Bill Cosby Loses Appeal Bid In Criminal Case

Bill Cosby has suffered another setback in his criminal case after a judge shot down the embattled comedian's attempt to appeal against a ruling regarding his indecent assault charges. The Cosby Show star faces an aggravated indecent assault charge for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting former Temple University employee Andrea Constand in his Pennsylvania home in 2004. She eventually settled with Cosby in 2006, but Pennsylvania authorities reopened the criminal investigation into her claims last year (15) after his deposition was made public, and in the documents, the 78 year old confessed to obtaining sedatives called Quaaludes to give to women he wanted to have sex with. In late December (15), Cosby was arrested and charged with aggravated indecent assault stemming from Constand's allegations. He turned himself in to police and was arraigned in a Montgomery County courthouse before being released on $1 million (£670,000) bail. In January (16), Cosby's lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the indecent assault charge amid allegations a prosecutor broke a promise not to press charges over his alleged encounter with Constand, arguing the prosecutor filed the new sexual assault charge against Cosby partly because of the statements he made in that deposition. Cosby's team asked for Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele's office to be removed from the case if the charge is not dropped, and on Tuesday (15Feb16), Judge Steven T. O'Neill shot down that argument. According to legal documents obtained by TheWrap, O'Neill noted that his previous orders "do not involve controlling questions of law as to which there is substantial ground for difference of opinion, and (2) an immediate appeal from these orders would not materially advance the ultimate termination of the matter, therefore, it is hereby ordered and decreed that the motion is denied.