Denver — Three months after prosecutors dropped a sexual-assault charge against Kobe Bryant, attorneys for the NBA player prepared to return to court for the first hearing in a civil lawsuit filed by his accuser.
Neither Bryant nor the 20-year-old woman was expected in federal court for today's hearing in the suit, which seeks unspecified damages for pain, ridicule and scorn the woman says she has suffered since her encounter with Bryant at a Vail-area resort in June 2003.
"Now it becomes a question of whether he or she are looking for some form of public vindication through a civil trial," said Denver attorney Craig Silverman.
The woman filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Aug. 10, about three weeks before she told prosecutors she no longer wanted to participate in the criminal case.
Today's hearing is expected to be routine, devoted mostly to setting deadlines and schedules, but court rules allow for a broad range of other actions.
"This is one of the first minor pressure points in the case," Silverman said. "Pressure points can sometimes lead to settlements, but I would be surprised if that was announced."
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