Entertainment

Judge Allows 5 More Accusers To Testify In Bill Cosby Sexual Assault Retrial

REUTERS/Charles Mostoller

Katie Jerkovich Entertainment Reporter
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A judge gave prosecutors a victory Thursday after allowing five more women to testify in the Bill Cosby sexual assault trial next month, the Associated Press reports.

All five have accused the 80-year-old actor of sexual misconduct and their testimony will be used against the comedian as he faces charges for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting a former Temple University employee at his home in Philadelphia in 2004.

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele arrives for the fifth day of deliberations in Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Pictured: Bill Cosby Picture by: Lucas Jackson / Reuters / Splash

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele arrives for the fifth day of deliberations in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault trial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pennsylvania.
(Picture by: Lucas Jackson / Reuters / Splash)

Prosecutors reportedly hope to portray Cosby as a serial predator with a pattern of “drugging and attacking women” over several decades.

Cosby’s defense team tried to stop the move by claiming the prosecution hopes to just “enrage the jury” by allowing accusers to dredge up “ancient allegations” against the actor in the current #MeToo environment.

At last year’s trial, Judge Steven O’Neil did not allow a handful of accusers to be included in Cosby’s first trial. O’Neil only permitted the woman who accused him of the assault in 2004, Andrea Constand, and another woman who accused the comedian of sexual misconduct in 1996.

Last June, O’Neil declared a mistrial in the case after the jury remained “deadlocked on all counts” following six days of deliberations.

Jury selection for the retrial is set to begin March 29. The retrial is scheduled to start April 2 and is expected to last anywhere from two weeks to a month.