Red Bluff Daily News

February 25, 2017

Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/791631

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 3 of 23

ByMaryclaireDale TheAssociatedPress PHILADELPHIA Inamajor break for Bill Cosby, a judge ruled Friday that just one of the comedian's multitude of other accusers can testify at his trial to bolster charges he drugged and violated a woman more than a de- cade ago. The 79-year-old TV star is set to go on trial in June, accused of sexually assault- ing former Temple Uni- versity employee Andrea Constand at his subur- ban Philadelphia home in 2004. Prosecutors wanted to put 13 other women on the stand to show that his alleged conduct was part of a distinct pattern of be- havior. Montgomery County Judge Steven O'Neill disal- lowed all but one of those women, saying in a one- page ruling that he care- fully weighed the possible value of their testimony against the potential prej- udice to Cosby. The one witness who can testify says the comic drugged and assaulted her in 1996 at a Los Angeles hotel. Cosby's lawyer had no immediate comment, but the actor himself re- tweeted news stories on the ruling, adding the hashtags "#KeepWatching" and "#PayAttention." With O'Neill's order, the trial will now rest more heavily on Constand's cred- ibility. "There is an obvious value to the prosecution when you have numerous accusers. That alone adds tremendous weight to the case," said lawyer Joseph McGettigan, a prosecutor in the Penn State sex abuse scandal. The ruling could also shave weeks off the trial. Cosby, who is free on $1 million bail, could get 10 years in prison if convicted. He is expected in court again Monday to ask that the jurors be selected from another county because of the heavy publicity. Prosecutors compiled the list of 13 potential wit- nesses from the nearly 50 women who have come for- ward in recent years to say they were drugged and mo- lested — a barrage that de- stroyed Cosby's good-guy reputation as the star of TV's "Cosby Show" in the 1980s. His lawyers objected to the testimony about "prior bad acts," saying that in some cases the sex was con- sensual, while others in- volved models and actresses falsely accusing Cosby to gain money or attention. His attorneys also argued that some of the allegations were so vague — with some of the women unsure of when the alleged encoun- ters even took place — that it would be impossible for Cosby to defend himself. While the ruling is a big victory for Cosby at his trial, it could deprive him of grounds for appeal if he is convicted. In 2015, a Pennsylvania appeals court threw out a Roman Catho- lic Church official's convic- tion because the jury was al- lowedtohearfrom23priest- abuse victims who were not directly part of the case. "It's the best of times and the worst of times for Cosby. It gives the defen- dant the opportunity to try the case that should be tried, the lone accuser," said defense lawyer Wil- liam J. Brennan, who was involved in the church case. "If it doesn't go his way, he probably is limited on ap- pellate issues. However, I'd take this, hands down, over the alternative." The ruling is one of two key pretrial issues in the case. The judge ear- lier ruled that the jury can hear Cosby's damaging tes- timony from Constand's 2005 lawsuit against the comedian. Cosby's deposition runs to nearly 1,000 pages and covers a string of extramar- ital liaisons dating to the 1960s. It was the release of the sealed testimony in 2015 that led prosecutors to reopen the case. TV STAR Bi ll C os by w on 't f ac e a ba rr ag e of ac cu se rs a t hi s tr ia l MELEVANS—THEASSOCIATEDPRESSFILE Bill Cosby leaves a er a hearing in his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. By Elliot Spagat The Associated Press SAN DIEGO U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Friday that it plans to start awarding contracts by mid- April for President Donald Trump's proposed border wall with Mexico, signaling that he is aggressively pur- suing plans to erect "a great wall" along the 2,000-mile border. The agency said it will request bids on or around March 6 and that compa- nies would have to submit "concept papers" to design and build prototypes by March 10, according to a website for federal contrac- tors. The field of candidates will be narrowed by March 20 and finalists must submit offers with their proposed costs by March 24. The president told the Conservative Political Ac- tion Conference on Friday that construction will start "very soon" and is "way, way, way ahead of schedule." The agency's notice gave no details on where the wall would be built first and how many miles would be cov- ered initially. Homeland Se- curity Secretary John Kelly has sought employees' opin- ions during border tours of California, Arizona and Texas. It's unclear how soon Congress would provide funding and how much. The Government Accountabil- ity Office estimates a wall would cost on average $6.5 million a mile for a fence to keep out people who try to enter on foot and $1.8 mil- lion a mile for vehicle barri- ers. There are currently 354 miles of pedestrian fencing and 300 miles of vehicle barriers. Republican leaders in Congress have said Trump's wall would cost between $12 billion and $15 billion. Trump has suggested $12 billion. Associated Press writer Alicia A. Caldwell in Washington contributed to this report. TRUMP PROPOSAL Agency plans to award Mexico border wall contracts by April Lunchisonus!• Free Gift! Sunday, March 26 th starts at Noon inCash&Prizes! $ 89,050 LUCKYIRISH Presales Available Now at ColusaCasino.com! Must be 21+. Management Reserves All Rights ©2017 Must be 21+ to attend. Management Reserves All Rights ©2017 Friday,April14 th Tickets available in the Gift Shop & ColusaCasino.com Doors 7pm • Show 8pm www.gummsoptical.com (530) 527-2510 1-800-481-LENS (5367) 910MainSt.,SuiteC,RedBluff Quality•Service Style Bring your Eyeglass prescription to us. We'llSpoilYa!!" Regular Haircut $ 2 00 off KWIK KUTS FamilyHairSalon 1064SouthMainSt.,RedBluff•529-3540 ANY RETAIL PRODUCT 20 % off withanychemicalserviceof $50 or more Notgoodwithotheroffers Expires 3/31/17 With coupon Reg. $13.95 wwwnortherncountiesroofingsystems.com FreeEstimates 530-356-0686 Owner on site Lic# 955662 • Residential • Commercial • New Construction Visitusat 100JacksonSt. in Red Bluff for details (530) 529-1220 Visit www.redbluffhealthfitness.com for more infomation Monthly Membership as low as $ 28 00 a month! | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017 4 A

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Red Bluff Daily News - February 25, 2017