Incompetent Hurlbert

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/state/article/0,1299,DRMN_21_2394278,00.html

State District Judge Terry Ruckriegle approved a media groups’
request for access to Bryant's Nov. 13 arraignment, his first date in
district court on the sexual assault charge against him. The Los
Angeles Lakers star may enter a plea at that brief appearance.
 
Ruckriegle's ruling came amid some head-scratching concerning the
prosecution's legal filing on that very issue.

Eagle District Attorney Mark Hurlbert made two mistakes in his motion
on the camera question, filed Monday.

For one, it opened by asking a judge "to deny" media applicants'
request.

But about six paragraphs of boilerplate legal lingo later, Hurlbert
concluded by stating that prosecutors "do not object" to the media
request.

The second mistake was one of dates. Hurlbert referred to the next
Bryant court date as "October 10, 2003."

At the time the motion was filed, Bryant's next date was actually set
for Nov. 10; a conflict in prosecutors' schedule subsequently forced
its shift to Nov. 13.


Denver defense attorney and legal analyst Scott Robinson pointed out
that the prosecution's errors come on top of a previous Hurlbert
filing of Oct. 21 in which the word semen was spelled "seamen."

"Multiple naval authorities in her underwear, apparently," Robinson
quipped.

"It is kind of regrettable," Robinson added. "If you can't spell
'semen' right in a one or two-page motion, where are you going to be
when things get ugly?"

But Robinson said such errors should not have "any eroding effect on
public confidence" in the prosecution.

Denver defense lawyer Craig Skinner said, "It's understandable that
these things happen, sometimes.

"But in a situation where he knows the whole world is watching and
reading, and motions are being posted on the Internet, and all of his
work is being scrutinized, mistakes like this have to be a concern
that maybe his office is being overwhelmed right now."