Bill Cosby Sexual Assault Trial Update: Only One Accuser Allowed To Testify

A judge has decided that only one additional accuser will be allowed to testify against Bill Cosby during his sexual assault trial besides the complainant in the case. This news is considered to be a “huge win” for Cosby.

Judge Steven O’Neill ruled on Friday morning that out of a total of 13 women who have accused Bill Cosby of sexual assault, only one will be able to testify in court, besides the complainant in the sexual assault case.

The ruling will block the prosecutors from calling upon the 12 other women as “prior bad act” witnesses, according to Radar Online.

The judge claimed that he had carefully balanced the probative value of such testimony versus its prejudicial impact on Cosby. O’Neill concluded that only one additional accuser would be able to testify at the trial.

A criminal defense attorney in Philadelphia, Stuart Slotnick, who has been following Cosby’s sexual assault case, claims that the judge’s ruling is “a huge win for Cosby.”

Dennis McAndrews, a former prosecutor who currently practices in the suburbs of Philadelphia said that it was “a mixed decision.”

“The positive for the defense is that they only have to test the credibility of two people as opposed to a what I consider a critical mass of four or more.

“Once you get four or more, the optics and the psychology of attacking that many people becomes dramatically different — it’s much easier for a jury to disbelieve two rather than four or more.”

A spokesman for Bill Cosby’s legal team, Andrew Wyatt, said that there would be no comment made about the judge’s decision until at least Monday, after a scheduled hearing on whether the venue will be changed for the trial due to pretrial publicity, according to USA Today.

The Montgomery County District Attorney, Kevin Steele, issued a statement that cast the judge’s ruling in a positive light.

“This ruling is important as the jury will now be allowed to assess evidence that is relevant to establishing a common plan, scheme and design of sexual abuse.”

According to NBC News, Wes Oliver, the criminal justice program director at Duquesne University and an NBC News analyst, agreed that the ruling was a victory for Bill Cosby.

“It’s better than nothing for the prosecution. If you’re Bill Cosby, you would rather the number be zero. But this is a game-changer.”

“If there are 13 women testifying, it looks like it’s part of a real profile for him. But it’s much easier to discredit one than 13.”

Andrea Constand, a former Temple University employee, accused Bill Cosby of drugging and molesting her near her home in Philadelphia back in 2004.

Cosby was charged with three counts of aggravated indecent sexual assault.

The case was reopened in 2015, and revealed that Cosby had confessed to giving women Quaaludes before having sexual encounters with them.

Bill Cosby admitted this during depositions taken in 2005 and 2006 during Constand’s original lawsuit against the comedian. At the time, District Attorney Bruce Castor promised not to criminally prosecute Cosby.

Also in the deposition, Cosby described putting his hands down Constand’s pants.

“I don’t hear her say anything. And I don’t feel her say anything. And so I continue and I go into the area that is somewhere between permission and rejection. I am not stopped.”

Bill Cosby has maintained his stance that all of his sexual encounters were consensual, despite the dozens of women that have come forward accusing him of drugging and raping them over the last several decades.

Bill Cosby’s trial is set to begin in June.

What do you think of the judge’s decision to only allow one additional accuser to testify at Bill Cosby’s trial? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.

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