Bill Cosby's sexual assault case continues.
On Friday, the pretrial hearings at the Montgomery County Courthouse outside of Philadelphia saw the prosecution and defense of the Cosby case going back and forth. The two sides faced each other to determine whether or not the evidence from last year's felony sex-assault trial, which ended in a hung jury, should be permitted as evidence for the new trial in April.
A huge part of Cosby's case from last year was his admitted use of quaaludes. DA Kevin Steele wants this confession to be used as evidence. On Friday, Assistant DA Stewart Ryan made the argument that Cosby's use of the drugs meant he always understood the impact they have on the women he allegedly drugged. According to Ryan, this points to intent by Cosby. The defense argued that bringing this to testimony "outweighed by the unfair prejudice, confusion and issues and misleading of the jury." Judge Steven O'Neill said that he won't give his final decision on if the quaalude testimony will allowed to be used until it's brought up during the actual retrial. “This defendant is not on trial for what he said in his deposition,” O’Neill remarked.
Cosby faces three charges of felony sexual assault. Andrea Constand, a former Temple University employee, accused the now 80-year-old comedian of drugging and sexually assaulting her in his Philadelphia home.
This news comes after the presiding judge, Judge Steven O’Neill, was asked by Cosby's lawyers to step down. Judge O'Neill's wife is a social worker and advocates for victims of assault.
On Wednesday, TMZ reported that Janice Dickinson will be one of the five women called to testify against Cosby in the trial. Dickinson said Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her in 1982 in Lake Tahoe.
At this point, the trial is set for as early as April 9 and jury selection is said to begin on April 2.
