Sept. 1 (Bloomberg) -- A Colorado District Court judge dismissed a lawsuit against Kobe Bryant after criminal charges accusing the National Basketball Association star of raping a 19- year-old woman at a Colorado resort were dropped.

The decision by Chief District Court Judge Terry Ruckriegle followed the Colorado Supreme Court's refusal to hear an appeal of a ruling that would have allowed Bryant's lawyers to tell jurors about the accuser's sex life. Bryant, an All-Star guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, was accused of raping the woman after they met last year near Vail.

``The victim has informed us, after much of her own labored deliberations, that she does not want to proceed with this trial, and for this reason and this reason only, I am dismissing this case,'' Eagle County District Attorney Mark Hurlbert said in a televised press conference. ``We truly felt we had a great case and that justice would prevail.''

The case against Bryant had a series of setbacks, including the mistaken release of closed-hearing transcripts to media outlets. The court also inadvertently disclosed the accuser's name and other personal details about her. She considered dropping the case after the errors, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing the woman's lawyer, John Clune.

Consent

``I want to apologize to her for my behavior that night and for the consequences she has suffered in the past year,'' Bryant said in a written statement read in court by his attorney Pamela Mackey, the Sports Network wire service reported. ``After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter.''

Last week, Bryant's prosecutors asked Ruckriegle to postpone the trial indefinitely, arguing that the release of testimony hindered their ability to get a fair jury. Bryant still faces a civil lawsuit brought by the woman.

``Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did,'' Bryant said in the written statement read by Mackey.

Bryant, 26, was set to begin trial Aug. 27. He pleaded innocent to sexual-assault charges in May, saying he had consensual sex with the woman. He faced four years to life in prison or 20 years to life on probation and a fine of as much as $750,000.

``Naturally, we are pleased that the charges against Kobe have been dropped,'' Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak said in a statement e-mailed to Bloomberg News. ``We have fully supported Kobe in every way we could over the past 14 months, and never once did our support for him and his family waver.''

An NBA spokesman couldn't immediately be reached.

To contact the reporters on this story: Kim Chipman in Washington at kchipman@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: September 2, 2004 00:00 EDT