A US judge on Monday delayed by just a few days the start of Bill Cosby\u2019s sexual assault trial, throwing out a bid by defense lawyers for a three-month postponement.<\/p>\n
Judge Steven O\u2019Neill moved jury selection to April 2 instead of March 29 as originally scheduled, to hear outstanding pre-trial motions on March 29 and 30.<\/p>\n
Cosby\u2019s 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 O\u2019Neill denied.<\/p>\n
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 2004.<\/p>\n
In June, O\u2019Neill declared a mistrial when the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on three counts of aggravated indecent assault in Norristown, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n
The trial irrevocably damaged the once towering icon of US popular culture, loved by millions as \u201cAmerica\u2019s Dad\u201d and best known for his seminal role as a father and obstetrician on hit 1984-92 TV series \u201cThe Cosby Show.\u201d<\/p>\n
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 victims.<\/p>\n
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 stand.<\/p>\n
Cosby, now frail and isolated, risks spending the rest of his life in prison if convicted.<\/p>\n
The actor denies the charges, saying his relations with Andrea Constand were consensual.<\/p>\n
The Canadian has said Cosby gave her pills that left her semi-conscious, then made sexual advances \u2014 a story similar to those recounted by many of the other accusers.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Source: AFP<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A US judge on Monday delayed by just a few days the start of Bill Cosby\u2019s sexual assault trial, throwing out a bid by defense lawyers for a three-month postponement. Judge Steven O\u2019Neill moved jury selection to April 2 instead of March 29 as originally scheduled, to hear outstanding pre-trial motions on March 29 and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":411299,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[137],"tags":[623,18123],"yoast_head":"\n