Bryant judge frustrated by gaffes in case
www.smdailyjournal.org/ar...ryID=34441
By Steven K. Paulson, AP
EAGLE, Colo. — The judge who dismissed the rape case against NBA star Kobe Bryant expressed frustration in an interview Thursday, saying a series of embarrassing courthouse mistakes should serve as a warning against taking money away from the judiciary.
District Judge Terry Ruckriegle recalled looking into the eyes of the alleged victim’s parents during a July court session and apologizing for the gaffes, which included the posting of her name on a state courts site. Twice.
Sitting in his largely empty courtroom less than 24 hours after Bryant walked away from a case that could have landed him in prison for life, a weary-looking Ruckriegle declined to discuss details of a case that has consumed him for months. But he said it should serve as “exhibit A” in the argument against slashing court system budgets.
“This is a nationwide problem,” he said. “This is no longer a potential impact, it’s a very real impact.”
Ruckriegle dismissed the case late Wednesday after an attorney for the alleged victim said she no longer wanted to participate. The attorney, John Clune, cited a long series of mistakes, including the release of her name in court do ents and a goof that sent her medical records to attorneys in the case.
As a result, Clune said, the 20-year-old woman was harassed, ridiculed and threatened — more than enough reason to drop out. She demanded a promise from the judge that charges would never be refiled because she wanted no more involvement with the criminal courts. Ruckriegle reluctantly granted her wish.
The judge felt strongly enough about the budget woes to sound off about it in open court as he threw out the felony sexual assault charge against the Los Angeles Lakers star.
A day later, he said he had received messages from judges in other states thanking him for pointing out problems in the Bryant case resulting from budget cuts and noting similar problems.
The 57-year-old judge said he tried to warn state officials three years ago cuts were forcing staff cutbacks and higher workloads. Dan Hopkins, a spokesman for Gov. Bill Owens, said it was unfair to blame mistakes on budget cuts.
“I don’t think that argument would fly with state agencies, and I don’t think they will find that argument flies with the judicial department either,” Hopkins said.
Chuck Turner, executive director of the Colorado Bar Association, said it is up to state leaders to provide money for essential services like courts, even if it means going to the voters and making a case to increase taxes.
Ruckriegle said cutbacks have affected other cases, including a preliminary hearing in a murder case that had to be held twice because the tape machine failed and there were no clerks to take transcripts.
District Court administrator Chris Yuhas said she had to fire three of her four court reporters after the state economy went into decline three years ago and state agencies were ordered to cut their budgets. She said the Bryant case forced her undermanned department to look for ways to get case do ents to scores of reporters hungry for information.
She said it normally takes three days to review and post court do ents, and posting the do ents on a state courts Web site offered a quick solution. The vast majority of filings in the case were fine. But the alleged victim’s name showed up on two separate occasions, and then a court reporter accidentally e-mailed transcripts from a closed hearing to news organizations that eventually published the sordid details about the woman’s sexual activities.
That led to demands for the judge to scrap the use of electronic media to handle information in the case. He said no.
Ruckriegle said he decided to continue posting do ents on the Web site because there was no short-term solution. He said he still plans to use the Internet for future court cases.
“Before the Wright brothers took off, a lot of planes crashed, but they didn’t abandon the technology,” Ruckriegle said. “We can’t afford to let one case affect advances in the justice system.”