage throughout this coming half hour, indeed throughout the hour ahead as well.

But we're following other stories that are breaking this hour, including this. Scott Peterson threatened with the death penalty, find out why his lawyers say he turned down the offer that potentially could have saved his life.

And, a cloning first, scientists push the medical envelope even further, lots of news breaking. We'll have it all for you. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The emotional scene as hundreds of Palestinian prisoners are granted freedom, coming up why many Palestinians are angry about how the release was handled.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: CNN live this hour, WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, live from the nation's capital, with correspondents from around the world.

Here now is WOLF BLITZER.

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN.

New raids in the hunt for Saddam Hussein. We'll take you on the mission with U.S. troops.

First let's check the latest headlines.

(NEWSBREAK)

BLITZER: At least 14 people died and more than 100 others were wounded in yesterday's bombing of an American-owned hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia. But did the Pentagon know weeks ahead of time that terrorists were up to something there?

Let's go live to our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, several developments today in Indonesia.

Now authorities saying it was a mobile phone that was used to detonate the car bomb outside that Marriott Hotel yesterday.

And police are now circulating a sketch. They say they have a sketch now of the man that they believe bought the car that contained the bomb. This man, this sketch, he bought -- they believe he bought the car about two weeks ago.

But developments also, as you say, here at the Pentagon. CNN has learned that the Defense Intelligence Agency, some time in the last three weeks or so, but before the Jakarta bombing, upgraded or updated its own threat assessment of what it thought was going on in Indonesia, warning U.S. military commanders again in the region that it had new information about the possibility of attacks by radical Islamic groups against so-called soft targets, restaurants, shopping malls, the kinds of areas that Americans might congregate.

The reason the DIA updated, upgraded its own warning was that in early July, of course, Indonesian authorities had arrested several suspects of the so-called J.I. group, the Jemaah Islamiyah, the radical Islamic group possibly tied to al Qaeda that had been -- that they believe was responsible for the bombing last year in Bali that killed some 200 people. They arrested these people and found documents, they say, that indicated the possibility of more attacks. That led military intelligence officials to update their warning.

But interestingly, Wolf, the State Department did not choose to update its travel warning to American citizens because it said that the information basically corroborated what it already knew, that there was a threat against soft targets in Indonesia and they felt they had issued a sufficient travel warning to Americans -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. Thanks, Barbara, very much.

Hundreds of West African peacekeepers are set to begin patrolling the capital, namely Monrovia. The United States, meanwhile, is sending in 10 people to assess the situation and accompany the peacekeepers.

Our Jeff Koinange is covering the situation in the besieged nation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(SINGING)

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The sounds of rebel defiance. These are LURD soldiers, an acronym for Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy.

They've been fighting for more than five years to overthrow President Charles Taylor. They control the entrance to Monrovia's strategic seaport, blocking access to much-needed food relief. They are determined to hold their position until they achieve what they say is their primary objective, the departure of Mr. Taylor. And they are prepared to make sure he leaves one way or the other.

The rebels don't look much different from Taylor's troops, from the ragtag looks, to the ever-present wigs, to the psychedelic colors.

And their tunes aren't much different, either. Here they praise themselves. "We are the lions from the jungle," they sing, referring to their bravery.

But the rebels have clearly lost credibility among Liberians caught in the crossfire of stray bullets and mortar shells, which have reduced many parts of the capital to rubble.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is not our primary adjective to kill a civilian. If it was done, they were accidental. But it is not our objective.

KOINANGE: One objective the rebels say they are determined to achieve is discipline. Anyone caught looting, they insist, will be dealt with immediately, including their own.

Commanders say this young rebel was caught in the act.

On the other side of the bridge, gun-toting government troops, tired of years of war, echo an already universal chant. This soldier overcome, realizing the fighting may soon be over.

Jeff Koinange, CNN, Monrovia, Liberia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Israel today freed hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. But the gesture fell flat in the West Bank and Gaza.

Our senior international correspondent Sheila MacVicar reports from the West Bank city of Ramallah.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Three hundred and thirty-eight men and one woman released today from Israeli detention, Israeli prisons. That's just a small part of the more than 6,000 Palestinians who remain in some form of Israeli custody. And it is that disparity in numbers, which in large measure has produced the subdued reaction to what Israel had intended to be seen as a gesture of good will.

Without question, those detainees who were released today, who returned home to their families and their communities, were welcomed. But the celebration was very subdued. If, in fact, the Israeli officials have been expecting to see or hoping to see scenes of celebration, with Palestinian officials, with families out in the streets and celebrating, that is simply -- did not take place. In large measure it did not take place because the Palestinians had expected first that more Palestinians would be released from detention and second, they point out that many of those who were released were due for release in a very short time in any case.

We this afternoon spoke to one man who told us that his sentence would have been up in 20 days. In any event, instead he is home today, three weeks early. But very much on the part of the Palestinians, what Israel had says it had intended to be seen was a goodwill gesture, this is a gesture which seemed to fall very far short of expectations.

Sheila MacVicar, CNN, Ramallah.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The Kobe Bryant case. We are await his arrival at the courthouse in Eagle, Colorado. You are looking at this live picture. We're expecting him to arrive momentarily. This hearing expected to be brief, scheduled to begin at the top of the hour or roughly thereafter. We'll have live coverage. All of this.

We're also about to take a closer look at the physical evidence. How important will it be when the actual trial starts? That could be months, maybe even a year down the road. We'll get to all of that.

First, let's take a look at some other news making headlines "Around the World"

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Anniversary of horror. Today's the 58th anniversary of the world's first atomic bomb attack. The United States dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945 during World War II, ultimately causing tens of thousands of deaths. Hiroshima's mayor marked the occasion with a speech condemning a global trend toward nuclear proliferation. A crowd of thousands, including survivors, children and dignitaries gathered to pray at Hiroshima's Peace Park.

Heat wave in Europe. Stifling heat is making life miserable across the continent. Record-breaking temperatures are worsening wildfires in Italy and other countries.

Cold drinks in hot water. You don't usually see Coke and Pepsi getting together on anything. But the two beverage giants are teaming up in defense against a campaign calling for a ban on the sale of their soft drinks in India. An independent Indian research body says that Pepsi and Coke sold there have dangerously high level of pesticides, an allegation both companies deny.

Gone with the wind -- a French windsurfer is off on her attempt to cross the pacific ocean after leaving Peru. She expects to reach Tahiti in 80 days. The 43-year-old left Lima, confident that she had chosen a good route with favorable winds.

And that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We're just minutes away from Kobe Bryant's scheduled court appearance in Eagle, Colorado. Joining me now to talk about the case, the "Sports Illustrated" legal analyst Lester Munson. He's at the CNN center in Atlanta. And from Denver, the criminal defense attorney, Jeralyn Merritt. You're looking at the live pictures just before, Jeralyn. Let me begin with you and ask you the question we've been asking our viewers. Can he get a fair trial in Eagle County, Colorado?

JERALYN MERRITT, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I don't think so and I think it's because the victim being from Eagle and being a prominent family there. The community becomes invested in her. It's going to be very difficult to find people who haven't made up their minds already as to whether they believe her or not. And it makes for an unlevel playing field. That's why I think it's unfair and the trial should be moved.

BLITZER: Moved to Denver? Would that be more appropriate?

MERRITT: Denver would definitely be the best because the population is more diverse. But he doesn't have the right to a change of venue to a place just because there would be more people, say, that were African-American. If the change -- if a change of venue is granted it would go to a place where the court docket could more easily accommodate the trial as opposed to some place that would be fairer to him population wise.

BLITZER: The picture our viewers are seeing on this screen, Jeralyn, I just want to point out to our viewers, that's where Kobe Bryant's car presumably will drive. He has to walk in through the main door at the court house there in Eagle County, Colorado. We're going to keep that picture up to see when his car does arrive. Should be momentarily.

Let me bring in Lester and ask you, is it a slam dunk that his attorneys will seek a change of venue?

LESTER MUNSON, "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED" LEGAL ANALYST: I think they will seek a change of venue, Wolf. I'm not sure what's going to happen. I think I agree with Jeralyn that the venue there is probably not going to work, but I would really be surprised if it were moved to Denver. He may obtain a change of venue and end up in really a similar position to what he's in there in Eagle County.

BLITZER: Talk a little bit, Jeralyn, about the rape shield law in Colorado. They're very strict. How far can his lawyers go in raising questions about her past once it comes down to it at trial.

MERRITT: Sure, we do have very strict laws in Colorado. And the rape shield law provides that there's a presumption that anything about her sexual history is not admissible. There are exceptions to it, for example, if the defense were to learn that she had a history of false reporting, of reporting that someone had raped her in the past that turned out to be false, then you can get around the rape shield statute. And there's a few other examples like that.

But the issue as to whether or not she overdosed or her mental state, that doesn't have anything to do with the rape shield statute because it doesn't involve sexual conduct and the rape shield statute only pertains to her sexual history.

BLITZER: The shield certainly -- her previous behavior, Lester, is going to a certain degree going to be on trial as well.

MUNSON: I'm not sure her previous behavior is going to be on trial, Wolf. The rape shield law is going to keep a lot of that away from the jury. I was involved in covering the Mike Tyson rape case, and in that case, there was an allegation that the victim had made a false report of a rape while she was still in high school. That material was never permitted in front of the jury that decided Mike Tyson's guilt.

So the way I look at it is the trial will focus on what happened in that hotel room, what happened in the hospital, immediately after, and that's going to be it. The jury is going to have to decide on those facts and those facts alone whether Kobe Bryant is guilty of a violent rape.

BLITZER: I think that's a good point, Jeralyn. Since it's a he says versus she says kind of allegation, the actual physical evidence and contemporaneous witnesses who may have something to add, that will all be critical in bolstering one side as opposed to the other.

MERRITT: That will, but I also believe that anything that would attack her credibility, her believability, as to the issue of consent will be admissible. Now the judges here in Colorado go to very great extent to try to protect the victim, but are statute specifically provides that false reporting can take a case outside of the rape shield statute and, again, her emotional state, as long as it can be deemed to be relevant to the issue of whether she consented, then it could come in. I'm not saying it will, but it could.

BLITZER: And the picture that we're seeing now, that's inside the court. We're juggling between outside and inside the courthouse in Eagle County. We are expecting Kobe Bryant's car, his entourage, indeed, to arrive with his attorneys momentarily. We'll, of course, being showing that to our viewers as we stand by for that.

But let me bring back Lester and get to the other key issue about potentially seeing when this trial might actually unfold. We've heard everything from a few months down the road to perhaps a year down the road. There would be a pretrial hearing that could number 30, 60 or perhaps 90 days. Explain to our viewers when we're likely to see and hear about that evidence and that pretrial hearing.

MUNSON: The lawyers and the judge will have to resolve today which of Colorado's preliminary hearing procedures they're going to follow. We'll probably see some of that on television here in a few minutes. The typical conventional defense wisdom is postpone the trial as long as you can. I'm not sure that Kobe Bryant and his defense team are going to adopt that posture. They may try to put the pressure on the prosecution by demanding an immediate trial. Something that has great public relations appeal, but is very risky.

BLITZER: All right, Lester.

We're looking at these cars that are now arriving. The silver car, we believe this SUV, this large car, Kobe Bryant is in this middle of three cars, the second of three cars. We expect him to be walking out into the courtroom right now as these doors get ready to be opened. Kobe Bryant, we'll be watching to see if he's joined by his wife Vanessa. We assume, of course, his attorneys will be there as well.

Kobe Bryant flying in today to Eagle County, Colorado from Los Angeles. The area where, of course, he lives, Newport Beach. Here he is, Kobe Bryant joined by his wife Vanessa. They are going to be walking in. There they are going inside the courtroom. That's not his wife, excuse me. That's his attorney Pamela Mackey as they walk in and his other attorneys are there as well. His wife Vanessa not accompanying him on this walk into the courthouse. Pamela Mackey, the woman in blue walking in first. Kobe Bryant, he's going to be going through this metal detector like anybody else walking into a state courthouse here in Eagle County, Colorado.

As we watch this unfold, you've been through this kind of procedure many times. It's all looking seemingly routine. This is anything but routine.

MERRITT: It is. And I think the hearing is going to be routine. I expect it to take five minutes maybe 10 minutes. He doesn't have to enter a plea today of guilty or not guilty. He just gets -- the judge will confirm he's received a copy of the charges and advise him of his rights. And his lawyers may even tell the judge that the judge doesn't need to do that because they've already done that.

BLITZER: And you can see as he's walking in, I don't know if you recognize the other individuals who are with him. We know his attorney Pamela Mackey is there.

Do you know, are these his other lawyers are members of his team?

MUNSON: I don't know, Wolf. I can't tell who they are.

MERRITT: I've seen Hal Hadden. I believe Hal Hadden is with him and that's Pamela Mackey and Hal Hadden will be coming through the metal detector next.

BLITZER: There he is, Kobe Bryant walking into this courtroom. I guess he's going to wait for the judge to show up and go through this hearing. There will be a live camera inside. The judge approving that. The judge demanding that Kobe Bryant show up for this formality, when he will be formally hearing the charge, felony, sexual assault against him, and then, of course, they'll be able to move on their way.

Were you surprised when the judge said, yes, he must show up for this hearing, even though the prosecution and the defense didn't demand that he show up for it?

MERRITT: I was very surprised because in my experience, and I've been practicing there a long time, when I represent a defendant who is from out of state, usually will file a motion to waive the presence for that appearance and it is usually granted. It is a very perfunctory appearance just to make sure they receive the charges and understand his right to a lawyer. So, I don't understand why the judge did not waive it, other than to let the public view Kobe Bryant in the courtroom.

BLITZER: Did you understand, Lester?

MUNSON: Why the judge would do that?

I think the judge did that because he did not want to appear to be giving Kobe Bryant any kind of special treatment. And just about all these celebrity cases that we've had in sports, Mike Tyson, Marv Albert, Mark Chmura, the tight end of the Green Bay Packers. The judges have uniformly bent over backwards to give the impression that the accused celebrity is not getting any special treatment.

BLITZER: All right, let's bring in -- stand by. I want our guests to stand by. Rusty Dornin is outside the courtroom. Rusty, give our viewers a sense of what's happening over there.

DORNIN: Well, when Kobe Bryant's entourage first entered the driveway, you heard a few cries. It sounded like cheers, but it was kind of hard to hear from across the street here. But you can see the people. There are a lot of people from the town of Eagle that have gathered to come see Kobe Bryant. There are even some Laker fans. There are some balloons in the parking lot, some yellow and purple balloons. You are also looking at what we call the bullpen, that where photographers are roped off there to take pictures of Bryant entering and leaving the courthouse. And of course, shop questions and that sort of thing.

Others members of the media who want to watch the courthouse hearing, there's only 22 seats inside the courtroom for the media. The others are going -- there's been a tent set up where other members of the media have gone or will go into to watch the proceedings live. We're just showing you now. We can show you now where that tent is, where the media will be watching the proceedings live from there.

Then they will all be coming, of course, back out to see Kobe Bryant exit. And we assume that that will be not long after the judge enters the courtroom. Because as we understand, this is a very short proceeding where the charges will be read aloud to Kobe Bryant. He'll not be making any kind of a plea. They will be discussing about whether he will be having a preliminary hearing or whether he will waive it, and then he'll exit the courtroom and presumably fly back to Los Angeles -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Is there any advance indication, Rusty, whether the attorneys, the prosecutor, the district attorney, Mark Hurlbert or one of his colleagues or the criminal defense attorneys, Pamela Mackey or her colleagues are expected to make a statement outside the courtroom after the procedure?

DORNIN: We have been told by the defense tern Hurlbert that he will not be making any kind of statements. But that also remains to be seen. Sometimes that does change if the defense team decides to make a statement outside the courtroom. Perhaps the D.A.'s office might step up and also make some kind of statement. But they did tell us that they will not be coming out.

BLITZER: All right. We're going to be standing by. Rusty will be standing by for us.

We'll bring back, Jeralyn Merritt. Jeralyn, when we saw Pamela Mackey, the woman who got out of the car with Kobe Bryant, his chief -- his legal defense, his criminal defense attorney, we didn't see his wife Vanessa. I mistakenly thought that when I saw the woman walk out, it not Vanessa. It was not Vanessa, it was Pamela Mackey.

Is this significant, the fact that he shows up at this procedure without his wife, who has been so visible with him ever since these charges were filed?

MERRITT: I don't think that it is. I think you have to realize this is a very, very short proceed proceeding. He had to fly in and attend the hearing. There really was no reason for her to be here. And we just saw pictures of them the other night where he got the Teen Choice Award. I mean, it's clear they are still together. I just don't -- I think it would just have been seen as spin if she came with him. So I'm not surprised that she didn't come, and I wouldn't make anything of it.

Would you make anything of it Lester?

I'm not sure I'd make anything of it. This story for us in the media has everything anyway. It has sex, race, violence, celebrity, money. We don't need the wife present in the courtroom to add to the story. And as Jeralyn points out, we've seen plenty of her since Kobe Bryant was charged. Before he was charged, we never saw her. Since he's been charged, we see her all the time.

BLITZER: All right. Lester, I know you have to go. Thanks for your analysis. We'll certainly have you back. Jeralyn, stick around, because I want to get into the question of Mark Hurlbert, the 34- year-old district attorney who is going to be prosecuting this case. Not a whole lot of experience.

Is he up to the job of facing these celebrity defense attorneys?

MERRITT: You know, I think he will be up to the job. And I think good reason for that is because all of the other district attorney from the surrounding counties in Denver, and there's four of them, have offered to contribute not only prosecutors, but also people to help them draft their motions, respond to motions. Mark Hurlberg did co-try a first-degree murder trial in Breckenridge, which is adjoining to Eagle County last year. They thought to get a murder one conviction, they got murder two. But he's tried cases.

BLITZER: I have got to go. But thanks for joining us. We'll have you back.

Remember our hot "Web Question of the Day," should the Kobe Bryant trial be moved from Eagle, Colorado? You can vote. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's how you are weighing in on our "Web Question of the Day." We have been asking, should the Kobe Bryant trial be moved from Eagle, Colorado? Fifty four percent say, yes, 46 percent say, no. Remember this not a scientific poll.

Lets get to some of our e-mails.

Carol writes this, "The Kobe Bryant case is awful for everyone involved. But the most important point to be made is that none of this would have happened if the alleged victim had not been hanging around his room to begin with." Also, "Why Kobe's accuser went to his room and her previous sexual or emotional history make no difference. The only thing that matters is the evidence of what went on that night and proof of whether or not he assaulted her."

Much more coming up. Stay with "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT," he'll have complete coverage.

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





Colorado; U.S. Troops on the Ground in Liberia>


Aired August 6, 2003 - 17:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST: It's something none of us who follow professional basketball ever thought we'd see, Kobe Bryant in a court of law facing a felony sexual assault charge but that's precisely what's going to happen. We'll have extensive coverage. That's coming up on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): The Kobe Bryant case, just one hour from now the NBA superstar will appear in a Colorado courtroom. We'll take you inside where the judge will read the sexual assault charge and, outside, where it's been described as a media circus. We'll look back at Bryant's record on and off the court and ahead to the legal battle.

We'll go to Liberia where U.S. troops are on the ground.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Part of what we said we would do.

BLITZER: Israel frees hundreds of Palestinian prisoners but is it enough to keep the peace process going?

Did the Pentagon know enough to head off a deadly terror bombing in Indonesia?

And, a therapy meant to head off heart disease, does it work? We'll have the latest research.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: CNN live this hour WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, live from the nation's capital with correspondents from around the world. WOLF BLITZER REPORTS starts now.

BLITZER: It's Wednesday, August 06, 2003. Hello from Washington, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting.

We'll get to the Kobe Bryant story in just a moment, first though let's check headlines making news around the world right now.

We begin with three U.S. Black Hawk helicopters that are now on the ground in Monrovia, Liberia, on board a ten member advisory team that will assist hundreds of West African peacekeepers as they begin patrolling the besieged capital. The United Nations, meanwhile, is appealing for millions of dollars in humanitarian aid. We'll have more on this story. That's coming up.

President Bush is showing his support for Secretary of State Colin Powell. The two men appeared together outside a restaurant in Crawford, Texas. The president says Secretary Powell remains, and I'm quoting now, "completely engaged doing what he needs to do," but neither would confirm nor deny a report that Powell will not serve a second term.

Episcopal conservatives walked off the floor of their national legislative meeting earlier today. They're protesting the election of the Reverend Gene Robinson as the church's first openly gay bishop. There was also some angry dissent from Anglicans in many other parts of the world. The U.S. Episcopal Church is part of the global Anglican Communion.

We'll have much more on those stories coming up. Let's get back to the Kobe Bryant story. He's used to the spotlight but the big city superstar faces a different kind of attention in a small town. Instead of a basketball court, the setting right now is a courtroom and it's not a game being played but a real life drama centering around a sexual assault charge.

Let's go live to CNN's Rusty Dornin. She's in Eagle, Colorado. Rusty, just under an hour from now he should be showing up.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right and Kobe Bryant will not likely utter a word in that courtroom and he'll be in there perhaps all of ten minutes but there have been hoards of national and local media assembling here, of course, in anticipation of his every move.

To give you an idea of what's going on here at the Eagle County Courthouse, you can see on the front lawn of the courthouse photographers, reporters, and member of the community, some Kobe Bryant fans who have come here to see the superstar as he enters the courthouse.

And, right as you can see the area that's roped off, it's called the bullpen. That's where the reporters and photographers will be kept behind the line when Bryant makes his entrance into the courthouse.

Now, there are more than 30 satellite trucks here and more than 100 photographers, reporters, and producers here to capture this event. In court, as I said, he will not be uttering a word. He will hear the charges against him.

Also likely to be discussed a preliminary hearing, will he have one? Will that be waived? Also, the prosecution has asked for sanctions against some local law enforcement media for what they saw are leaks to the media. The judge could perhaps address that.

Now, ironically, Kobe Bryant will be coming here for his very first court appearance in this rape case but about two hours after he appears here he will be on the "Teen Choice Awards" that were taped over the weekend in Los Angeles where he received an award. That will be aired tonight just about two hours after Bryant is in court here.

However, he will not be receiving that kind of special attention when he comes here. He will be required to go through the front door of the courthouse and go through the special metal detector that has been set up specifically for this hearing. Kobe Bryant and his entourage will be required to go through that metal detector before they go into the hearing and he could be arriving at any time -- Wolf.

BLITZER: We'll be watching. We'll keep that picture up. Thanks very much Rusty Dornin.

Today's hearing is just one small step in what could be a long legal drama. The case is barely a month old and could last well into the next year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Kobe Bryant first came to Colorado for knee surgery. The night he arrived, June 30, was the night of the alleged assault. By the end of that week he was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault. The formal charge came two weeks later.

MARK HURLBERT, EAGLE COUNTY D.A.: The defendant was charged with one count of sexual assault, a Class 3 felony.

BLITZER: The same day Bryant issued a statement admitting adultery but denying any sexual assault; later, an emotional news conference.

KOBE BRYANT, DEFENDANT: I sit here before you guys embarrassed and ashamed for committing adultery but I'm innocent.

BLITZER: Now, Bryant's legal future has seemingly endless and ominous possibilities. A preliminary hearing where some evidence could be made public could come in the weeks ahead.

DAVID LUGERT, FORMER COLORADO ASST. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Today, you may see both the defense and the government in writing request a preliminary hearing.

BLITZER: If the trial is held it could be months, possibly even a year away. David Lugert, a former federal and state prosecutor in Colorado, says if Bryant is convicted on the charge filed against him the judge has two options for sentencing: Probation, the minimum sentence would be 20 years; or, what the judge would call an indeterminate number of years in prison. Lawyers say that could be from four years to life.

After sentencing, the judge would be out of it. The actual sentence served would be determined by the state probation department or the parole board and Bryant himself. After serving a minimum sentence, Lugert says, a convicted sex offender has to prove he has progressed in treatment and is no longer a threat to the community. Under Colorado law, whether he gets probation or prison, the offender has to undergo genetic testing, his DNA placed in a nationwide database. He has to register as a sex offender reporting at least once a year to local law enforcement and report any change of address within 30 days.

At any time he could be legally required to take a polygraph and a test that measures sexual arousal patterns. Some experts argue Colorado's laws are too invasive. Others say they at least give convicted sex offenders a chance to legally redeem themselves.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: So, who are the legal players in this real life courtroom drama? Pamela Mackey and Hal Hadden are defending Bryant. She's a former public defender in Eagle, County whom colleagues say is known for her passion and conviction. He's described as tough and shrewd with former clients including JonBenet Ramsey's father.

On the opposite side, District Attorney Mark Hurlbert, who grew up in the area. Although he has less than ten years actual legal experience, co-workers and friends say he's intelligent and well respected. He says he feels up to the high profile challenge.

For a closer look now at what's at stake for Kobe Bryant, his accuser, the other parties in this drama, let's turn to our CNN Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin outside the court in Eagle, Colorado. Jeffrey, I know you're going to be going inside once the proceedings get underway but this is a relatively modest deal what we're all bracing for right now.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: It really is. There's really only one issue that we expect will be discussed and that's the scheduling of the preliminary hearing. The defense has the right to ask for it within 30 days or they may ask for it delayed for more than 30 days.

I think the significance of it is to learn whether the defense thinks they want an immediate trial. They want to go as fast as they can or do they want to, as defendants usually do, take their time, learn more, investigate more, and hope that will time the prosecution's case will fall apart.

BLITZER: And, if they ask for a longer period of time before that actual first proceeding, what will that say to you?

TOOBIN: Well, that will say that they think that their investigation is something that they really need to pursue, that they are out there investigating the accuser, her background, the circumstances of what happened that night, potential witnesses.

And, you know, he is an unusual defendant in that he has the resources to hire private investigators and if they want a delay it says that they think this will be useful and they think that they are not ready at this point to go to trial or even to go to a preliminary hearing. BLITZER: Jeffrey Toobin, go inside. We'll be speaking to you after this hearing. Thanks very much for joining us.

TOOBIN: OK.

BLITZER: The case against Kobe Bryant is just the latest chapter in what has been a stellar career condensed in just 24 eventful years.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Kobe Bryant was born in Philadelphia, August 23, 1978 with basketball in his blood. His father, Joe "Jelly Bean" Bryant played eight seasons with the NBA and named his son after the famous Japanese steaks which he'd seen on a menu shortly before Kobe's birth.

In addition to the NBA, the older Bryant played for a time in Italy. Kobe spent eight years of his childhood there and learned to speak fluent Italian. He attended high school back in Pennsylvania, playing ball and leading his team to the state championships. He was named high school player of the year in 1996.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Charlotte Hornets select Kobe Bryant.

BLITZER: The same year he was picked by the Charlotte Hornets, who almost immediately trade him to the L.A. Lakers.

In 1996, he makes his NBA debut at 18 years two months and 11 days old the league's youngest player ever.

JOE BRYANT, FATHER: Not too many guys really had a chance to see Kobe, because the NBA players don't scout high school kids. So, when I think Kobe really decided to make this move I think there's a lot of people trying to gather information now and gather films. Oh, man, we got to see this kid.

BLITZER: Bryant's career skyrockets and starting in 2000 he helps lead the Lakers to three consecutive championships. Also in 2000, he meets his future wife, Vanessa Lane (ph). A year later they were married over his father's objections. They have one daughter born this past January.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The defense and the prosecution go head-to-head, we'll hear from both sides on the Kobe Bryant case, Robert Shapiro and Craig Silverman. They'll be joining me live.

Plus, U.S. troops on the ground in Liberia right now and a dictator clinging to power. We're live in Monrovia.

And, a dangerous mission in the hunt for Saddam Hussein, we'll take you on the search for a dictator, at least the former dictator with U.S. Troops.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: For a preview of today's hearing and the legal battle which is clearly developing, I'm joined from Eagle, Colorado by Craig Silverman. He spent 16 years in the Denver District Attorney's Office where he prosecuted dozens of rape cases.

Also joining me from Los Angeles the well known criminal defense attorney Robert Shapiro, he represented many celebrities, of course, including O.J. Simpson, other star athletes.

Thanks to both of you for joining us. Craig, first to you, did the judge in this particular case have any option but to mandate that Kobe Bryant appear at this relatively routine hearing today?

CRAIG SILVERMAN, FORMER DENVER PROSECUTOR: Yes. He had a lot of options. The Colorado Rule of Criminal Procedure 43 specifies certain hearings where a defendant must appear. An advisement hearing such as today is not one of them. This judge exercised his discretion and made Kobe Bryant appear.

BLITZER: Some people are suggesting, Bob Shapiro, that that was unfair to Kobe Bryant, only showboating, if you will. Is that a fair criticism of the judge?

ROBERT SHAPIRO: I'm sorry, Wolf, the audio is not working. Would you tell me what the statement was please?

BLITZER: The question, Craig is pointing out that the judge didn't necessarily have to force Kobe Bryant to make this personal appearance, this public appearance in the courtroom today. He had other options available but he forced him to come. Some are criticizing the judge for that. What do you say?

ROBERT SHAPIRO: I think in a felony case it's always appropriate and generally required that a person who is accused make a personal appearance so I don't find anything out of the ordinary about that.

SILVERMAN: Wolf, not here in fact. When the defense moved to waive his appearance the prosecution did not object. It was the judge that wanted this little show and a little show is what we're going to have today.

BLITZER: So, what you're suggesting, Craig, is both the defense attorneys representing Kobe Bryant, as well as the prosecution, they didn't demand that Kobe show up. That was only the judge who insisted he show up?

SILVERMAN: Precisely so and it's important to remember that this judge only has jurisdiction for a limited time. After the preliminary hearing it moves to a higher court. This is county court. It's going to go up to district court.

BLITZER: Bob Shapiro, if he were your client is it smart for him to be going out to public events like the "Teen Choice Awards" event over the weekend, the Espy Awards from ESPN? Is that smart for him to be doing this? SHAPIRO: You've asked probably the most challenging question a lawyer could get on a high profile person. Generally, my advice to people is to go about their life, do what they would normally do because if they are, in fact, innocent that's how an innocent person would behave rather than cloister themselves in a shell which is impossible for a high profile person in any event -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Is that the kind of advice you'd give your clients, Craig?

SILVERMAN: Yes. I have to agree, especially that "Teen Choice Awards." You then see a smiling, laughing, Kobe Bryant as he was at the Espy Awards. That might have been an inappropriate image but after all when he won an award and it's ironic that he won the Teen Choice Award particularly in light of the fact that he's accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old.

BLITZER: Bob Shapiro, as we wait to see Kobe's arrival, we have a live picture over at the courthouse. We'll put it up on the screen and show our viewers what we're waiting for. There is some speculation he may show up with his wife Vanessa. Would that be good legal strategy?

SHAPIRO: You know it's not legal strategy. I think people really try to over analyze what happens. Normally, if somebody is accused their spouse and their supporters will appear with them and I would find that to be highly regular and what people would expect.

BLITZER: Does it make much of a difference, Craig?

SILVERMAN: I think it does. Obviously, the defense is concerned about Kobe Bryant's image. That's why they didn't want cameras in the courtroom today. This is the equivalent of a perp walk and I expect Vanessa to be holding his hand and it's appropriate for her to do so.

But once he gets in front of the bar he's going to be flanked by his attorneys and that's an image that's going to be shown over and over internationally and it's an image that Kobe Bryant really wanted to avoid.

BLITZER: Bob Shapiro, Kobe Bryant is going to be on trial obviously but what about the accuser. The defense attorneys are going to put her almost on trial as well. How far should they be able to go in terms of looking at her history of perhaps mental problems or her sexual activity?

SHAPIRO: Wolf, the law in rape cases in America has changed dramatically over the last 20 years. We used to have a standard which said that charges such as these are easily brought and, once brought, are very, very difficult to defend.

So, therefore, view the testimony of the alleged victim with caution. That has been changed dramatically. We have gone to situations where people have been prosecuted for date rape and now it's gone to an extreme where people are being prosecuted for withdrawal of consent. BLITZER: What about that, Craig? You know the laws in California about rape and sexual -- in Colorado, that is, excuse me. You know the laws over there quite well. How much of her past will the judge do you believe allow to be admitted as evidence?

SILVERMAN: Well, it's interesting that Bob Shapiro cited that old instruction. There's a specific statute in Colorado which forbids that instruction about how a rape charge is easily brought and hard to defend. We do have a strong rape shield statute but it only addresses sexual conduct on the part of the alleged victim and it makes it presumptively inadmissible.

You can't try to overcome that presumption. Understand, though, that if the defense has evidence of overdoses and suicide attempts that has nothing to do with sexual conduct. They will try to get it in through other means and the trial court will decide it on a relevancy basis and it will be an interesting and important call by the trial court.

BLITZER: We're going to be calling on both of you a lot in the coming weeks and months. Craig Silverman, Bob Shapiro, thanks as usual for joining us.

SHAPIRO: You're welcome, thank you Wolf.

SILVERMAN: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: And here's your turn to weigh in on this story. Our web question of the day is this. "Should the Kobe Bryant trial be moved from Eagle, Colorado?" Well have the results later in this broadcast. You can vote right now at cnn.com/wolf.

While you're there, I'd love to hear directly from you. Send me your comments. I'll try to read some of them on the air on this program. That's also, of course, where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.

U.S. troops step up the hunt for Saddam Hussein. Coming up how troops are changing tactics and how they measure success in Iraq.

Also, U.S. forces fly into Liberia, what role will they play in a country ripped apart by civil war?

And later, the controversy over hormone replacement therapy and heart health, our Dr. Sanjay Gupta is live with a report out just this hour that may settle the issue at least for now. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: You're looking at a live picture of the courthouse. We're expecting Kobe Bryant to be showing up any moment now, a hearing scheduled at the top of the hour. In about a half an hour we'll have live coverage, much more coming up on that.

But, let's check some other news making headlines around the world right now. Hundreds of West African peacekeepers are set to begin patrolling the Liberian capital of Monrovia. The United Nations, meanwhile, is asking for a lot more money to help. We're going to be going live to Monrovia shortly to speak with our Jeff Koinange.

But first, let's move on and see what's happening in Iraq right now. It's become a daily routine for U.S. troops in Iraq, house-to- house raids designed to root out followers of Saddam Hussein and perhaps even the former Iraqi leader himself.

A primary target, Tikrit, that's where we find out Harris Whitbeck. He filed this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): High noon in the western Iraqi desert, soldiers and armored vehicles roar into position, testing their weapons before heading out on yet another raid in the area near Tikrit, the ancestral homeland of Saddam Hussein.

Storming into a house, the soldiers throw a man to the ground, his children cry out in fear. All the men are handcuffed and led away. Women and children kept well apart.

This scene is now routine in many parts of Iraq. The hunt for Saddam loyalists and those who attack coalition troops is relentless and it is now taking place at all hours.

(on camera): The military says it is changing some of its tactics because its objectives are too.

(voice-over): It's trying to prevent suspects from detecting patterns in the raids. That means more daytime operations.

CAPT. KENNETH N. REED, U.S. ARMY: Their aim is just like we are beginning to learn from our mistakes and get a little smarter, so it's just a game where you're attempting to keep him on his toes as well as he's trying to keep you on your toes.

WHITBECK: On this raid, soldiers find weapons, documents, and materials that could be used to build homemade bombs. Field officers say even if nothing is found the raids are a successful tactic.

REED: And, as long as you show that presence that helps to deter. If there's nothing but a deterrence, that's a success.

WHITBECK: But, as it deters new attacks, the U.S. must also gain the trust of the Iraqi population, a delicate balance to keep when a war is still being fought.

Harris Whitbeck CNN, Tikrit, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The courthouse in Eagle, Colorado, that's going to be the scene in about a half an hour. Kobe Bryant will face the music. He'll at least hear the charge against him, felony sexual assault. You're looking at a live picture. We'll have live coverage throughout this coming half hour, indeed throughout the hour ahead as well.

But we're following other stories that are breaking this hour, including this. Scott Peterson threatened with the death penalty, find out why his lawyers say he turned down the offer that potentially could have saved his life.

And, a cloning first, scientists push the medical envelope even further, lots of news breaking. We'll have it all for you. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The emotional scene as hundreds of Palestinian prisoners are granted freedom, coming up why many Palestinians are angry about how the release was handled.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: CNN live this hour, WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, live from the nation's capital, with correspondents from around the world.

Here now is WOLF BLITZER.

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN.

New raids in the hunt for Saddam Hussein. We'll take you on the mission with U.S. troops.

First let's check the latest headlines.

(NEWSBREAK)

BLITZER: At least 14 people died and more than 100 others were wounded in yesterday's bombing of an American-owned hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia. But did the Pentagon know weeks ahead of time that terrorists were up to something there?

Let's go live to our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, several developments today in Indonesia.

Now authorities saying it was a mobile phone that was used to detonate the car bomb outside that Marriott Hotel yesterday.

And police are now circulating a sketch. They say they have a sketch now of the man that they believe bought the car that contained the bomb. This man, this sketch, he bought -- they believe he bought the car about two weeks ago.

But developments also, as you say, here at the Pentagon. CNN has learned that the Defense Intelligence Agency, some time in the last three weeks or so, but before the Jakarta bombing, upgraded or updated its own threat assessment of what it thought was going on in Indonesia, warning U.S. military commanders again in the region that it had new information about the possibility of attacks by radical Islamic groups against so-called soft targets, restaurants, shopping malls, the kinds of areas that Americans might congregate.

The reason the DIA updated, upgraded its own warning was that in early July, of course, Indonesian authorities had arrested several suspects of the so-called J.I. group, the Jemaah Islamiyah, the radical Islamic group possibly tied to al Qaeda that had been -- that they believe was responsible for the bombing last year in Bali that killed some 200 people. They arrested these people and found documents, they say, that indicated the possibility of more attacks. That led military intelligence officials to update their warning.

But interestingly, Wolf, the State Department did not choose to update its travel warning to American citizens because it said that the information basically corroborated what it already knew, that there was a threat against soft targets in Indonesia and they felt they had issued a sufficient travel warning to Americans -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. Thanks, Barbara, very much.

Hundreds of West African peacekeepers are set to begin patrolling the capital, namely Monrovia. The United States, meanwhile, is sending in 10 people to assess the situation and accompany the peacekeepers.

Our Jeff Koinange is covering the situation in the besieged nation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(SINGING)

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The sounds of rebel defiance. These are LURD soldiers, an acronym for Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy.

They've been fighting for more than five years to overthrow President Charles Taylor. They control the entrance to Monrovia's strategic seaport, blocking access to much-needed food relief. They are determined to hold their position until they achieve what they say is their primary objective, the departure of Mr. Taylor. And they are prepared to make sure he leaves one way or the other.

The rebels don't look much different from Taylor's troops, from the ragtag looks, to the ever-present wigs, to the psychedelic colors.

And their tunes aren't much different, either. Here they praise themselves. "We are the lions from the jungle," they sing, referring to their bravery.

But the rebels have clearly lost credibility among Liberians caught in the crossfire of stray bullets and mortar shells, which have reduced many parts of the capital to rubble.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is not our primary adjective to kill a civilian. If it was done, they were accidental. But it is not our objective.

KOINANGE: One objective the rebels say they are determined to achieve is discipline. Anyone caught looting, they insist, will be dealt with immediately, including their own.

Commanders say this young rebel was caught in the act.

On the other side of the bridge, gun-toting government troops, tired of years of war, echo an already universal chant. This soldier overcome, realizing the fighting may soon be over.

Jeff Koinange, CNN, Monrovia, Liberia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Israel today freed hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. But the gesture fell flat in the West Bank and Gaza.

Our senior international correspondent Sheila MacVicar reports from the West Bank city of Ramallah.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Three hundred and thirty-eight men and one woman released today from Israeli detention, Israeli prisons. That's just a small part of the more than 6,000 Palestinians who remain in some form of Israeli custody. And it is that disparity in numbers, which in large measure has produced the subdued reaction to what Israel had intended to be seen as a gesture of good will.

Without question, those detainees who were released today, who returned home to their families and their communities, were welcomed. But the celebration was very subdued. If, in fact, the Israeli officials have been expecting to see or hoping to see scenes of celebration, with Palestinian officials, with families out in the streets and celebrating, that is simply -- did not take place. In large measure it did not take place because the Palestinians had expected first that more Palestinians would be released from detention and second, they point out that many of those who were released were due for release in a very short time in any case.

We this afternoon spoke to one man who told us that his sentence would have been up in 20 days. In any event, instead he is home today, three weeks early. But very much on the part of the Palestinians, what Israel had says it had intended to be seen was a goodwill gesture, this is a gesture which seemed to fall very far short of expectations.

Sheila MacVicar, CNN, Ramallah.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The Kobe Bryant case. We are await his arrival at the courthouse in Eagle, Colorado. You are looking at this live picture. We're expecting him to arrive momentarily. This hearing expected to be brief, scheduled to begin at the top of the hour or roughly thereafter. We'll have live coverage. All of this.

We're also about to take a closer look at the physical evidence. How important will it be when the actual trial starts? That could be months, maybe even a year down the road. We'll get to all of that.

First, let's take a look at some other news making headlines "Around the World"

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Anniversary of horror. Today's the 58th anniversary of the world's first atomic bomb attack. The United States dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945 during World War II, ultimately causing tens of thousands of deaths. Hiroshima's mayor marked the occasion with a speech condemning a global trend toward nuclear proliferation. A crowd of thousands, including survivors, children and dignitaries gathered to pray at Hiroshima's Peace Park.

Heat wave in Europe. Stifling heat is making life miserable across the continent. Record-breaking temperatures are worsening wildfires in Italy and other countries.

Cold drinks in hot water. You don't usually see Coke and Pepsi getting together on anything. But the two beverage giants are teaming up in defense against a campaign calling for a ban on the sale of their soft drinks in India. An independent Indian research body says that Pepsi and Coke sold there have dangerously high level of pesticides, an allegation both companies deny.

Gone with the wind -- a French windsurfer is off on her attempt to cross the pacific ocean after leaving Peru. She expects to reach Tahiti in 80 days. The 43-year-old left Lima, confident that she had chosen a good route with favorable winds.

And that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We're just minutes away from Kobe Bryant's scheduled court appearance in Eagle, Colorado. Joining me now to talk about the case, the "Sports Illustrated" legal analyst Lester Munson. He's at the CNN center in Atlanta. And from Denver, the criminal defense attorney, Jeralyn Merritt. You're looking at the live pictures just before, Jeralyn. Let me begin with you and ask you the question we've been asking our viewers. Can he get a fair trial in Eagle County, Colorado?

JERALYN MERRITT, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I don't think so and I think it's because the victim being from Eagle and being a prominent family there. The community becomes invested in her. It's going to be very difficult to find people who haven't made up their minds already as to whether they believe her or not. And it makes for an unlevel playing field. That's why I think it's unfair and the trial should be moved.

BLITZER: Moved to Denver? Would that be more appropriate?

MERRITT: Denver would definitely be the best because the population is more diverse. But he doesn't have the right to a change of venue to a place just because there would be more people, say, that were African-American. If the change -- if a change of venue is granted it would go to a place where the court docket could more easily accommodate the trial as opposed to some place that would be fairer to him population wise.

BLITZER: The picture our viewers are seeing on this screen, Jeralyn, I just want to point out to our viewers, that's where Kobe Bryant's car presumably will drive. He has to walk in through the main door at the court house there in Eagle County, Colorado. We're going to keep that picture up to see when his car does arrive. Should be momentarily.

Let me bring in Lester and ask you, is it a slam dunk that his attorneys will seek a change of venue?

LESTER MUNSON, "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED" LEGAL ANALYST: I think they will seek a change of venue, Wolf. I'm not sure what's going to happen. I think I agree with Jeralyn that the venue there is probably not going to work, but I would really be surprised if it were moved to Denver. He may obtain a change of venue and end up in really a similar position to what he's in there in Eagle County.

BLITZER: Talk a little bit, Jeralyn, about the rape shield law in Colorado. They're very strict. How far can his lawyers go in raising questions about her past once it comes down to it at trial.

MERRITT: Sure, we do have very strict laws in Colorado. And the rape shield law provides that there's a presumption that anything about her sexual history is not admissible. There are exceptions to it, for example, if the defense were to learn that she had a history of false reporting, of reporting that someone had raped her in the past that turned out to be false, then you can get around the rape shield statute. And there's a few other examples like that.

But the issue as to whether or not she overdosed or her mental state, that doesn't have anything to do with the rape shield statute because it doesn't involve sexual conduct and the rape shield statute only pertains to her sexual history.

BLITZER: The shield certainly -- her previous behavior, Lester, is going to a certain degree going to be on trial as well.

MUNSON: I'm not sure her previous behavior is going to be on trial, Wolf. The rape shield law is going to keep a lot of that away from the jury. I was involved in covering the Mike Tyson rape case, and in that case, there was an allegation that the victim had made a false report of a rape while she was still in high school. That material was never permitted in front of the jury that decided Mike Tyson's guilt.

So the way I look at it is the trial will focus on what happened in that hotel room, what happened in the hospital, immediately after, and that's going to be it. The jury is going to have to decide on those facts and those facts alone whether Kobe Bryant is guilty of a violent rape.

BLITZER: I think that's a good point, Jeralyn. Since it's a he says versus she says kind of allegation, the actual physical evidence and contemporaneous witnesses who may have something to add, that will all be critical in bolstering one side as opposed to the other.

MERRITT: That will, but I also believe that anything that would attack her credibility, her believability, as to the issue of consent will be admissible. Now the judges here in Colorado go to very great extent to try to protect the victim, but are statute specifically provides that false reporting can take a case outside of the rape shield statute and, again, her emotional state, as long as it can be deemed to be relevant to the issue of whether she consented, then it could come in. I'm not saying it will, but it could.

BLITZER: And the picture that we're seeing now, that's inside the court. We're juggling between outside and inside the courthouse in Eagle County. We are expecting Kobe Bryant's car, his entourage, indeed, to arrive with his attorneys momentarily. We'll, of course, being showing that to our viewers as we stand by for that.

But let me bring back Lester and get to the other key issue about potentially seeing when this trial might actually unfold. We've heard everything from a few months down the road to perhaps a year down the road. There would be a pretrial hearing that could number 30, 60 or perhaps 90 days. Explain to our viewers when we're likely to see and hear about that evidence and that pretrial hearing.

MUNSON: The lawyers and the judge will have to resolve today which of Colorado's preliminary hearing procedures they're going to follow. We'll probably see some of that on television here in a few minutes. The typical conventional defense wisdom is postpone the trial as long as you can. I'm not sure that Kobe Bryant and his defense team are going to adopt that posture. They may try to put the pressure on the prosecution by demanding an immediate trial. Something that has great public relations appeal, but is very risky.

BLITZER: All right, Lester.

We're looking at these cars that are now arriving. The silver car, we believe this SUV, this large car, Kobe Bryant is in this middle of three cars, the second of three cars. We expect him to be walking out into the courtroom right now as these doors get ready to be opened. Kobe Bryant, we'll be watching to see if he's joined by his wife Vanessa. We assume, of course, his attorneys will be there as well.

Kobe Bryant flying in today to Eagle County, Colorado from Los Angeles. The area where, of course, he lives, Newport Beach. Here he is, Kobe Bryant joined by his wife Vanessa. They are going to be walking in. There they are going inside the courtroom. That's not his wife, excuse me. That's his attorney Pamela Mackey as they walk in and his other attorneys are there as well. His wife Vanessa not accompanying him on this walk into the courthouse. Pamela Mackey, the woman in blue walking in first. Kobe Bryant, he's going to be going through this metal detector like anybody else walking into a state courthouse here in Eagle County, Colorado.

As we watch this unfold, you've been through this kind of procedure many times. It's all looking seemingly routine. This is anything but routine.

MERRITT: It is. And I think the hearing is going to be routine. I expect it to take five minutes maybe 10 minutes. He doesn't have to enter a plea today of guilty or not guilty. He just gets -- the judge will confirm he's received a copy of the charges and advise him of his rights. And his lawyers may even tell the judge that the judge doesn't need to do that because they've already done that.

BLITZER: And you can see as he's walking in, I don't know if you recognize the other individuals who are with him. We know his attorney Pamela Mackey is there.

Do you know, are these his other lawyers are members of his team?

MUNSON: I don't know, Wolf. I can't tell who they are.

MERRITT: I've seen Hal Hadden. I believe Hal Hadden is with him and that's Pamela Mackey and Hal Hadden will be coming through the metal detector next.

BLITZER: There he is, Kobe Bryant walking into this courtroom. I guess he's going to wait for the judge to show up and go through this hearing. There will be a live camera inside. The judge approving that. The judge demanding that Kobe Bryant show up for this formality, when he will be formally hearing the charge, felony, sexual assault against him, and then, of course, they'll be able to move on their way.

Were you surprised when the judge said, yes, he must show up for this hearing, even though the prosecution and the defense didn't demand that he show up for it?

MERRITT: I was very surprised because in my experience, and I've been practicing there a long time, when I represent a defendant who is from out of state, usually will file a motion to waive the presence for that appearance and it is usually granted. It is a very perfunctory appearance just to make sure they receive the charges and understand his right to a lawyer. So, I don't understand why the judge did not waive it, other than to let the public view Kobe Bryant in the courtroom.

BLITZER: Did you understand, Lester?

MUNSON: Why the judge would do that?

I think the judge did that because he did not want to appear to be giving Kobe Bryant any kind of special treatment. And just about all these celebrity cases that we've had in sports, Mike Tyson, Marv Albert, Mark Chmura, the tight end of the Green Bay Packers. The judges have uniformly bent over backwards to give the impression that the accused celebrity is not getting any special treatment.

BLITZER: All right, let's bring in -- stand by. I want our guests to stand by. Rusty Dornin is outside the courtroom. Rusty, give our viewers a sense of what's happening over there.

DORNIN: Well, when Kobe Bryant's entourage first entered the driveway, you heard a few cries. It sounded like cheers, but it was kind of hard to hear from across the street here. But you can see the people. There are a lot of people from the town of Eagle that have gathered to come see Kobe Bryant. There are even some Laker fans. There are some balloons in the parking lot, some yellow and purple balloons. You are also looking at what we call the bullpen, that where photographers are roped off there to take pictures of Bryant entering and leaving the courthouse. And of course, shop questions and that sort of thing.

Others members of the media who want to watch the courthouse hearing, there's only 22 seats inside the courtroom for the media. The others are going -- there's been a tent set up where other members of the media have gone or will go into to watch the proceedings live. We're just showing you now. We can show you now where that tent is, where the media will be watching the proceedings live from there.

Then they will all be coming, of course, back out to see Kobe Bryant exit. And we assume that that will be not long after the judge enters the courtroom. Because as we understand, this is a very short proceeding where the charges will be read aloud to Kobe Bryant. He'll not be making any kind of a plea. They will be discussing about whether he will be having a preliminary hearing or whether he will waive it, and then he'll exit the courtroom and presumably fly back to Los Angeles -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Is there any advance indication, Rusty, whether the attorneys, the prosecutor, the district attorney, Mark Hurlbert or one of his colleagues or the criminal defense attorneys, Pamela Mackey or her colleagues are expected to make a statement outside the courtroom after the procedure?

DORNIN: We have been told by the defense tern Hurlbert that he will not be making any kind of statements. But that also remains to be seen. Sometimes that does change if the defense team decides to make a statement outside the courtroom. Perhaps the D.A.'s office might step up and also make some kind of statement. But they did tell us that they will not be coming out.

BLITZER: All right. We're going to be standing by. Rusty will be standing by for us.

We'll bring back, Jeralyn Merritt. Jeralyn, when we saw Pamela Mackey, the woman who got out of the car with Kobe Bryant, his chief -- his legal defense, his criminal defense attorney, we didn't see his wife Vanessa. I mistakenly thought that when I saw the woman walk out, it not Vanessa. It was not Vanessa, it was Pamela Mackey.

Is this significant, the fact that he shows up at this procedure without his wife, who has been so visible with him ever since these charges were filed?

MERRITT: I don't think that it is. I think you have to realize this is a very, very short proceed proceeding. He had to fly in and attend the hearing. There really was no reason for her to be here. And we just saw pictures of them the other night where he got the Teen Choice Award. I mean, it's clear they are still together. I just don't -- I think it would just have been seen as spin if she came with him. So I'm not surprised that she didn't come, and I wouldn't make anything of it.

Would you make anything of it Lester?

I'm not sure I'd make anything of it. This story for us in the media has everything anyway. It has sex, race, violence, celebrity, money. We don't need the wife present in the courtroom to add to the story. And as Jeralyn points out, we've seen plenty of her since Kobe Bryant was charged. Before he was charged, we never saw her. Since he's been charged, we see her all the time.

BLITZER: All right. Lester, I know you have to go. Thanks for your analysis. We'll certainly have you back. Jeralyn, stick around, because I want to get into the question of Mark Hurlbert, the 34- year-old district attorney who is going to be prosecuting this case. Not a whole lot of experience.

Is he up to the job of facing these celebrity defense attorneys?

MERRITT: You know, I think he will be up to the job. And I think good reason for that is because all of the other district attorney from the surrounding counties in Denver, and there's four of them, have offered to contribute not only prosecutors, but also people to help them draft their motions, respond to motions. Mark Hurlberg did co-try a first-degree murder trial in Breckenridge, which is adjoining to Eagle County last year. They thought to get a murder one conviction, they got murder two. But he's tried cases.

BLITZER: I have got to go. But thanks for joining us. We'll have you back.

Remember our hot "Web Question of the Day," should the Kobe Bryant trial be moved from Eagle, Colorado? You can vote. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's how you are weighing in on our "Web Question of the Day." We have been asking, should the Kobe Bryant trial be moved from Eagle, Colorado? Fifty four percent say, yes, 46 percent say, no. Remember this not a scientific poll.

Lets get to some of our e-mails.

Carol writes this, "The Kobe Bryant case is awful for everyone involved. But the most important point to be made is that none of this would have happened if the alleged victim had not been hanging around his room to begin with." Also, "Why Kobe's accuser went to his room and her previous sexual or emotional history make no difference. The only thing that matters is the evidence of what went on that night and proof of whether or not he assaulted her."

Much more coming up. Stay with "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT," he'll have complete coverage.

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





Colorado; U.S. Troops on the Ground in Liberia>