Bill Cosby arrived at the Allegheny County Courthouse in Pittsburgh for the first day of jury selection in his sexual assault case Monday. At the conclusion of the day, five of 12 jurors were selected for Cosby’s sexual assault trial.
The jury currently consists of a middle-aged white woman, a middle-aged white man whose sister is a sexual assault survivor, a younger white man, an elderly white man and a white woman who appeared to be in her 30s, according to WPVI-TV ABC6.
Although Cosby recently cited racism as the reason that more than 50 women had come forward against him, as well as the media attention surrounding his case, three black women were dismissed as potential jurors. Also, several potential jurors noted that a family member or friend had been a sex assault victim.
According to the news station, one-third of the potential jurors said that they’d already formed opinions about Cosby’s innocence or guilt. Others stated that it would be difficult to be sequestered for weeks.
Cosby’s trial on charges of sexually assaulting a former Temple University employee is set to start June 5.