The case against Bill Cosby

Attorney Gloria Allred, who is representing 29 alleged victims of comedian Bill Cosby, joined Yahoo News and Finance Anchor Bianna Golodryga to discuss a Pennsylvania judge’s decision to proceed with the first criminal case against the comedian, in the alleged sexual assault of Andrea Constand. The judge found that prosecutors are not bound by a deal that a past prosecutor made with Cosby in 2005 not to charge him. Cosby’s attorneys say they will appeal that decision.

While she does not represent Constand, Allred said that her clients are looking forward to seeing Mr. Cosby face justice. She said: “Those I’ve spoken to were very relieved and very happy that, in fact, Andrea Constand is going to have her day in court for the criminal case, and they are looking forward to Mr. Cosby being before a jury and letting the jury decide whether he’s guilty or if, in fact, he should be acquitted.”

Allred also said that her clients hope to testify against Cosby in the Pennsylvania criminal case. She said, “I do think that there is a high likelihood that that could happen, because in Pennsylvania there is law that talks about prior bad acts. In other words, if there are witnesses who can testify to prior bad acts that have been inflicted on them that are the same or similar to what is being alleged by the alleged victim in the criminal case, then their testimony is considered relevant by the prosecutor and admissible by the court, then they should be permitted to testify. I have no doubt that Mr. Cosby’s attorney will attempt to exclude them.” She continued, “Such testimony could be devastating to Mr. Cosby, depending on what it is and how the cross-examination goes.”

 

Allred also weighed in on the deal former District Attorney Bruce Castor made with Cosby in 2005 not to prosecute the comedian if he agreed to give a deposition in Ms. Constand’s civil suit. Allred told Golodryga, “Such a so-called agreement to decline to prosecute was never made into a court order in which the court would grant immunity from prosecution to Mr. Cosby. One has to ask that if this was so important to the defense, why didn’t Mr. Cosby’s attorneys make sure it was reduced to a court order or at least an agreement signed both by the prosecutor and by the defense? That never happened.”

On whether or not that deposition will be admissible in the criminal case, Allred said, “The court is going to have to rule on that issue whether it should be included. Interesting that Mr. Cosby, who supposedly told the truth in that deposition when he said that he gave quaaludes to some women and that he did so with the intent to have sex with them, is now saying that what is supposedly this truthful testimony should be excluded from the criminal case. We will just have to wait and see what is in and what is out.”

Allred also discussed her client Judy Huth’s California civil suit against Cosby. Huth is alleging Cosby sexually assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion in 1974 when she was only 15 years old. A judge ruled this week that Allred will be able to depose Cosby for a second time. She indicated that the judge will decide on or around March 11 whether or not to make these depositions public.

Allred concluded, “I will say that Mr. Cosby has just failed in his latest legal maneuver to avoid facing a jury in the criminal case, and I’m glad that he’s failed in this maneuver. It should be for a jury to decide his guilt or innocence.”