Judge Gives the Go-Ahead to Bill Cosby’s Sexual Assault Trial (Video)
Bill Cosby appeared on Tuesday in a Norristown, Pa., court to receive news of a development in his 2004 sexual assault case that he and his defense team were working hard to avoid.
Randy Miramontez / Shutterstock
Bill Cosby appeared on Tuesday in a Norristown, Pa., court to receive news of a development in his 2004 sexual assault case that he and his defense team were working hard to avoid.
Following a hearing earlier in the day at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Judge Elizabeth A. McHugh ruled that the case, brought by former Temple University staffer Andrea Constand against the 78-year-old comedian, “will move forward.”
Watch: Judd Apatow Takes Down Bill Cosby in ‘Tonight Show’ Stand-Up Act
The New York Times reported details following Judge McHugh’s decision:
Mr. Cosby waived a formal arraignment, which means that he automatically enters a plea of not guilty. The next stage will be for a judge to set a trial date.
… The entertainer was charged in December with drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, a former Temple University staff member for whom Mr. Cosby became a mentor and friend. Prosecutors said he took advantage of his counseling role, gave her pills and assaulted her at his home outside Philadelphia in early 2004.
Ms. Constand was not in the courtroom on Tuesday. During the hearing, Mr. Cosby’s lawyers attacked the prosecution for not calling her as a witness but instead relying on a statement she gave to the police in 2005. A Montgomery County detective read portions of the statement outlining the allegations.
The ruling is likely to be followed by another battle by Mr. Cosby’s legal team to challenge much of the evidence that could be used at trial.
… Legal experts said that his lawyers would probably seek to bar Mr. Cosby’s deposition from the 2005 civil case because confidentiality was part of the settlement.
The Times’ account also indicated that Cosby and his lawyers would likely try to block the introduction of evidence from other women who have claimed that they were also drugged and assaulted by the veteran entertainer.
Watch The Associated Press’ video coverage of both legal teams’ responses to Tuesday’s Cosby update below (via The New York Times):
–Posted by Kasia Anderson
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The decision is the first major one since the organization implemented revised standards of conduct for its members after the expulsion of Harvey Weinstein in October.
The decision is a token judgment and won't change much in terms of rape culture and the structural oppression of the "weaker sex."
Some potential jurors in the comedian's sexual assault retrial could be more hostile toward him, others more likely to think men are being unfairly accused.
A spokesman says Cosby will embark on a tour across the country because youths "need to know what they're facing when they're hanging out and partying."
A retrial is expected to bear similarities to the first trial, but there might be key differences that affect the outcome.
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