Cosby Trial: Boom For Businesses, Likely Big Bang For Taxpayers
PHILADELPHIA (CBS)-- Tallying up the cost of prosecuting Bill Cosby.
It was a boom for business, but the trial will likely be a bang for taxpayers.
Norristown businesses, like Sessano Cafe and Deli, saw a banner couple of weeks.
"It was tough to keep up, lot of trips to the city, had to bring some extra food, some extra help," said Chris McCracken, manager at the at the deli.
Meanwhile, the cost to prosecute Cosby and house the sequestered jury from Pittsburgh for two weeks has yet to be calculated.
A county spokeswoman placed the figure at more than $100,000-$200,000 more than the average cost of a trial.
Comparing the Cosby proceeding to another for cost is difficult.
The most recent trial in Pennsylvania, with a similar high profile nature and one with a sequestered jury, was the capital case of Eric Frein.
There --- Pike County budgeted $250,000 dollars.
Commissioners confirmed to CBS3 Tuesday afternoon that price tag has soared to around $500,000.
A spokeswoman for Montgomery County DA Kevin Steele said they were still calculating how much the trial will cost taxpayers.
At a Saturday news conference, Steele briefly dealt with the issue of cost.
"This is a place where we are going to follow the evidence wherever it takes us to whomever it takes us," he said.
