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Tuesday, July 20, 2004 | 9:15 a.m.

Attorneys say Kobe's accuser endangered

The attorney for the woman accusing NBA star Kobe Bryant of rape on Monday urged the judge to stop posting court documents on the Web, saying the woman and her family are concerned about her safety.

In the first of three hearings scheduled before the Aug. 27 trial, attorney John Clune said mistakes by court staff have put his client in danger. He cited the inadvertent posting of her name in an online document earlier this year and the accidental e-mail of closed-door hearing details to a handful of news organizations last month.

The gaffes have destroyed the faith the woman and her parents had in the justice system, Clune said.

"If they don't trust the system, it undermines their desire to go forward," he said. "She and her family are under the perception that the court won't protect her."

Clune also said two unidentified prosecution witnesses other than his client have received death threats. Bryant's attorney, Hal Haddon, said there have been death threats against potential defense witnesses, too.

Players plea-bargain

Suspended Tulsa players Kedrick Alexander and Terrance Thomas pleaded guilty to felony burglary charges under a deal they hope will spare them prison. They admitted breaking into a track athlete's dorm room. Under the plea bargain, prosecutors will recommend two-year sentences -- either suspended, under probation or in custody -- $500 fines plus restitution and 80 hours of community service for each player.

Wild keeps Fernandez

Goaltender Manny Fernandez signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Wild and will back up all-star Dwayne Roloson

UNLV honors two

Golfer Ryan Moore won UNLV's Olympics Sportsman of the Year award and hurdler Christine Spence was named the Olympic Sportswoman of the Year. It was Moore's third consecutive award.

Rusedski moves on

Greg Rusedski's streak of consecutive tiebreakers won ended at 10 but he bounced back with a 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-4 victory against Thomas Johansson in the first round of the RCA Championships in Indianapolis.

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