Bill Cosbys trial: Judge rejects 90-day delay
News & Trends •
the trial irrevocably damaged the once towering icon of us popular culture loved by millions as americas dad and best known for his seminal role as a father and obstetrician on hit 1984-92 tv series the cosby show1 a us judge on monday delayed by just a few days the start of bill cosbys sexual assault trial throwing out a bid by defense lawyers for a three-month postponement1 cosbys defense team headed by tom mesereau the celebrity los angeles attorney who got michael jackson acquitted of child molestation in 2005 had requested a longer delay of 90 days which oneill denied1 it marks the second time that 80-year-old comedian will go on trial accused of drugging and molesting a former university basketball official at his philadelphia home in 20041 in june oneill declared a mistrial when the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on three counts of aggravated indecent assault in norristown pennsylvania1 judge steven oneill moved jury selection to april 2 instead of march 29 as originally scheduled to hear outstanding pre-trial motions on march 29 and 301 around 60 women have publicly accused the emmy-winning actor of being a serial sexual predator but most of the alleged abuse happened too long ago to prosecute meaning that the trial last year concerned only one of the alleged victims1 the pennsylvania judge ruled last week that five additional women who claim to have been sexually assaulted by cosby can testify at the re-trial having last time ruled that only one other accuser could take the stand1 cosby now frail and isolated risks spending the rest of his life in prison if convicted1 the actor denies the charges saying his relations with andrea constand were consensual1 the canadian has said cosby gave her pills that left her semi-conscious then made sexual advances a story similar to those recounted by many of the other accusers1