Camille Cosby set to be deposed next month
WORCESTER, Mass.(AP) _ The latest on a hearing over whether materials gathered in a defamation lawsuit filed by seven women against Bill Cosby can be kept out of the public eye (all times local):
12:55 p.m.
A federal judge has ruled that Bill Cosby will not be deposed next month in a Massachusetts lawsuit accusing him of defaming seven women who accuse him of sexual assault, but his wife will be.
The deposition of Camille Cosby will occur Feb. 22.
U.S. Magistrate Judge David Hennessy agreed Wednesday to hold off on Bill Cosby’s deposition as the comedian faces criminal charges in Pennsylvania.
The 78-year old actor was charged Dec. 30 with drugging and sexually assaulting a woman inside his home near Philadelphia in 2004. It’s the first criminal case brought against him.
The seven women suing Cosby for defamation are among approximately 50 across the country who have come forward with allegations that Cosby plied them with drugs and alcohol before sexually assaulting them. He denies the accusations.
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12:05 p.m.
A judge in the Massachusetts defamation suit filed against Bill Cosby by seven women who accuse him of sexual assault has rejected a proposal by the comedian’s lawyers that would have kept a significant amount of material in the case out of the public eye.
U.S. Magistrate Judge David Hennessy said Wednesday that protocol to protect potentially sensitive material like Social Security numbers and bank accounts from becoming public should be put in place in the case.
But he said the “blanket protective order” that Cosby’s lawyers proposed wasn’t appropriate.
Instead, the judge proposed more limited protections focused on information disclosed in depositions.
Both sides agreed to put the procedure in writing.
A lawyer for the women says he thinks the judge’s directions are appropriate.
Cosby’s lawyers declined to comment.
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10:55 a.m.
A lawyer for Bill Cosby has told a federal court he is considering asking for a postponement in the civil defamation case in Massachusetts in light of the criminal charges the comedian now faces in Pennsylvania.
Marshall Searcy said at Wednesday’s hearing in Worcester that the “new situation” has left the defence trying to decide on the best approach to move forward. The hearing was the first in Massachusetts since Cosby was charged Dec. 30 with sexually assaulting and drugging a woman inside his home near Philadelphia in 2004.
A lawyer for the seven women suing Cosby argued that Cosby’s scheduled Feb. 22 deposition in the civil case should move forward.
Magistrate David Hennessey didn’t immediately rule. He postponed the deposition of Cosby’s wife, Camille, that was scheduled this month.
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8 a.m.
Bill Cosby’s lawyers want materials gathered in a civil defamation lawsuit filed by seven women who claim Cosby sexually assaulted them decades ago kept out of the public eye.
A federal magistrate in Massachusetts will hear arguments Wednesday on a confidentiality agreement proposed by lawyers for Cosby, who denies the allegations.
It calls for documents produced during the pre-trial discovery phase to remain confidential for 14 days. Either side could then request the records be sealed longer. The records would remain sealed until the judge decides on the extension.
Cosby’s lawyers say the plaintiffs have sought “invasive and intimate details” about the actor’s medical and sexual history.
Lawyers for the women say they have valid reasons for the requests and that sealing documents would violate the public’s right to transparent judicial proceedings.
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