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Thursday, September 2, 2004
AGGIELIFE:
Texas country artist
to head up Bryan
concert Saturday
Page 3A
Volume 111 • Issue 5 • 16 pages A Texas A&M Tradition Since 1893 ^ww.theban.com
PACE DESIGN BY: JEFFERSON LOTSPEICH
Prosecutors, accuser drop case against Bryant
By Jon Sarche
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
EAGLE, Colo. The criminal case against
Kobe Bryant case collapsed Wednesday as pros
ecutors said they had no choice but to drop the
sexual assault charge because the NBA star's ac
cuser no longer wanted to participate.
Bryant, whose trial had been days from open
ing arguments, responded with an apology to the
woman who had accused him and whose civil suit
for damages is still pending.
“Although 1 truly believe this encounter between
us was consensual, I recognize now that she did
not and does not view this incident the same way 1
did,” Bryant said. "1 now understand how she feels
that she did not consent to this encounter.”
With the parents of the 20-year-old alleged vic
tim looking on. District Judge Terry Ruckriegle
threw out the case under a deal that means no
charges will be refiled. Neither Bryant nor his ac
cuser was in the courtroom.
The dismissal marks a stunning turn in the high-
BRYANT
profile case against one of the
NBA’s brightest young stars. For
months, prosecutors had insisted
they had a strong enough ease to
win a conviction beyond a rea
sonable doubt.
Instead, prosecutors backed
away just days before opening
statements were scheduled to
begin on Tuesday. Jury selection
was scheduled to wrap up this week.
District Attorney Mark Hurlbert told Ruckriegle
the woman did not want to testify or otherwise par
ticipate in the trial.
Outside the courthouse, Hurlbert said the deci
sion to drop the case “is not based upon a lack of
belief in the victim — she is an extremely credible
and an extremely brave young woman.”
“Our belief in her has not wavered over the past
year ... Ultimately, we respect her decision 100
percent,” Hurlbert said.
Bryant said the civil case against him “will be
decided by and between the parties directly in
volved in the incident and will no longer be a fi
nancial or emotional drain on the citizens of the
state of Colorado.”
“1 also want to make it clear that 1 do not ques
tion the motives of this young woman,” Bryant
said. “No money has been paid to this woman.
She has agreed that this statement will not be used
against me in the civil case.”
The woman’s attorney, John Chine, said the al
leged victim has been through an extremely dif
ficult time since she alleged she was raped, and
that she was disturbed by a series of courthouse
mistakes that included the release of her name and
medical history. The woman has been the subject
of death threats and relentless media coverage.
“It is her sincere belief that when this case
ends, she does not want to be brought back into
the criminal process,” Clune said. “The difficulties
that this case has imposed on this woman the past
year are unimaginable.”
Bryant, 26, the married father of a 19-month-old
daughter, has said he had consensual sex with the
then-19-year-old employee of a Vail-area resort
where he stayed last summer. Had he been con
victed, the Los Angeles Lakers star would have
faced four years to life in prison or 20 years to life
on probation and a fine up to $750,000.
Bryant apologized to the victim “for my behav
ior that night and for the consequences she has suf
fered in the past year.”
“Although this year has been incredibly difficult
for me personally, 1 can only imagine the pain she
has had to endure,” said Bryant, who also apolo
gized to her family, his family and friends and the
citizens of Eagle.
Legal experts said a series of court rulings hurt
the prosecution’s case, including a decision allow
ing the woman’s sex life in the days surrounding
her encounter with Bryant to be admitted as evi
dence. This was expected to bolster the defense
contention that she slept with someone after leav
ing Bryant and before she went to a hospital exam
a potentially key blow to her credibility.
The pending civil case could allow defense at
torneys to argue the woman had a financial motive
to accuse Bryant of assault.
Cheney, Miller
assail Kerry as
protests continue
By David Espo
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK - Vice President Dick Cheney unleashed a sting
ing attack on Sen. John Kerry' Wednesday night, ridiculing him as a
politician who has made a career out of changing his mind. “More
wrong, more weak and more wobbly than any other national figure,”
agreed Sen. Zell Miller, a Democratic keynoter at the Republican
National Convention.
“As a war protester. Kerry blamed our military,” said the
Georgia senator in a fiery speech that drew repeated ovations-
from the GOP delegates in the hall. “As a senator, he voted to
weaken our military.”
The vice president hailed President Bush as a “superb commander
in chief’ who has helped restore the economy since the attacks of
Sept. 11, 2001 and w ill lead the nation to victory in the war on ter
ror. Bush “does not deal in empty threats and halfway measures,”
Cheney said in a prime-time speech at the convention podium deliv
ered to a nationwide television audience.
Kerry spokesman Joe Lockhart instantly accused Republicans of
“slash-and-burn politics” and said it won’t work. “Dick Cheney and
Zell Miller looked like angry and grumpy old men,” he said.
Republicans launched their double-barreled attack on Bush’s
Democratic opponent as the president campaigned his way into the
See Protests on page 2A
Delegates cheer as the nomination of President Bush is
made official during the fourth session of the Republican Na
tional Convention at Madison Square Garden in New York on
GREGORY BULL • THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wednesday. Vice President Dick Cheny and Sen. Zen Miller
spoke out against presidential candidate John Kerry at the
convention.
Collegiate Readership Program
returns to Texas A&M campus
By Jibran Najmi
THE BATTALION
Due to the success of its four-week trial run in
March, the Collegiate Readership Program has re
turned to Texas A&M this year.
The program provides free Monday through Friday
issues of The Dallas Morning News, The New York
Times, The Houston Chronicle and USA Today to all
A&M students at nine on-campus locations.
“Our goal is to give students access to these
national papers all year around, so that ultimate
ly they can apply the things they learn in class to
the things that are happening in the world around
them,” said Chris Diem, executive vice president
for the Student Government Association and the
coordinator for the Readership Program.
Students can access the newspapers by swip
ing their student ID cards in the newly placed ma
chines, which will ensure that only students are
taking the papers.
“1 want to stress the fact that the machines do
not charge your ID or take off AggieBucks,” Diem
said. “It’s exactly like accessing your dorm — it
just proves that you are a student and that the pa
pers are going to the right people.”
The Collegiate Readership program is made
possible through contracts with several national
newspapers that provide the papers to universities
at reduced prices. The Division of Student Affairs
covers the costs of the program, and thus is provided
to students at no charge. Diem stressed that no stu
dent service fees were used to fund the program.
Feedback from the student body has been positive.
“I’m really excited that the Readership Program
is coming back this year, as it brings me news that
1 would not usually go out of my way to get,” said
Ronetha Williams, a junior political science major.
Josh McFarland, a junior biomedical sciences
major, said the program will open the eyes of many
students to world events and issues.
“There are many Aggies who are very passion
ate about many different issues, but they don’t re
ally know enough about them to have an intelligent
discussion,” McFarland said.
David Jarrard, a junior accounting major, said
he never took part in the program last semester be
cause he had already subscribed to a newspapers.
He said he will continue to read newspapers
See Readership on page 2A
Task force suspended
Suspension to make way for investigation
By Jibran Najmi
THE BATTALION
The Presidential Task Force, appointed by Texas
A&M President Robert M. Gates to investigate an Aug.
21 University apartment fire, has been asked by Brazos
County District Attorney Bill Turner to suspend investi
gations until the completion of a criminal investigation.
“Law enforcement has an obligation when
someone dies of unnatural causes to evaluate the
case until we’re completely convinced it was not
criminal,” Turner said.
The July 31 explosion at the University Apart
ments on Hensel Drive killed 4-year-old Lamiya
Zahin and severely burned her pregnant mother
and paternal grandparents. The explosion prompt
ed Gates to form the Task Force.
The District Attorney also requested that A&M
officials withhold any documents or files pertain
ing to the University Apartments, prior to the
completion of the investigation.
In a statement released on Monday, Gates said
the University would fully comply with Turner’s
request. He added that he fully intends to have the
task force convene and complete its work within
30 days, after Turner’s investigation is complete.
“Public release of records related to the University
Apartments at this time will interfere with the inves
tigation and detection of crime,” Turner said. “How
ever, as soon as our investigation is complete, the
public will be made privy all of those documents.”
Turner declined comment on whether any foul
play or sabotage is being investigated or if there are
possible charges that could stem from this probe.
“1 think it’s improper to speculate about the re
sults of an investigation prior to the completion of
our final report and investigation,” Turner said.
Cynthia Lawson, executive director of the
See Task force on page 2A
Vet school looks for success through change
coif
Readership Returns
The Collegiate Readership
Program has returned to
campus this year. Students
can get copies of The
Dallas Morning News, The
Houston Chronicle, The
New York Times and USA
Today by swiping their
Aggie Cards (for no charge)
in machines at these nine
on-campus locations.
o Blocker
o Sbisa
o MSC
o Ag Cafe
o Zachry
o Evans Library
o Commons Lobby
o Bush School
o Wehner
ANDREW BURLESON •THE BATTALION
SOURCE: CHRIS DIEM, SCA EXECUTIVE VP
By Liang Liang
THE BATTALION
The Texas A&M College of
Veterinary Medicine recently
changed its name to the College of
Veterinary Medicine and Biomed
ical Sciences (CVMBS) to reflect
the college’s commitment in bio
medical research and attract more
high-quality faculty and students.
The CVMBS attracted $20 mil
lion per year for past three years
for basic biomedical research.
“We requested to add ‘and Bio
medical Sciences’ to our masthead
in recognition of the importance
of basic biomedical sciences as
the foundation of veterinary medi
cal knowledge, and our obligation
as a modern veterinary medical
college at a research university to
contribute to that body of knowl
edge,” said H. Richard Adams,
Dean of the College of Veterinary
Medicine and Biomedical Scienc
es (CVMBS).
After collective efforts that lasted
more than a decade, the CVMBS
received approval from the Texas
Higher Education Coordinating
Board and the A&M University
System Board of Regents in July
and August, respectively, to have
the new masthead and new names
for three departments in the college.
“These changes better reflect
the depth and breadth of vet
erinary medical science today
and our commitment to future
biomedical scientists at both the
undergraduate and graduate lev
els,” Adams said.
The CVMBS of A&M, which
was established in 1919, has been
the largest college of veterinary
medicine in Texas. According to
the college’s follow-through re
cords, 15 percent of the success
ful medical and dental school
applicants to Texas Health Sci
ence Center come from the college’s
See Vet on page 7A