Denver
Prosecutors in Kobe Bryant’s rape case suffered a string of setbacks this week, fueling speculation that they would drop all charges against the basketball star. Judge Terry Ruckriegle turned down their request to delay the trial, now set to start Aug. 27. Then they lost an appeal of Ruckriegle’s decision to let the defense present evidence that the hotel worker who’s accused Bryant of raping her had sex with another man less than 15 hours later. Defense lawyers say the other man may have caused injuries she blames on Bryant. As the prosecution unraveled, the accuser decided to sue Bryant in civil court, and is reportedly reconsidering whether she’ll testify in the criminal case. Her father wrote Ruckriegle, saying, “My family and I have lost trust that we can obtain a fair trial in your court.”
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