Cosby judge to take his time with ruling

NORRISTOWN, Pa. — Bill Cosby made his first court appearance of the #MeToo era on Monday as defense lawyers tried without success to get his sexual assault case thrown out, then turned their attention to blocking some of the 80-year-old comedian’s dozens of accusers from testifying at his looming retrial.

Prosecutors are trying to persuade the judge to allow as many as 19 other women to take the stand. They’re also trying to insulate Cosby’s accuser, Andrea Constand, from what a prosecutor called “inevitable attacks” on her credibility.

Cosby’s lawyers will address the issue in court Tuesday. They’ve argued in writing that some of the women’s allegations date to the 1960s and are impossible to defend against, given that some witnesses are dead, memories are faded and evidence has been lost.

Judge Steven O’Neill will not rule on whether to allow the testimony by the end of the two-day hearing, calling it an “extraordinarily weighty issue” that he needs time to review.

The judge allowed just one other accuser to take the stand at Cosby’s first trial last year. them.

A neighbor spotted ski gloves next to the condo and called police. Their bodies were found under 3 feet of snow Sunday.

They were the third and fourth skiers to die at California resorts since a major snowstorm hit last week.