Kobe, Accuser Both In Court

Lawyers for Kobe Bryant, in the midst of a legal battle to bring details of his accuser's sex life into trial, are also fighting to exclude some evidence concerning the NBA superstar.

On Thursday, a day after Bryant and the 19-year-old woman accusing him of rape came face to face in court for the first time since the incident, a judge will hear a request by Bryant's lawyers to throw out evidence, including Bryant's recorded statements to investigators and a T-shirt stained with the accuser's blood.

The woman testified Wednesday at the hearing that will determine whether details about her sex life can be introduced at trial.

She answered questions for three hours during Wednesday's hearing, which was closed to reporters and the public. In the small courtroom, the witness box is located just a few feet from the defendant's table.

Courts spokeswoman Karen Salaz said the woman is not expected to be in court Thursday, when more witnesses are scheduled to testify in private about her sex life.

Experts said she was probably questioned about the most intimate

As the woman walked from a fire-exit door across a hallway into court she held her head high, eyes focused forward and appearing confident and calm, reports CBS News Correspondent Lee Frank.

Her parents entered through another door. Appearing calm and composed, she ignored a throng of reporters and photographers as she walked into the courtroom. She was finished by lunch, though it was unclear whether she will have to return for more testimony.

The next witness was Mandy Ross, a former roommate of the woman at the University of Northern Colorado. Also in the courthouse was Robert Pietrack, a high school classmate of the woman who worked as a bellhop at the resort where the alleged attack took place. He is believed to be the first person she spoke to after the incident.

Bryant says he did have sex last June with the woman, at the Vail-area resort where she worked, but according to him - it was with her consent.

Bryant, 25, faces four years to life in prison or 20 years to life on probation if convicted of felony sexual assault.

His lawyers insist the woman's sexual history should be admitted because it could show that her injuries were caused by another sex partner and that she had a "scheme" to have sex with Bryant and others, possibly to gain the attention of an ex-boyfriend.

Colorado's rape-shield law, like others around the country, generally bars defense attorneys from bringing up information about an alleged victim's sex life. Judges, however, can hear such testimony in private to determine whether the information is relevant and admissible as evidence.

"This is one of those rare cases where the defense does have a right to explore the victim's other sexual history," Loyola University Law Professor Laurie Levenson told CBS News, and the reason is because there's a key question in the case, how did she get the injuries? Did she get them because Kobe forced himself on her, or did she get those injuries from someone else?"

The prosecution fought to limit defense questioning, but was rebuffed by the Colorado Supreme Court. The hearing was the first time the woman has faced Bryant since their encounter last summer, reports CBS News Correspondent Bill Whitaker.

The judge can halt questions determined to be unfair or irrelevant and prosecutors can object.

"The whole purpose of this closed-door hearing is to determine whether this information about Bryant's accuser is relevant enough to this case to go before jurors," says . "But there is a decent chance that the topic of this hearing will never see the light of day at trial."

"This is a wonderful opportunity for Bryant's attorneys to cross-examine his alleged victim and to evaluate how she does on the witness stand. And that will mean a more effective cross-examination at trial. So whether the defense ultimately wins or loses this rape-shield fight, it's already ahead of the game because of this free preview," says Cohen.

After Wednesday's hearing, Bryant flew back to Los Angeles for a nationally televised game, scoring 36 points in a lopsided victory over the Sacramento Kings.