Class of 1991
» Checking in with MARK HURLBERT, the Colorado district attorney prosecuting the Kobe Bryant case.
You have prosecuted homicide and sexual assault cases before, yet you describe the Bryant case as litigation "on a whole other level." Why?
"The amount of motions submitted in this case is like nothing I have ever seen, even on a first-degree murder case. I call the Kobe Bryant case my other full-time job, along with running an office of 33 people." What's the most unusual thing that has happened to you since Bryant came to town?
"Being recognized by strangers. It is rather odd to go into a restaurant and have someone come up to me." How does charging a celebrity affect your strategy? "Charging a high-profile defendant has shown me that my bedrock prosecutorial beliefs, those ideals I learned at the very beginning of my career, still hold true. I am still the champion of the hurt and I stiil seek justice. The vast media attention is something I could do without, but trying a complex and possibly precedent-setting case is a challenge I take on gladly."
Were you a Bryant fan? "I knew of Bryant but didn't follow him or his career. To be honest, I am more of a baseball fan. I have been a fan of the Baltimore Orioles as long as I can remember and still follow the team." What about the enormous personal fortune Bryant can tap into to hire the best legal talent—does that give you pause?
"His money and attorneys don't unsettle or intimidate me. While at Dartmouth I was always going up against the best and the brightest. After competing against the best the country has to offer for four years, there is no one who intimidates me."
Why did you choose to be a prosecutor rather than a defense attorney? "After participating in Legal Aid in law school and interning at the district attorney's office in Summit County (Colorado), I really saw the prosecutor as wearing the white hat in the justice system. The overriding goal of any prosecution is to do justice and to do what is right."
How did you end up at Dartmouth? "I was recruited by the ski coach, John Morton. 'Morty' kept in touch with me as I won the Colorado state championship and placed very high at the Junior Olympics. After I was accepted at Dartmouth and several other schools, I took a trip out to visit the campus and fell in love with it."
What classes or professors did you find particularly inspirational? "Professor Arseneau was one of my favorites. He taught a class on the presidency that I still remember. also did an internship with Senator Bill Armstrong from Colorado in Washington, D.C. It was that internship, along with my government classes, that really got me interested in public service."
