Bill Cosby Reportedly In The Market For A Criminal Defense Attorney In Pennsylvania Sexual Assault Allegations

Bill Cosby is looking for a high-profile criminal defense attorney in the Philadelphia area in anticipation of a possible criminal indictment, the Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting.

Is Bill #Cosby girding for criminal charges? http://t.co/qKR535dn6n via @phillydotcom

— Philly Inquirer (@PhillyInquirer) September 22, 2015

Attorney Edwin J. Jacobs, who has represented Cosby previously, told the Inquirer that Cosby’s representatives approached him about representing Cosby in a possible criminal case in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Jacobs declined, and referred Cosby’s reps to another attorney in Philadelphia. He (Jacobs) declined to comment further.

Jacobs previously represented Bill Cosby in a New Jersey case, according to MSN. Cosby was not criminally charged in the New Jersey case — instead, Jacobs merely represented him as New Jersey authorities conducted a review of allegations against the now-78-year-old comedian. In the New Jersey case, actress Lili Bernard, who appeared on The Cosby Show in 1991, alleged that Cosby had drugged and raped her in Atlantic City. Prosecutors were unable to file criminal charges against Cosby due to the statute of limitations having expired.

In fact, while several women — several dozen — have leveled accusations of drugging and sexual assault against Cosby, almost all of those allegations involve sexual assaults that allegedly took place decades ago, long enough that the statute of limitations has expired.

Pennsylvania prosecutors may have a stronger case against Cosby, however, where it concerns allegations leveled by Andrea Constand, a former Temple University employee who alleges that Cosby drugged her and raped her at his Philadelphia-area mansion in 2004. That allegation lies within Pennsylvania’s statue of limitations on sexual assault.

In fact, Constand levied those allegations against Cosby in 2005, but at the time, authorities were unable to put together a strong case against Cosby, and declined to indict him. Constand’s case may have more legs now that several other women have made allegations against Cosby. And as the Inquirer notes, the fact that Cosby is looking for legal representation means that a criminal indictment may be forthcoming.

In a Tuesday interview with People, Constand’s attorney, Dolores Troiani, promised to cooperate with prosecutors if any criminal charges are eventually brought against Cosby.

“I think she’s a very strong lady. She’ll do whatever she needs to do, whatever they ask of her.”

However, neither Constand nor Troiani would state, on the record, whether or not they actually want prosecutors to reopen her case against Cosby.

Do you think Bill Cosby will face criminal charges for his alleged sexual assaults?

[Image courtesy of: Getty Images / Brendan Smialowski]