Explosive Testimony Marks Kobe Hearing

EAGLE, Colo. – Kobe Bryant (search)'s court days are far from over.

The country got a taste of what the ongoing rape case against the basketball star would be like Thursday as explosive comments from both the defense and prosecution riled up the judge presiding over the preliminary hearing and disturbing details emerged about how Bryant allegedly assaulted a 19-year-old woman.

The hearing, to determine whether the Los Angeles Laker will stand trial on charges that he assaulted the woman at the resort where she worked, was scheduled to continue next Wednesday.

Prosecutors wasted no time during the hearing painting the athlete as a callous rapist who wouldn't take no for an answer.

Defense attorneys didn't take long, either, to show they were willing to go on the attack -- even on his accuser.

"It demonstrates these lawyers put everything aside except the best interests of their client," criminal defense attorney Jayne Weintraub (search) said during an appearance on "On the Record" with Greta Van Susteren. "They took the opportunity to cross-examine the lead detective in the case and they needed to do that to get the defense started.

"The defense case started to be put out there and that's what they needed to do for Kobe."

Most legal experts had predicted the defense would skip the hearing and go to trial -- which now seems certain -- to keep lurid details from being made public. But the details got out and the defense also gained some insight into how the prosecution will try the case. The hearing also seemed an opportunity for the defense team to smear the accuser.

While on the stand Thursday, Eagle County Sheriff's Detective Doug Winters (search) described how the accuser told investigators Bryant grabbed her neck and raped her from behind, repeatedly asking, "You're not going to tell anyone, right?"

Winters' description of the event was based on an interview with the woman, who did not testify in person Thursday.

Sources close to both sides of the case told Fox News that the forensic evidence will likely make or break the case if it goes to a jury.

"There is obviously a good deal of physical evidence that could be interpreted in different ways," said forensic scientist Dr. Larry Kobilinsky (search).

The alleged victim says she had several bruises. Winters testified that the woman's blood was found on the inside of Bryant's T-shirt, based on DNA tests. The woman told him she had bleeding from the alleged attack, he said.

Bryant, 25, has denied raping the woman and said the sex was consensual. He faces a possible prison term of four years to life if convicted.

The basketball player has the right to go to trial within six months, but he could agree to push that back until later, perhaps until after the NBA season ends early next summer.

Defense Uses Victim's Name in Court

Bryant defense attorney Pamela Mackey said the accuser's name six times during the trial and was chastised by Judge Frederick Gannett (search). Colorado is supposed to have the most stringent laws in the nation protecting people accusing someone of rape.

She apologized, saying she would write herself a big note not to say it.

"Or I could get you a big muzzle," Gannett said.

The defense also tried to paint the accuser as sexually loose and alluded that the injuries she claims she sustained from the Bryant assault could be "consistent with a person who has had sex with three different men in three days."

"The defense has gone at this woman's reputation. ... but let me be candid here," Fox News legal analyst Stan Goldman (search) told On the Record. "This may hurt the defense. Even a prostitute can be raped."

Colorado's rape-shield law generally prohibits detailing an accuser's past sexual history unless it points to a different source of the victim's injuries.

"This was a real attempt to smear the victim," former Denver district attorney Norm Early (search) told The Denver Post. "It had nothing to do with this case."

Grimm told Fox News that bringing up the victim's recent past sexual history isn't a violation of the state's rape shield law.

"It goes to the degree of the injuries," Grimm said. "She [Mackey] wouldn't have asked that question if it weren't true. It doesn't go to violate the rape shield law. What it does is shows -- it's called piercing the rape shield laws. You can get around the rape shield law if you do the right thing, but what we had here today was Pamela Mackey playing to the court of public opinion. She did an excellent job of doing that."

Deputy District Attorney Gregg Crittenden (search), the prosecutor, was also berated by Gannett for not knowing how to properly ask a question of his witness.

After these exchanges, Gannett called lawyers into his chambers, asked reporters to leave the courtroom and adjourned after six hours of testimony.

The district attorney's office said Bryant had to appear at the continuation of the hearing next Wednesday.

Fox News' Liza Porteus and The Associated Press contributed to this report.