Almost a year after embattled comedian Bill Cosby was released from prison, a civil sex assault case against him is headed to trial. And his lawyers are pissed! Find out why inside…
Disgraced comedian Bill Cosby, 85, is set to face another trial after a judge decided it could move forward to trial.
It isn’t new though.
In 2014, Judy Huth, 64, filed a sexual assault lawsuit against the “Cosby” star and creator as dozens of women spoke out against Cosby, accusing him of of rape, drug facilitated sexual assault, sexual battery, or other sexual misconduct.
Once Cosby was arrested and charged with sexual assault in 2015, Judy’s and the other civil cases were placed on hold.
In the lawsuit, Judy accused Cosby of groping her while at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles 50 years ago. At the time, she was a teenager. Judy shared she first met Cosby at a park in Los Angeles in 1975 while he was filming a movie. The initial court filings said that Judy was 15 when she met the famous entertainer and that the incident happened in 194.
In a more recent court filing, Judy seemingly changed her story, alleging she was actually 16 at the time of the incident. She said after meeting Cosby, he invited her and a friend to his teen club where they played billiards and Cosby also allegedly gave them alcohol. After that, Judy said he brought them to the Playboy Mansion and it was was there that she alleges Cosby had her sit next to him on a bed and molested her.
She’s suing Cosby for sexual battery in a civil case. Cosby has denied all of the allegations. His lawyers tried to have the case dismissed, but Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Craig Karlan ruled it can go to trial.
Among the cases and accusations brought against Cosby, Judy’s case is the only one that alleges child abuse.
Since Judy’s most recent court filing notes the assault happened in 1975 when she was 16, not in 1974 when she was 15 as she had long alleged, Cosby’s lawyers are calling foul! They are furious the case is heading to trial since she changed up the details in her story.
“It's not fair,” Cosby's lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, said outside court. “It's called trial by ambush."
Jury selection for the trial begins Monday, May 23rd.
On June 30, 2021, Bill Cosby was released from state prison after Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his 2018 criminal conviction, citing violations of his due process rights. He served nearly three years for aggravated indecent assault. He was sentenced to 3 to 10 years after being accused of drugging and sexually assaulting former Temple University employee Andrea Constand in 2004.
Judy’s civil case is one of the last civil suits that Cosby faces. Another civil case is currently in federal court in New Jersey after actress Lili Bernard, who starred on "The Cosby Show," filed the suit alleging that Cosby drugged and raped her in Atlantic City in 1990.
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