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USA: Cosby's Defence and Prosecution attorneys speak to press after second pre-trial day
11
03.11.2016
US comedian and actor Bill Cosby's attorney, Brian McMonagle, said that his client's rights had been violated on multiple occasions, while briefing the press in front of the Montgomery County Court House in Norristown, Wednesday, at the end of the second day of pre-trial hearings on sexual assault charges against Cosby.
McMonagle said, "From the beginning Mr. Cosby's rights have been violated in many number of ways. These hearings which were conducted by the court today, were done in a way that we believe was fair and just to the point. The judges explored all these legal issues, we have briefed them, we have argued them, and we are hopeful that in the next set of hearings to come we will be able to successfully resolve this case in a way that gives Mr. Cosby some justice."
Gloria Allred, Andrea Constand's attorney criticised tactics of the defence as attempting to intimidate witnesses. She said, "Questioning the competency of proposed prosecution prior bad act witnesses, and suggesting that there needs to be an in-camera proceeding to determine if they are competent to testify, you know, I feel could be an attempt to intimidate a witness."
In December Cosby was charged with drugging and molesting Andrea Constand in 2004. Since then another 13 women have come forward, claiming he also drugged and sexually assaulted them. In Wednesday’s hearing the judge will decide whether or not to exclude a previous testimony Cosby made in 2004, in which he admitted that sometimes he had given pills and alcohol to women before sex. The actor alleges he was told the deposition would not be used against him, when he testified a decade ago, but no written immunity agreement appears to exist.
Cosby denies all allegations and claims the sexual encounter with Constand was consensual. If convicted he could face up to 10 years in prison and a $25,000 (€23,800) fine. The pre-trial hearings for the Cosby case are scheduled to resume on December 13.
McMonagle said, "From the beginning Mr. Cosby's rights have been violated in many number of ways. These hearings which were conducted by the court today, were done in a way that we believe was fair and just to the point. The judges explored all these legal issues, we have briefed them, we have argued them, and we are hopeful that in the next set of hearings to come we will be able to successfully resolve this case in a way that gives Mr. Cosby some justice."
Gloria Allred, Andrea Constand's attorney criticised tactics of the defence as attempting to intimidate witnesses. She said, "Questioning the competency of proposed prosecution prior bad act witnesses, and suggesting that there needs to be an in-camera proceeding to determine if they are competent to testify, you know, I feel could be an attempt to intimidate a witness."
In December Cosby was charged with drugging and molesting Andrea Constand in 2004. Since then another 13 women have come forward, claiming he also drugged and sexually assaulted them. In Wednesday’s hearing the judge will decide whether or not to exclude a previous testimony Cosby made in 2004, in which he admitted that sometimes he had given pills and alcohol to women before sex. The actor alleges he was told the deposition would not be used against him, when he testified a decade ago, but no written immunity agreement appears to exist.
Cosby denies all allegations and claims the sexual encounter with Constand was consensual. If convicted he could face up to 10 years in prison and a $25,000 (€23,800) fine. The pre-trial hearings for the Cosby case are scheduled to resume on December 13.
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