*A judge in Bill Cosby’s criminal sex assault case has set the trial date for no later than June 5, 2017. During the pretrial hearing on Tuesday, he also said Cosby is blind and offered whatever special accommodations the disgraced comedian may need.
Judge O’Neil stated, “This case now 252 days from filing of criminal complaints. There is a right to a speedy trial.”
According to reports, prosecutors plan to introduce 13 other alleged prior incidents of sexual assault by Cosby to show a pattern of predatory behavior. The women in these incidents are expected to testify during the criminal trial. Cosby is battling not only the criminal case in Philadelphia but he has multiple defamation lawsuits that are also pending.
READ RELATED STORY: Bill Cosby Could Face 13 of His Accusers as Witnesses in June 5th Rape Trial
The criminal case involves a single 2004 encounter at Cosby’s home near Philadelphia with former Temple University employee Andrea Constand. TheDailyBeast.com reported how: “Cosby said he was attracted to Constand from the first time he saw her (when she was working as operations manager for the Temple University women’s basketball team), according to a deposition in Constand’s 2005 civil suit against Cosby.”
In several depositions, Cosby denied assaulting anyone but admitted to using his fame and often drugs to pursue women who rejected him. The night Cosby allegedly assaulted Constand, she told police that he called her and asked her to come over so that they could discuss her future career plans. At some point after she arrived at his home, Cosby said “he wanted her to relax” and gave her three blue pills, which he told her were “herbal.”
Constand said that within 30 minutes of consuming wine that Cosby insisted she drink, she experienced blurred vision and told police she’d “lost all strength in her legs” and felt nauseous.
“Despite her impaired physical and mental condition, the victim was aware that Cosby was fondling her breasts, put his hands into her pants and penetrated her vagina with his fingers,” an affidavit said. “Cosby also took the victim’s right hand and placed it onto his erect penis.”
When later questioned by police about whether or not he had sex with the victim, Cosby responded: “Never asleep or awake.”
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
