Jury Selection Begins For Bill Cosby Trial!
Source: Gilbert Carrasquillo / Getty
The sex-assault trial of William Henry Cosby, Jr. aka Bill Cosby is slated to start June 5th in Philadelphia and is expected to last about two weeks. Jury selection began Monday morning with the first round of 100 potential jurors called in to answer questions about their ability to serve impartially…..can some one say “Mission Impossible?”
The jurors were asked if they knew certain names of people who will either be called as witnesses or mentioned during the trial, including Cosby accuser Andrea Constand, her parents and even “Dynasty” actress Diahann Carroll, who appeared on Cosby’s “The New Bill Cosby Show” in the 1970s.
Mr. Cosby, who came to the Allegheny County Courthouse in downtown Pittsburgh without his wife Camille, who has “Stood By Her Man” and defends him, is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting Constand inside his Philadelphia home in 2004.
Cosby who is 79, arrived at the courthouse around 7:30 a.m. looking very frail and weak, holding the arm of his publicist and the his cane in the crook of his other arm. He ignored questions shouted by a huge herd of reporters. Mr. Cosby is now completely blind.
His rep said he had no comment.
Twelve jurors and six alternates will be chosen from Allegheny County but sequestered some 300 miles away in Montgomery County.
What’s the big hoopla? This is a case of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania versus William H. Cosby Jr. This is a criminal trial just like any other,” O’Neill told the prospective jurors.
Defense lawyer Brian McMonagle said Cosby is “looking forward” to starting jury selection and that he’s “holding up fine” ahead of the trial.
Cosby’s lawyers argued that it would be impossible to find impartial jurors for the highly publicized case in Montgomery, where the comedian is accused of molesting Constand, a former Temple University employee, 13 years ago.
A total of 2,994 jury questionnaires were sent out ahead of jury selection to determine each juror’s ability to serve.
This is going to be OJ trial level crazy….a total media circus! Stay tuned…..
