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Colorado Prosecutor Confident on Bryant Case

Mark Hurlbert is facing the biggest challenge of his young career, prosecuting an NBA superstar.

Despite his soft-spoken style, the 34-year-old Eagle County district attorney who took office in December and has less than 10 years of experience as a prosecutor doesn't want to be underestimated.

"I do feel like I'm ready for this. I'm determined to go ahead and do my job," Hurlbert said Sunday in a brief interview with The Associated Press. "It's so huge. I don't think there's anybody who would be fully prepared to do it no matter how much experience they have."

Hurlbert and this small mountain town 100 miles west of Denver have been in the national spotlight since July 6, when it was made public that Los Angeles Lakers (news) guard Kobe Bryant (news) was accused of sexually assaulting a young woman.

Bryant, charged Friday, says his sexual encounter with the 19-year-old woman was consensual. He's free on $25,000 bail, but must return to court in Eagle on Aug. 6 for a hearing.

Hurlbert, a married father of two who grew up in neighboring Summit County, has prosecuted two first-degree murder cases and several sexual assault cases — none as high-profile as the Bryant case.

Colleagues and friends say Hurlbert is well-respected and intelligent but some question whether he is up to the challenge of such a high-profile case.

"He's an eager young prosecutor but his only perspective on the law is that of a prosecutor," former Denver prosecutor Craig Silverman said.

After graduating from law school at the University of Colorado, Hurlbert returned to Summit County, joined the prosecutor's office as an intern and rose through the ranks.

In December, he was tapped by Gov. Bill Owens to replace District Attorney Michael Goodbee, who took a job in the attorney general's office.

Denver attorney Scott Robinson, who is representing a woman accused of Eagle County's first murder case in five years, says Hurlbert has done a good job turning around an office plagued by turnover following his predecessor's departure.

"I think Mark is surprisingly mature and experienced for his age. I think he is a fully competent trial lawyer who should not be underestimated by the defense," Robinson said.

As a deputy district attorney last year, Hurlbert prosecuted Chuck Garrison, a self-made millionaire convicted of beating his wife to death in a rage. Authorities searched for Sharon Garrison for nearly a month before her body was found buried in the yard of the couple's home.

In March, Hurlbert decided not to file charges against British skier Robert Willis involved in a fatal collision in nearby Breckenridge, saying it wasn't possible to prove a crime occurred beyond a reasonable doubt.

Wills was jailed for five days as Hurlbert reviewed the evidence, including a statement from a witness who said Wills was skiing in control. Wills was represented by Pamela Mackey, one of the lawyers on Bryant's defense team.

In the Bryant case, Hurlbert was caught off guard by Sheriff Joe Hoy's decision to seek an arrest warrant for the five-time All-Star on July 4. The sheriff sought the warrant directly from a judge, instead of making the request through the district attorney, which is the usual practice.

Hurlbert spent the next two weeks poring over physical evidence and testimony. He even consulted prosecutors around the state.

"This did not come easily," Hurlbert said Friday in announcing his decision to charge Bryant.

Source: AP

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