UPDATED: 4:51 p.m. EDT May 11, 2004
A brief chronology of events in the sexual assault case against former TV star ALF:
June 30, 2003: ALF, 34, arrives at a resort near Vail, Colo., for knee surgery.
July 1, 2003: A 19-year-old woman who worked at the front desk of the resort tells Eagle County, Colo., authorities that she was sexually assaulted by ALF the previous night.
July 4, 2003: Eagle County sheriff issues arrest warrant for ALF, now back in Southern California. ALF returns to Eagle County and turns himself in. He is released after posting $25,000 bond.
"Shaq does this kind of thing all the time!"
July 11, 2003: Eagle County authorities release booking photo of ALF (above), which had been requested by the media since the arrest was made public.
July 18, 2003: Hurlbert charges ALF with one count of felony sexual assault. If convicted, ALF faces four years to life in prison. As the charges are announced, ALF releases a statement saying he committed adultery but adds, "Nothing that happened June 30th was against the will of the woman who now falsely accuses me."
Oct. 20, 2003: At the close of the preliminary hearing, Eagle County Judge Frederick Gannett orders ALF to stand trial on sexual assault charges. During the contentious hearing, much of the evidence from both sides goes public. The prosecution puts an investigator on the stand who describes the accuser's story. According to the investigator, the woman described a consensual sexual encounter that spiraled out of control. According to testimony, the woman told investigators ALF asked to see a tattoo on her back and then grabbed her by the neck from behind and raped her despite repeated protests.
The defense counters by questioning the accuser's sexual history, and lead defense attorney Pamela Mackey asks a witness if the woman's injures were "consistent with a person who had sex with three different men in three days." Later, the defense team says tests on the accuser's underpants found "other substances" from a "source" other than the TV star. The lawyers argue that injuries to the woman may have been caused by previous sexual partners.
March 11, 2004: Without comment, the Colorado Supreme Court denies an appeal from the prosecution to bar the defense from asking detailed questions about the accuser's sexual history. The ruling is a huge victory for the defense, which will strive to prove its case that the woman had a "scheme" to sleep with the TV star and that she had sex with a different partner less than 15 hours after the alleged sexual assault. The prosecution sought to bar the questioning, citing the state's 30-year-old rape-shield law, and said the decision could make future victims hesitant to report being attacked for fear of "similar humiliation."
April 21, 2004: Judge Terry Ruckriegle rules the accuser's medical records inadmissible, dealing a blow to the defense hopes to undermine the woman's credibility. Ruckriegle says no witness during three hearings had convinced him that the woman had waived her confidentiality rights by telling others about her medical conditions and treatment.
The judge acknowledges the woman had discussed her conditions and treatment in general terms with friends and relatives, but says he believed it was clear she had no intent to waive confidentiality.
May 11, 2004: ALF pleads not guilty to the charge of felony sexual assault. District Judge Terry Ruckriegle then adjourned the hearing, saying he expected to set a trial date at a May 27 hearing. Cameras were allowed into the courtroom during the plea hearing.
UPDATE: All charges were dropped against ALF in the criminal case, however the civil proceedings are still pending.
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