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| Bill Cosby sexual assault trial: Defence for star produces single witness before resting | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Lawyers for legendary comedian Bill Cosby have presented only one witness in the sexual assault trial against him. | |
| After watching 12 witnesses testify for the prosecution, Mr Cosby's lawyers presented a short defence and quickly rested their arguments. Mr Cosby did not take the stand. | |
| The aging comedian – formerly known as "America's Dad" – is on trial for allegedly sexually assaulting an employee of his alma mater in 2004. The woman, Andrea Constand, has accused Mr Cosby of drugging and molesting her after a private dinner at his Pennsylvania home. | The aging comedian – formerly known as "America's Dad" – is on trial for allegedly sexually assaulting an employee of his alma mater in 2004. The woman, Andrea Constand, has accused Mr Cosby of drugging and molesting her after a private dinner at his Pennsylvania home. |
| Mr Cosby has pleaded not guilty. | Mr Cosby has pleaded not guilty. |
| At the start of this week's proceedings, the defence called Detective Richard Schaffer to the stand. The detective – who testified during the prosecution's case the week prior – had lead the 2005 investigation into Ms Constand's allegations. | |
| Lawyers questioned Mr Schaffer for approximately six minutes, then rested their defence. | |
| Judge Steven O'Neill denied the defence's request to bring forward a second witness, a woman who had worked with Ms Constand at Mr Cosby's alma mater. | |
| Ms Constand, her mother, and another of Mr Cosby's accusers all took the stand last week to testify for the prosecution. Lawyers for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania argued Mr Cosby had cultivated a relationship with the younger woman for months, and had used drugs and alcohol to render her "frozen" and unable to consent on the night of the alleged assault. | |
| In cross-examinations, lawyers for Mr Cosby attempted to poke holes in Ms Constand's story, highlighting inconsistencies in her statements to police over the years. Mr Cosby has admitted to having sexual contact with Ms Constand, but maintains all encounters were consensual. | |
| Mr Cosby's long-expected decision not to testify means his only statements in the trial come from a previously sealed deposition. The deposition was taken for a lawsuit filed by Ms Constand in 2005, after detectives unexpectedly closed her sexual assault case. | |
| The prosecution presented excerpts from the deposition last week, including segments in which Mr Cosby admitted to engaging with Ms Constand in "the area that is somewhere between permission and rejection.” | |
| “She did not stop me. And I wanted to go," Mr Cosby told detectives at the time. | |
| More than 50 women have publicly accused Mr Cosby of sexual assault over the course of his five-decade career. Only Ms Constand has been able to secure a trial, as the statute of limitations has expired in many of the accusers' cases. | |
| The jury will now move to deliberations. |