PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
Sequestered jury from outside area to decide Cosby case
A sequestered jury from an outside county will decide the sexual assault case against Bill Cosby, a suburban Philadelphia judge ruled Monday, rejecting a defense request to move the trial itself because of worldwide media reports that the actor’s lawyers say brand him a “serial rapist.”
Montgomery County Judge Steven O’Neill will oversee a June 5 trial over charges that Cosby drugged and molested a former Temple University employee in 2004.
O’Neill’s ruling came after lawyers for the 79-year-old TV star argued that his trial should be moved to Philadelphia or the Pittsburgh area. The larger, more diverse population would make it easier to find unbiased jurors, lawyer Brian McMonagle argued, but even then, he said, there was no guarantee that Cosby could get a fair hearing.
‘Get Out’ nets $33.4 million in opening weekend
Comedian Jordan Peele’s directorial debut, “Get Out,” did even better in its first weekend in theaters than initially projected. The micro-budget thriller pulled in $33.4 million — about $3 million higher than what was estimated Sunday by the studios.
It easily topped the box office and unseated “The Lego Batman Movie” from first place. The “Lego Movie” spinoff earned $19.2 million in its third week in theaters.
Lionsgate’s “John Wick: Chapter Two” took the third-place spot with $9.4 million, bringing its total to $74.8 million after three weeks, while “The Great Wall” added $9.1 million in week two. In fifth place, “Fifty Shades Darker” grossed $7.8 million, bumping the picture past the $100 million mark domestically.