Attorneys for Bill Cosby asked a Pennsylvania judge on Wednesday to throw out sexual assault charges filed against the comedian, saying he had not been given an opportunity to confront his accuser during pretrial proceedings.
The petition filed in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania seeks dismissal of all charges or at least a new preliminary hearing during which Cosby’s lawyers could cross-examine his accuser.
The charges stem from allegations leveled by Andrea Constand, who settled a civil case against Cosby for an undisclosed sum in 2006.
Cosby, 78, was charged last year with sexually assaulting Constand in January 2004 after plying her with drugs and alcohol.
“The Commonwealth’s reliance solely upon hearsay evidence to establish the elements of the charged offense, without providing Mr. Cosby an opportunity to confront and cross-examine his accuser, violated Mr. Cosby’s confrontation and due process rights,” his legal team said in a statement.
The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office could not be reached for comment on Wednesday evening. (Reuters)