The Latest: Prosecutor: Cosby’s ‘last card’ targets judge

By The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA – The Latest on Bill Cosby’s lawyers seeking a new judge in his April 2 sexual assault retrial (all times local):

5 p.m.

Prosecutors are blasting Bill Cosby’s lawyers for seeking a new judge in his April 2 sexual assault retrial.

Prosecutors said Thursday that asking Judge Steven O’Neill to step aside is “a thinly veiled attempt to delay and pollute the jury pool.”

Cosby’s lawyers argued some of O’Neill’s rulings could give the appearance he’s influenced by his wife’s work as a social worker who’s described herself as an “advocate for assault victims.”

The O’Neills did not immediately respond to messages.

Cosby has pleaded not guilty to charges he assaulted a woman at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. His first trial ended in a hung jury.

Prosecutors say Cosby’s is playing his “last card” by taking aim at O’Neill.

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11:30 a.m.

Bill Cosby’s lawyers are asking the judge in his upcoming sexual assault retrial to step aside, arguing he could be seen as biased because his wife is a social worker who’s described herself as an “advocate for assault victims.”

Cosby’s lawyers said Thursday that some of Judge Steven O’Neill’s rulings, including his decision to let five additional accusers testify, could give the appearance he’s influenced by his wife’s work.

Deborah O’Neill is the co-ordinator of a University of Pennsylvania sexual trauma outreach team. She wrote her dissertation on acquaintance rape.

The O’Neills did not immediately respond to messages.

Cosby has pleaded not guilty to charges he assaulted a woman at his Philadelphia-area home in 2004. His first trial ended in a hung jury. His retrial is scheduled for April 2.

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For more on the Cosby trial, go to https://apnews.com/tag/CosbyonTrial

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