Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial set for April

Cosby's lead attorney in the trial, Brian McMonagle announced his withdrawal from the case in August

16 Sep, 2017

The second sexual assault trial of American television legend Bill Cosby will open on April 2, 2018, the presiding judge ruled Friday.

The trial was originally to have started on November 6, but Judge Steven O'Neill of the Court of Common Pleas in Norristown, Pennsylvania agreed to postpone it until the spring to give the actor's new lawyers time to prepare.

O'Neill had declared a mistrial in June when the jury in an earlier trial proved hopelessly deadlocked.

Cosby's lead attorney in that trial, Brian McMonagle, announced in August that he was withdrawing from the case.

He was succeeded by Los Angeles celebrity attorney Tom Mesereau, who gained fame in 2005 by winning acquittal on all charges for superstar entertainer Michael Jackson at the end of a four-month trial on child molestation.

Two other lawyers, Kathleen Bliss and Sam Silver, have joined Mesereau's defense team.

Dozens of women have accused Cosby of sexual assault, abuse or misconduct over the years, but the trial next year will deal only with one of the alleged attacks.

The plaintiff, Andrea Constand, 44, has accused Cosby of sexually assaulting her in January 2004 in his home in Cheltenham, a suburb of Philadelphia, Cosby's hometown.

The 80-year-old actor has admitted to touching Constand, now a massage therapist, but insisted the relationship was consensual.

She has said he gave her pills that left her semi-conscious, then made sexual advances -- a story not unlike those recounted by many of the other accusers.

Comments

Anti-Corruption_Pakistan Sep 16, 2017 07:00pm

In a well established democracy, law is same for everyone, irrespective of social or political status. This is the beauty of democracy!

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Sep 16, 2017 07:15pm

Changing the attorney in any trial case in the U.S. justice system is a good way to extend the trial date for a longer period of time, thus providing the defense attorney and his or her team members to gain some useful time in order to prepare for the case arguments properly.

Carol Lee Murphy Sep 16, 2017 09:21pm

Originally one woman came forward,she is Canadian, claimed she was drugged and sexually assaulted, and then a huge number of women came forward with similar complaints. But years had gone by with nothing being said.and they were women who were trying to become successful and so vulnerable. Rape trials have been historically difficult for women, they find themselves on trial in the court of public opinion. Also the the question why did they take years to come forward, and then only after the Canadian woman did. In my opinion Cosby is guilty he has been a predator for years. Its a very sad situation for the women involved.