Bill Cosby Last Sex Abuse Case Opens; Here's Everything You Need To Know

Bill Cosby, 85, will be the defendant in a sexual assault trial 11 months after he was released from prison after a Pennsylvania appeals court overturned his criminal conviction. This time, it will be in a civil case in California involving incidents in Los Angeles in the mid-1970s. Opening statements in the case, which is scheduled to last two weeks, was supposed to begin on June 1 in the coastal city of Santa Monica, California.

Judy Huth's lawyers are expected to lay out the evidence they plan to use to show that Cosby forced her to do a sex act at the Playboy Mansion in 1975 when she was 16 years old. Huth's testimony, which will be bolstered by photos and other historical data to assist in putting the incident into perspective, will be crucial in the case.

In the nearly 50-year-old case, Cosby's lawyers, who contend no sexual assault occurred, are likely to emphasise that the plaintiffs face the whole burden of proof. They acknowledge that Cosby took Huth to the Playboy Mansion, as demonstrated by a photograph of the visit, but assert that she was not a minor at the time.

What is the case against Bill Cosby?

Judy Huth, now 64, claims she and a friend encountered Cosby at a Los Angeles park in 1975 when she was 16 years old and he was filming the movie Let's Do It Again with Sidney Poitier. According to Huth's lawsuit, Cosby made her drink wine "as part of a game" a few days later before taking her to the Playboy Mansion. According to the complaint, he brought her into an isolated bedroom, kissed her on the lips, put his hand down her pants, and used her hand to perform a sex act on him. Huth sued Cosby in 2014, demanding unspecified monetary damages to be assessed at trial.

Huth also filed a police report, but no charges have been filed as of yet. Due to delays in Cosby's two criminal convictions and the pandemic, the case has taken eight years to reach trial. Huth and a companion from the period will be key witnesses at the trial.

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Bill Cosby's Case:

The attorneys for Bill Cosby have admitted that he met Huth and drove her to the Playboy Mansion. As evidenced by an undated snapshot of the two of them taken there. They, on the other hand, categorically deny that any assault occurred. They also claim Huth was 18 at the time of the house visit, which would make any infraction much less serious under California law. Cosby's lawyers haven't revealed what evidence they'll use to show this, but they do say it's up to the plaintiffs to prove when the visit took place.

Bill Cosby Sex Abuse Case Opens

Cosby, who has undergone two lengthy criminal trials, is not compelled to appear in this one and has no intention of doing so. His representatives claim it's because he's blind due to glaucoma. During the jury selection process, jurors stated that Cosby's absence would not alter their decision, as required by the court.

Nonetheless, attorneys like to have their clients there, both to put a human face on their side and to demonstrate that the client cares and takes the proceedings seriously. He certainly won't take the stand as a witness.

In the case, Cosby did give a video deposition, but the judge determined that he did not need to give a second, more in-depth deposition, nor would he be forced to testify in person. Because he could still be prosecuted for sexual assault in California and other places, the judge determined that Cosby could claim his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination.