Closed Bryant hearing may be asked
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Kobe Bryant
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(CNN) -- The prosecution in the rape case against basketball star Kobe Bryant said Thursday it may ask for media to be barred from a preliminary hearing scheduled October 9.
District Attorney Mark Hurlbert of Eagle County, Colorado, is "evaluating whether to ask the judge for the hearing to be completely closed to the press," Hurlbert spokeswoman Krista Flannigan said.
The prosecution has already submitted a motion to Judge Fred Gannett asking for cameras to be barred from the hearing, where the evidence against Bryant would be laid out for the first time.
Flannigan said Hurlbert was weighing whether the information is so sensitive that its release would infringe on Bryant's right to a fair trial and the accuser's right to privacy.
On rare occasions in Colorado, such hearings have been closed to the news media.
Also Thursday, Flannigan said the prosecution would not appeal the judge's decision last week to unseal some of the court documents, saying that release of the information "will not harm the victim's right to a fair trial."
The defense has not said whether it plans to challenge the release.
Bryant is accused of raping a 19-year-old hotel employee June 30, when he was a guest at a mountain lodge in Edwards, Colorado, just west of the Vail ski resort.
Bryant, 24, is married and has a 7-month-old daughter. He acknowledges he had sex with the woman but insists it was consensual and that he did not assault her.
If convicted, the Los Angeles Lakers star could face a sentence of four years to life in prison. If sentenced to a term of probation, he would receive 20 years to life. He could also face a fine of up to $750,000.
CNN correspondent Gary Tuchman contributed to this story.
