EAGLE, COLO. Bryant set for 'mundane' hearing

But there are no guarantees in the highly-publicized sexual assualt case.
EAGLE, Colo. (AP) -- Preliminary court appearances are supposed to be mundane, but with the surprises so far in the early goings of the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case, there are no guarantees.
The 25-year-old Los Angeles Lakers guard was scheduled to appear this morning for the first time before state District Judge Terry Ruckriegle, who is slated to preside over the trial, if the case gets that far.
At an initial appearance, a judge usually advises a defendant of his rights, the charge against him and the penalty he faces if convicted -- in Bryant's case, four years to life in prison and 20 years to life on probation.
Bryant is accused of raping a 19-year-old woman June 30 at a mountain resort near Edwards where she worked and he was a guest. Bryant says the two had consensual sex.
Few guarantees
Prosecutors and court officials don't expect Bryant to enter a plea until his arraignment, which hasn't been scheduled. But there have been surprises in other hearings.
"Generally, the first appearance is the most mundane of hearings, but who knows?" said Dan Recht, past president of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar.
After Bryant enters his plea, state law requires the trial must be scheduled within six months unless he waives the speedy-trial right. Bryant's attorneys probably will ask for an arraignment later to delay the start of the trial, Recht said.
"My guess is the defense wants the trial to start after the basketball season," Recht said.
Past appearances
Bryant's previous court appearances were before an Eagle County judge, whose job was to determine whether the evidence was sufficient for a trial.
During his preliminary hearing last month, a sheriff's investigator testified the woman's blood was found on Bryant's T-shirt. Defense attorneys suggested the woman was promiscuous.
Attorneys for media organizations, including The Associated Press, are appealing a judge's decisions to close portions of that hearing involving testimony about Bryant's statements to police.
In filings made public Wednesday, media attorneys argued Eagle County Judge Frederick Gannett wrongly concluded Bryant's fair-trial rights would be threatened by leaving the preliminary hearing and records open to the public. The attorneys also asked to be allowed to present oral arguments on unsealing the records from the preliminary hearing.
Many other court records and investigative files remain sealed.