Judge Allows Five More Accusers to Testify Against Bill Cosby

Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby will face five of his accusers during the second criminal trial involving sexual assault allegations from former Temple University employee Andrea Constand. In last year’s trial Judge Steven O’Neill ruled against a prosecution motion to allow 13 accusers to testify against Cosby April 2.

By STACY M. BROWN


EDITOR’S NOTE: Judge issued and order changing the dates for jury selection and pretrial hearings. STORY UPDATED MARCH 27, 2018 11:12 a.m.

The judge in the Bill Cosby case reversed his own decision from a year ago, allowing five additional accusers to testify in the comedian’s upcoming criminal trial.

Judge Steven O’Neill, who last year ruled against a prosecution motion to allow 13 accusers to testify against Cosby, reversed course this time and will allow five of the 19 requested by prosecutors.

Neither side would comment on the decision on Thursday, March 15.

The women have not been identified, but at least one accuser that prosecutors asked for has accusations that date back to 1965.

The judge noted in his decision that prosecutors could select five women from a period of 1982 to 1996.

Cosby is accused of drugging and sexually assaulted Andrea Constand, a former Temple University employee, at his home in 2004.

During testimony last year, Constand claimed that Cosby gave her three blue pills and put his hands down her pants. She also claimed that Cosby then placed her hand on his penis.

Cosby has denied the allegations.

Pretrial hearings for the trial will begin March 29 and March 30. Jury selection is scheduled to begin April 2.