IN THE SPOTLIGHT
O’Neill allowed just one other accuser to take the stand at Cosby’s first trial last year, barring any mention of about 60 others who have come forward to accuse Cosby in recent years.
Prosecutors are trying to persuade him to allow as many as 19 other women to take the stand, including model Janice Dickinson, as they attempt to show the comedian had a long history of drugging and attacking women.
They’re also trying to insulate Constand from what a prosecutor called “inevitable attacks” on her credibility.
The defense contended that prosecutors want to call the other accusers to the stand because they’re desperate to bolster an otherwise weak case. Cosby lawyer Becky James told the judge that none of the women should be allowed to tell their stories to a jury because that would subject Cosby to “multiple mini-trials.”
“Even one would be too prejudicial here,” she said. “The inference is too tempting to say, ‘He must’ve done it here, because he did it before.’”
Pennsylvania allows prosecutors to present evidence of alleged past misdeeds if they demonstrate the defendant engaged in a signature pattern of crime. Prosecutors argue Cosby used his power and appeal as a beloved entertainer to befriend younger women, then plied them with drugs or alcohol before assaulting them.