Jameika Williams, a former girlfriend of Kobe Bryant, has thrown her support behind him. She and Kobe dated in 1997, when she was 19 and he was 18. He was already playing for the Lakers, but not a big star. Here are some of her comments on Larry King Live last night [Transcript available at Lexis.com ]:

KING: How did you hear about what happened to him?

WILLIAMS: Well, just watching the news coverage. And it basically shocked me. I couldn't believe that he could be possibly charged with sexual assault.

KING: In other words, your first reaction was this was not possible.

WILLIAMS: My first reaction was this was not responsible. That's not the Kobe Bryant that I knew.

KING: He never was rough with you or in any way...

WILLIAMS: Never rough.

KING: ... other than non-gentlemanly.

WILLIAMS: Not -- never rough, never aggressive.

KING: Would it be -- since you're going to be a lawyer, would you -- since you're learning about courts and the like, would you be a character witness?

WILLIAMS: Possibly. I wouldn't mind testifying as to his good character.

KING: In other words, if they asked you, you would go.

WILLIAMS: Yes. Definitely.

Here is the timeline of events in the Kobe Bryant case, courtesy of the Denver Post:

June 30: Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and three associates check into The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera, a $360- to $700-a-night resort hotel in Edwards, about 10 p.m.

10:15 p.m.: Bryant moves around the lobby.

11 p.m.: A 19-year-old woman who works at the hotel as a concierge and receptionist goes off duty.

11:13 p.m.: A phone call lasting a few minutes is placed from Bryant's room to what is believed to be his Newport Beach, Calif., home, where his wife, Vanessa, and young daughter are staying.

Before midnight: Bryant's accuser goes to his room and stays for an undetermined length of time, according to several hotel employees.

July 1, morning: Bryant has arthroscopic surgery on his right knee at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Vail.

Midday: The woman, accompanied by her parents, reports the alleged sexual assault to the Eagle County Sheriff's Department.

Here is the text of the statement Kobe Bryant's lawyer, Pamela Mackey, gave at the Friday night press conference in Los Angeles:

Kobe Bryant is innocent of the charges that were filed against him today. He stands falsely accused, falsely accused of an extremely serious crime, a crime that carries with it the potential of a life sentence.

No prosecutor should file charges unless the evidence is so strong that the case can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The evidence in this case falls far, far short of that standard. The accusations in this case cannot be proven because they are false. Kobe Bryant did not assault his accuser. Kobe Bryant will plead not guilty. He will request that this case be tried to a Colorado jury. His defense is that what happened on June 30th in Eagle County was a sexual encounter between two consenting adults. He had no reason to believe otherwise. The physical evidence in this case totally supports his belief.

His actions since these accusations were made have been those of an innocent man. He has cooperated fully with every demand, every request made by the sheriff's office and the district attorney's office.

We do not intend to discuss the facts or the evidence of this case because we do not intend to try this case in the press. We intend to try this case to a Colorado jury, and we are confident that a fair and impartial jury will find that Kobe Bryant is innocent.

Every citizen -- every citizen is entitled to an impartial jury. The sheriff in Eagle County and certain of his deputies insist on making public inappropriate statements, statements that are endangering our ability to select a fair and impartial jury. It must stop. If it doesn't, we will ask the court to enter an order stopping the inappropriate comments that continue to be made.

I want to repeat, we will not try this case in the press. We will try it to a Colorado jury, and we are confident that a Colorado jury will find that Mr. Kobe Bryant is innocent. Thank you.

[source: Lexis.com]

[comments now closed]

From last night's On The Record ( Fox News Channel) (via Lexis.com)

(Guest Anchor Laurie Dhue:) Doctor, can the doctors tell the difference between consensual and non-consensual intercourse? And how do they do that?

DR. MICHAEL BADEN, FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST: No, Laurie. Usually, a physician can't tell consensual from non-consensual. They can tell whether there's been intercourse or not intercourse, but not whether it's consensual because one can have bruises and certain injuries from consensual sex and one can have no injuries from non-consensual sex.

Update: You can view the Complaint against Kobe Bryant here.

Here is the text of Kobe Bryant's statement, made following the announcement by the Eagle, Colorado District Attorney that one count of sexual assault will be filed against Kobe:

I am innocent of the charges filed today. I did not assault the woman who is accusing me. I made the mistake of adultery. I have to answer to my wife and my God for my actions that night and I pray that both will forgive me. Nothing that happened June 30th was against the will of the woman who now falsely accuses me. These false allegations have hurt my family. I will fight against these allegations with all my strength. My wife is the strongest person I know. She is willing to stand by me despite my mistake. That means everything to me. I have so much to live for. And by that I do not mean the contracts, or the money, or the fame. I mean my family. I will fight for them. I appreciate all those who have supported me. Thank you for believing in me. My family and I are going to need your support and prayers now more than ever."

Text of Vanessa Bryant's Statement:

"I know that my husband has made a mistake -- the mistake of adultery. He and I will have to deal with that within our marriage, and we will do so. He is not a criminal. I know that he did not commit a crime, he did not assault anyone. He is a loving and kind husband and father. I believe in his innocence. Because I know him to be innocent, I will stand by him and we will face this together. I will give him all the strength and support he needs to face these false accusations. I will not let him face these accusations alone. I know Kobe better than anyone. The great person you see on the court and in the public is a far greater person off the court."

NBA Commissioner David Stern's statement:

"As with all allegations of a criminal nature, the NBA's policy is to await the outcome of a judicial proceeding before taking any action. We do not anticipate making further comments during the pendency of the judicial process."

The two most critical things to remember:

• A criminal charge filed in Court is an accusation, not evidence. Kobe Bryant is no more guilty today than he was yesterday by virtue of the District Attorney's decision. His belief that he can prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt may or may not prove accurate.

• The charge is extremely serious. Colorado has indeterminate sentencing on sexual assault charges. The minimum is four years. The maximum is life. The Judge sets the minimum, but the Parole Board decides when, if ever, to let him out. While the Judge could sentence Kobe Bryant to probation instead of jail if convicted, it would have to be for a term of between 20 years to life, during which time he would have to undergo extremely rigorous sex offender treatment. He would have to register as a sex offender for life, wherever he lived.

Kobe Bryant has been charged with one count of felony sexual assault, a class three felony, punishable by a prison term of between four years to life. If convicted and granted probation, ithe probationary term will be between 20 years and life.

The DA said he considered testimony, physical evidence, statutes, case law and advice from several DA's around the state. He said Kobe was treated the same as everyone else.

Yes, we know we've written a lot on the Kobe Bryant case. But we think it is a prime example of how politics gets mixed up in the criminal justice system, which is what TalkLeft is all about. You've got a rural county with limited resources, top flight defense attorneys, a prominent defendant with virtually unlimited resources.

The DA is going to announce his decision at 5pm EST. Here are the possible options as we see them. For those who are interested, we'll be discussing it tonight on the O'Reilly Factor at 8 pm EST (6pm MT); Saturday night at 10 pm EST on Geraldo Rivera At Large, Sunday on Fox News Live at 2:35 pm EST. For those of you in Colorado, tune in Saturday at 1:00 pm MT to KNRC Talk Radio where we'll be discussing the case for the full hour in the context of how justice differs for the rich and poor.

We've written about many other substantive issues today for those of you who aren't interested in the Kobe Bryant case. We're gone for the rest of the day as our best friend is getting married tonight. Politics, crime and weblogs will just have to wait until tomorrow.

We were just told that Mark Hurlburt, District Attorney for Eagle County, Colorado, will make an announcement on Kobe Bryant Friday, at 3pm.

Here are what we see as the possible outcomes he might announce: (in no particular order):

• No Charges - He does not believe he can prove Kobe committed a crime beyond a reasonable doubt.

• No Charges - Alleged victim has requested to withdraw her complaint. DA doesn't think he can prove a crime without her testimony.

• No Charges - Investigation has revealed Kobe is innocent of any wrongdoing

• No Charges - He is going to turn it over to a grand jury

• Misdemeanor Offense: Unlawful Sexual Contact and/or or False Imprisonment

• Felony Offense: Sexual Assault (could be coupled with False Imprisonment)

We've heard so many different stories by now, we hesitate to make a prediction. If we had to guess, we'd go with No charges--He does not believe he can prove Kobe committed a crime beyond a reasonable doubt.

The 19 year old woman who alleged that she was sexually assaulted by Kobe Bryant asked her friends to appear on the morning news shows to say she is distraught and wants the media to let her alone. The friend said "She didn't know what was going to happen to her."

We were in court today on one of our cases in Eagle County where charges are being considered by the district attorney. There was virtually no media, only one SUV outside the courthouse with three people set up under an umbrella of sorts, and a local publisher. But the air was tense and you could feel things weren't normal.

The rumors were flying, and we heard several different scenarios from local lawyers and others who had information from people they believed to be "reliable sources." While the rumors all differed, none of them thought Kobe Bryant ultimately would be charged.

So while we have no inside information of our own, based upon what we heard today, we think it is a distinct possibility that the 19 year old may withdraw her charge, making it easier for the DA not to file charges. There seemed to be a consensus at the courthouse among those we spoke with that whatever happened did not involve a sexual assault, that it would boil down to "he said-she said," and that there are problems with the she-said version.

We're going to quit now while we are ahead as we don't want to judge the case solely on rumor. We just hope it's going to be amicably worked out by all the parties involved. This is a lose-lose case for everyone.

The San Francisco Chronicle has some new details in the possible sexual assault charge against Kobe Bryant. The DNA test results could be announced Monday. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation all but confirms the case is a "he said, she said" by this comment:

We're looking for any exchange of bodily fluids. The idea is to shed some light on the victim's story or the suspect's story and corroborate either one, " said Pet Mang, deputy director of the Colorado Bureau of Investigations.

No one really knows what the 19 year old woman's job was at the Cordillera Lodge. That may be because the lodge is so small that everyone "multi-tasks."
The Chronicle alleges that Kobe and the woman were "flirting" when he checked in--and that later, she was "apparently summoned" to Bryant's room.

Kobe Bryant was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times Saturday. He asserted his innocence:

When everything comes clean, it will all be fine, you'll see," Bryant said during a brief telephone interview with the Los Angeles Times.

Bryant declined to discuss the case but said, "But you guys know me. I shouldn't have to say anything. You know I would never do something like that."

Bryant sounded surprised at the rumors being spread about that night. "Man, there's a lot of crazy stories out there," he said.

FOXNews.com reports that the District Attorney in Eagle, Colorado won't decide whether to file charges against Kobe Bryant until next week. We have court there on Monday, we'll report any buzz we hear.

The Feminist Daily News has this report and action alert on the delay in William Pryor's 11 Circuit confirmation hearing.

The judge in the Robert Blake case has denied a defense request to examine a woman with potentially exculpatory information in advance of trial. The witness allegedly heard Marlon Brando's son Christian comment that Blake's wife "should be shot."

A Lousiana Court has banned the state from issuing "Choose Life" license plates, ruling it infringes on free speech. We always thought the plates could double as an anti-death penalty message.

Gary Condit's wife has settled her libel suit with the National Enquirer. The paper erroneously wrote that Mrs. Condit "story that said she berated Chandra Levy days before the Washington intern disappeared."

Democratic presidential contender John Kerry has called upon President Bush to "tell the truth" about Iraq.

We're off to the Big Apple to do some tv stuff, back Saturday. If we can, we'll post from there. Either way, don't forget to check in with the great sites listed on the right side of TalkLeft--we read them every day, and lately, with all the breaking crime news, haven't touted them or linked to them as much as we should.