Defamation Lawsuit Against Bill Cosby Thrown Out Of Court
A federal court said the comedian was allowed to defend his innocence.
LEARN MOREJudge Declares Mistrial In Bill Cosby Sexual Assault Case
Comedian Bill Cosby had been charged with three counts of sexual assault.
Judge Declares Mistrial In Bill Cosby Sexual Assault Case
Getty Images
June 17, 2017
The judge presiding over the Bill Cosby sexual assault case has declared a mistrial.
The ruling comes days after jurors told the judge they were deadlocked. He told them to try to reach an agreement.
The 79-year-old didn't testify during his six-day trial for aggravated indecent assault.
Andrea Constand testified that Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her at his Pennsylvania home in 2004.
Cosby has said he only gave Constand Benadryl and that the incident was consensual.
Dozens of women have accused Cosby of sexual misconduct. This was the first time he was criminally charged. While the statute of limitations ran out in many of those cases, some have sued him in civil court.
Constand sued Cosby in civil court in 2005. During a deposition, Cosby admitted to getting prescriptions for quaaludes and that he planned to give them to women he wanted to have sex with.
Cosby settled the civil lawsuit in 2006.
His attorneys tried to prevent Cosby's admission from being used against him in the criminal case. They argued Cosby gave that testimony with the understanding that he wouldn't face criminal charges. But in December 2016, a judge ruled the deposition could be used as evidence in the criminal case.
In April 2017, the same judge ruled that jurors could hear Cosby's testimony regarding quaaludes.
However, he also ruled in Cosby's favor, stating neither the prosecution nor the defense could "make any reference to any civil suit or the settlement thereof."
It will now be up to prosecutors to decide whether they want to retry the case.
0:23
FDA approves over-the-counter sales of Narcan
Narcan can reverse overdoses of opioids, including street drugs such as heroin and fentanyl, and prescription versions including oxycodone.
Blinken subpoenaed by top republican in Afghanistan withdrawal probe
A GOP chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee has delivered a subpoena to the U.S. State Department for documents on the Afghanistan withdrawal.
1:31
Adnan Syed's murder conviction reinstated, for now
A Baltimore court reinstated the conviction of Adnan Syed as a procedural matter, but said it wishes not to violate his "right to be free."
Top Stories
2:49
Donald Trump's threats toward Black prosecutors spark violence worries
Former President Donald Trump has verbally attacked two district attorneys and an attorney general, all of whom are investigating him.
8:05
No Rescue: Why animal shelter euthanasia is rising
A Scripps News investigation finds euthanasia rates are climbing at cramped animal shelters nationwide.
Disney appears to strip DeSantis' Reedy Creek board of power
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' chosen board to oversee a Disney government could be facing a legal battle, as reports say Disney stripped it of power.
