Attorneys representing Bill Cosby filed a motion in court Thursday requesting that the sexual assault charges against him be dropped, the Los Angeles Times reports. The motion was filed in the Pennsylvania court where Cobsy is facing trial for a 2004 incident involving Andrea Constand, who was a Temple University basketball staffer at the time. Cosby is facing three felony counts of aggravated indecent assault in an incident of sexual contact with Constand, whom he reportedly gave wine and a pill at his Philadelphia home.
The motion argues that the delay in bringing charges has prejudiced the jury against Cosby and violated his due process rights. The motion also cites an alleged agreement made by a former Montgomery County district attorney not to prosecute Cosby. The motion says that the civil-trial documents used in the prosecution’s case were improperly unsealed.
A news release from Cosby’s team announcing the motion said that a combination of “serious prosecutorial and judicial impropriety” has deprived Cosby of his right to a fair trial.
Cosby’s lawyers previously tried to get the charges dismissed because of a nonprosecution agreement with former District Attorney Bruce Castor, but the judge rejected that request in February.
Even if this newest motion is denied, the defense hopes that it will further shape public and jury perception of the defendant.
Cosby attorneys Brian McMonagle and Angela Agrusa said in their motion: “Bill Cosby has lived an extraordinary and exemplary public life for well over 50 years—not only as a comedian and TV star, but also as an educator, philanthropist, author, producer, commercial pitchman and civil rights advocate. Unfortunately, that legacy has been hijacked by the Montgomery County’s DA office."
Cosby’s trial is set for early June.
Read more at the Los Angeles Times.