Reactions mixed to Bryant charge

Deirdre Newman and Lolita Harper

Customers of sports bars in Costa Mesa had mixed opinions about the

case of NBA basketball star and Newport Coast resident Kobe Bryant

after the Friday announcement that he was being charged for sexual

assault.

The felony charge was filed in Colorado against Bryant, a guard

with the Los Angeles Lakers, for a June 30 rendezvous with a

19-year-old woman. If found guilty, he could face four years to life

in prison.

Hours after the charge was announced, Bryant held a press

conference at the Lakers’ home, Staples Center. “I’m innocent,” he

repeated several times.

Bryant did admit committing adultery with the woman, but said it

was consensual.

Bryant, who is married with a young daughter, owns a house in

Newport Coast. He traveled to Colorado in June to undergo

arthroscopic knee surgery at the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic in Vail. The

encounter between him and the victim reportedly happened in his room

at the spa where he was staying.

At the Corner Office in the South Coast Metro area, many rushed to

Bryant’s defense.

“He’s innocent till proven guilty, but that’s not what the media

thinks,” said David Hay, 28, of La Palma.

Others said they don’t have faith in the court system to ferret

out what really happened.

“I don’t think too many people trust our criminal justice system

to sort out who belongs in prison and who doesn’t,” said Chris

Lineberger, 21, of Long Beach.

Karen Hurdle, 29, of Laguna Hills, said she believed Bryant was

only guilty of making an error in judgment.

“I think whatever he did, he’s still a good guy, and everyone

makes mistakes,” Hurdle said. “He and his wife are young and they can

work through this. I don’t think he committed any crime.”

Over at Skosh Monahan’s, people were less forgiving.

“Dumb is what dumb does,” said Bob Phillips, 41, of Newport Beach.

“If you’re worth $20 million a year, yeah, let’s jeopardize that for

45 minutes.”

Others echoed that sentiment.

“He’s an idiot,” said Lee Griswald, 40, of Newport Beach.

John Depko, a senior investigator for the Orange County public

defender’s office, said it’s going to be tricky for a jury, if it

comes to that, to determine which side is telling the truth.

“It’s he said, she said,” said Depko, 55, of Costa Mesa. “The

whole case will come down to what happened in that room. Absent a

videotape or a neighbor in the next room, it’s a tough case.”

An hour after the charges were announced, media vans and news

helicopters surrounded the guard gates off Pelican Hills Road near

Bryant’s home. Passersby slowed down and asked what the fuss was

about. Told about the charges against Bryant, they gave a knowing nod

and rolled their windows back up.

Security guards were strict about access to the superstar

resident’s neighborhood. Two guards, who refused to give their names,

said they would not let any media through the gates and would not

make any statements.

He is free on $25,000 bail. He will return to Eagle, Colo., on

Aug. 6 for a hearing.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa and may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman@latimes.com.

* LOLITA HARPER covers culture and the arts. She may be reached at

(949) 574-4275 or by e-mail at lolita.harper@latimes.com.