Back in June, a jury found that Bill Cosby was liable in a civil case for sexually assaulting a woman named Judy Huth at the Playboy Mansion when she was underage. Now he’s asking for a new trial over an issue with the facts of the case.
Cosby’s lawyers were back in court on Thursday and argued that Huth got the year she was sexually assaulted incorrect and that they didn’t have a chance to find witnesses for his defense. Lawyer Jennifer Bonjean said if she knew about the new time period she would have been able to present more witnesses, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“Mr. Cosby was greatly prejudiced because of the late disclosure of the years the events allegedly occurred,” Bonjean said. “Our entire defense, an alibi defense, went out the window when Huth realized — if you want to call it that — that the events didn’t occur in 1974 nor did they occur when she was 15.”
Huth alleged that Cosby forced her to perform a sex act on him after she met him at a park during the filming of the movie Let’s Do it Again, and from there he invited her to the mansion. She is one of 50 women accusing the disgraced comedian of sexually assaulting her. He has denied all allegations, even after he was convicted for drugging and assaulting Andrea Constand – a conviction that was overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Huth was awarded $500,000. Bonjean’s argument was a last ditch effort to get the verdict thrown out barring an appeal. Huth’s lawyer, John West, said the defense knew the timeline of events because the movie was shot in 1975. The contention is that Huth claimed the assault happened in 1974.
Cosby’s lawyers also argued that testimony from Kimberly Burr, a woman who said Cosby kissed her when she was a minor, should not have been allowed because Huth was a different age at the time of the alleged assault.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Craig Karlan fired back that it showed Cosby’s intent.
“The evidence demonstrates that this wasn’t an accident — that Cosby thought she was 18. [The testimony] was not to show that he rapes woman but to show that he’s interested in minors for sexual reasons. Do you understand the distinction?”
Bonjean said the testimony was only introduced to tell the jury Cosby liked young women. Karlan said “No, it goes to intent.”
Karlan will review the motion by the defense and either grant or deny the defense’s motion soon. We’ll keep you posted when something new develops.
