Bill Cosby’s defense team lost their motion to have parts of a key witness’ previous deposition read to the jury during the comedian’s retrial on Monday morning.
The defense had hoped that Sheri Williams would be a key witness for their allegation that Cosby accuser Andrea Constand was setting the comedian up with her accusations against him. Williams was reportedly unreachable and unresponsive to subpoenas, so Justice Steven T. O’Neill struck down the last-ditch measure from the comedian’s defense team to have portions of Williams’ deposition read in court.
Instead, the defense called a pilot and aviation expert Douglas Moss, and Roslyn Yarborough, an assistant to Cosby’s late agent at William Morris, to the stand. Moss and Yarborough were called upon to testify regarding the stringency of the schedules and itineraries filed on Cosby’s behalf by staff during the time of his alleged sexual assault on Constand. Cosby’s attorneys attempted to make the case that he wasn’t in Pennsylvania during January 2004 when the incident allegedly took place.
Also Read: Bill Cosby Retrial: Comedian's Legal Team Struggles to Produce Key Witness
As Cosby has also corroborated many of the events in Constand’s account, the prosecution needed only remind the court of this during cross-examination.
With that, the defense rested their case and closing arguments in what could be a landmark trial for the era are expected to begin Tuesday morning.
Cosby is being re-tried on three counts of aggravated indecent assault, stemming from former Temple University employee Constand’s accusation that the comedian molested her in 2004 at his home outside of Philadelphia.
Also Read: Bill Cosby Retrial: Comedian's Expert Witness Jokes He's Unlicensed, Except for His 'Driver's License'
Cosby’s initial trial in the matter ended in a mistrial in July 2017 after the jury was unable to reach a verdict following five days of deliberations.
Read original story Cosby Retrial Moves Toward Closing Arguments as Defense Rests At TheWrap...
The defense had hoped that Sheri Williams would be a key witness for their allegation that Cosby accuser Andrea Constand was setting the comedian up with her accusations against him. Williams was reportedly unreachable and unresponsive to subpoenas, so Justice Steven T. O’Neill struck down the last-ditch measure from the comedian’s defense team to have portions of Williams’ deposition read in court.
Instead, the defense called a pilot and aviation expert Douglas Moss, and Roslyn Yarborough, an assistant to Cosby’s late agent at William Morris, to the stand. Moss and Yarborough were called upon to testify regarding the stringency of the schedules and itineraries filed on Cosby’s behalf by staff during the time of his alleged sexual assault on Constand. Cosby’s attorneys attempted to make the case that he wasn’t in Pennsylvania during January 2004 when the incident allegedly took place.
Also Read: Bill Cosby Retrial: Comedian's Legal Team Struggles to Produce Key Witness
As Cosby has also corroborated many of the events in Constand’s account, the prosecution needed only remind the court of this during cross-examination.
With that, the defense rested their case and closing arguments in what could be a landmark trial for the era are expected to begin Tuesday morning.
Cosby is being re-tried on three counts of aggravated indecent assault, stemming from former Temple University employee Constand’s accusation that the comedian molested her in 2004 at his home outside of Philadelphia.
Also Read: Bill Cosby Retrial: Comedian's Expert Witness Jokes He's Unlicensed, Except for His 'Driver's License'
Cosby’s initial trial in the matter ended in a mistrial in July 2017 after the jury was unable to reach a verdict following five days of deliberations.
Read original story Cosby Retrial Moves Toward Closing Arguments as Defense Rests At TheWrap...
- 4/23/2018
- by D.A. Weiss
- The Wrap
Bill Cosby’s defense team has rested its case in the comedian’s sexual assault retrial in Pennsylvania, and he will not take the stand as a witness.
Cosby was asked Monday afternoon by Judge Steven O’Neill whether it was true he intended to not testify. “That is correct, your honor,” said Cosby, shouting to the judge.
Last year, when a jury could not reach a verdict, Cosby didn’t testify either — his side didn’t even present a defense. This time, Tom Mesereau and his fellow defense lawyers called witnesses for four days, the strategy revolving around a woman who claimed accuser Andrea Constand told her she could fabricate a claim of sexual assault against a celebrity for a payday, and possible discrepancies with the prosecution’s timeline for when the alleged 2014 assault took place.
Closing arguments in the retrial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa will be held Tuesday morning,...
Cosby was asked Monday afternoon by Judge Steven O’Neill whether it was true he intended to not testify. “That is correct, your honor,” said Cosby, shouting to the judge.
Last year, when a jury could not reach a verdict, Cosby didn’t testify either — his side didn’t even present a defense. This time, Tom Mesereau and his fellow defense lawyers called witnesses for four days, the strategy revolving around a woman who claimed accuser Andrea Constand told her she could fabricate a claim of sexual assault against a celebrity for a payday, and possible discrepancies with the prosecution’s timeline for when the alleged 2014 assault took place.
Closing arguments in the retrial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa will be held Tuesday morning,...
- 4/23/2018
- by Mark Dent
- Deadline Film + TV
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