Cosby Judge Won't Yet Rule On Quaalude Drug Testimony
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NORRISTOWN (AP) — Bill Cosby's retrial on sexual assault charges won't begin until at least April 9.
The judge and lawyers agreed to the start date during the first of two days of pretrial hearings on Thursday.
Jury selection in the case is scheduled to begin on Monday.
Cosby's lawyers made clear during the hearing they plan to attack his accuser as a greedy liar who falsely accused the comedian of sexually assaulting her in 2004 so she could sue him and collect a big payoff.
The accuser's lawyer says the woman making that claim is not telling the truth.
Defense lawyers lost their bid to have the judge step aside because his wife is a social worker and advocate for assault victims.
The judge also said he won't rule on whether the comedian's previous testimony about giving quaaludes to women before sex can be presented to the jury until the testimony is brought up at trial.
Judge Steven O'Neill hinted during the pretrial hearing that he could keep the testimony out of the retrial.
He says that Cosby isn't on trial for what he said in the deposition. The testimony was included in the first trial that ended with a hung jury.
Prosecutors contend Cosby's quaaludes testimony is more evidence of his prior bad acts.
Defense lawyers say it's irrelevant because there's no evidence he gave his accuser the drug.
Cosby, 80, faces charges he drugged and molested former Temple University athletics administrator Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)