Prosecutor Ready for Spotlight (Kobe Bryant case)

By MIKE WISE and ALEX MARKELS

BRECKENRIDGE, Colo., July 21 - Mark D. Hurlbert, the prosecutor who will try Kobe Bryant on a charge of sexual assault, has heard all the daunting tales about small-town, cash-poor district attorney's offices taking on legal dream teams.

But when Hurlbert recently met the man who prosecuted a successful murder case against the Kennedy family scion Michael C. Skakel, he suddenly had a role model. He figured that if Jonathan Benedict, the state's attorney for Connecticut's Fairfield Judicial District, had won a high-profile case, so could he.

"That gives me hope," Hurlbert said during a two-hour interview at his office on Sunday. "It shows that you can get these convictions despite the money and the media attention."

At 4 a.m. today, Hurlbert, a 34-year-old prosecutor, was shuttled between national television remotes, telling anchors in Manhattan studios, "I can't discuss the facts of the case." The network morning shows had come to this Summit County hamlet and set up their satellite trucks before dawn, just to interview him.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/22/sports/basketball/22hurlbert.html?ex=1059451200&en=69dbbec8b5d1017c&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

why didn't he wear a condom?" She was a stranger, why would he take a chance of getting a desease?

of course we don't know if he wore one or if he raped her or not.

in a hotel room should carry condoms or they're rapists?

Was this said on the news?

I just thought he had a valid point.

It seems like Kobe's new look happened fairly recently--just wondering if there's any connection with the incident. I know that often when actual rape occurs, the victim may grab and tear out some hair of the attacker when defending themself.

I think to be fair to all parties we should suspend judgement before trial, or at least until we hear more about the actual evidence in the case.

Very funny response... I must say I HATE THIS TRIAL... I hate all the innane comments... the superficial barbs from all those that believe themselves clarvoyant and I WISH DU WOULD BAN IT FROM BEING DISCUSSED...

okay.

now that I got that out of my system. Megaplayboy, while not sure about that name of yours... your comment cracked me up.

The dude is married and he's fucking the hotel staff. I honestly don't care if the jury convicts him I just hope his wife Bobbitizes him.

It really disgusts me that no one seems to care that even if he didn't rape this girl he's STILL a schmuck. It's just expected of our sports "heroes" now. Y'all realize there are still people around who actually LIKE Mike Tyson? If that doesn't speak volumes about our culture nothing will. Welcome to Rome.

:grr:

How do you get by on a daily basis? With people starving, dying and enslaving....

you are over the edge with the Bobbitizes comment. We do have divorce in this country.

As for it being expected of our sports "heroes", where have you been. I thought it was expected of our presidential "heroes". I was much more upset about that. Sport figures are making the claim that they can play a sport, political leaders make the claim that they can lead.

..that know Mr. Bryant is a schmuck. People keep talking about how he's spoiled his "image." Only the most naive truly buy the mystical aura about nice-guy sports figures put out by the press and think that these guys aren't enjoying the sort of decadent lifestyle those under 35 with millions of dollars could enjoy.

I know many of these athletes are drug abusers, adulterers or just arrogrant. It's one of the many things I have to swallow as a sports fan.

with big time connections with ruthless republicans.

By Kevin Jackson the coordinating editor for ESPN.com.

small snip

On Sunday morning, I bumped into a fellow sports journalist who offered the following word of warning to me about the Kobe case: "Man, be careful what you say about this case around women. I was at a party Saturday night, and all I said was, 'Kobe made a pretty big mistake,' and a couple of women still jumped all over me."

Well, sorry, guys, but I understand why so many women are so outraged. I also understand why so many rape victims never come forward.

If this case does indeed turn into a he-said, she-said, I'm not going to blindly assume everything he says is true. And I'd at least like to withhold my final judgment until I hear what she has to say.


Article already posted here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=79152&mesg_id=79152&page=

spare me the pollution of my favorite boards with this kind of distraction...i thought i could avoid it by coming here, sorry to see the espn-ing of "news" infecting this site.

it is I that is responsible for all the focus on this subject.

Interesting that is how you would read it. Believe me I am with you.
I have already once suggested DU BAN THE TOPIC FROM THE FORUM

Unfortunately everday I have to come onto this forum and see YET ANOTHER thread has been opened. As a rape surivor I feel compelled
to speak my mind since it seems I can not escape this fucking subject, either, and it triggers emotions that I would prefer could be forgotten, but for all the constant reminder since the fucking trial has taken center stage. You will excuse me "oh great God of all things Worldly" if once triggered by this farce we call "high minded thinking"(particularly on this subject) that at the very least I can be allowed to speak my mind. However inconvient it may be for all the Gods and Goddesses. Especially since I am not the one responsible for opening any of the Kobe threads, with the exception of the one thread in General Discusion on WHO SPEAKS FOR THE VICTIM!! It is the only thread I have opened on this fucking topic.

Funny that it or I would be the irritant in this thread for you GOD OF ALL WORLDLY THINGS AND WONDER!!

Edited by Emilie Buchwald Pamela R Fletcher and Martha Roth (1993)
If you havn't read this book and find it hard to understand how integrated rape has become with our culture, this is an excellant source of information with contributions from all walks of life and ideologies.

After all these years having to deal with this issue from crisis to DELAYED post rape trauma triggered by none other than 9/11, it seems what has transpired naturally is an empirical understanding of the mechanics at play here. These mechanisms is what I feel, more than this current high profile trial itself, is what needs to be addressed, however difficult it might be for some to grasp this. I do understand what a pain in the ass it might seem to them. On the other hand, they must at the very least understand that it is difficult NOT to be vocal, ESPECIALLY when, in light of this high profile trial, we are faced with the preconditioning and the assortment of mechanics at play here, as well as all of the insensitivity and subjectivity that implies. It is difficult to ignore. If they are allowed space here to air their insulting bias, I feel I should be allowed equal time to comment on it.

Thanks for the book recommendation. I will pick it up, probably it will be much more eloquent than I could ever hope to be on the topic.