Bill Cosby's attorney announces plan 'to fully vindicate' him in Playboy mansion civil suit
'Cosby Show' star is accused of abusing a woman at the Playboy mansion in 1974
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bill Cosby's attorney Jennifer Bonjean will represent the actor in a civil lawsuit alleging him of assaulting a female at the Playboy mansion in 1974.
A status hearing was held in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday attended by Bonjean and high-powered attorney Gloria Allred. Cosby was not present.
In a statement released on Friday, Cosby's team communicated Bonjean's plans to "fully vindicate" the disgraced "Cosby Show" actor, whose sexual assault conviction was overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in June.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"This morning, Bill Cosby’s New York-based attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, was granted leave to appear pro hac vice in the civil litigation Huth v. Cosby, pending in Los Angeles County. Ms. Bonjean will serve as lead counsel on the case, working with local counsel, Michael Freedman of The Freedman Firm to fully vindicate Mr. Cosby of Ms. Huth’s 1974 accusation," a press release obtained by Fox News states.
BILL COSBY ACCUSERS' ATTORNEY GLORIA ALLRED SAYS SHE'LL PROCEED WITH CIVIL SUIT AGAINST HIM
Pennsylvania’s highest court overturned comedian Bill Cosby’s sex assault conviction in June. The court said Wednesday that they found an agreement with a previous prosecutor prevented him from being charged in the case. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Allred is representing 33 women who accused Cosby of misconduct. She announced her intent to proceed with a new civil trial against the disgraced actor involving the alleged abuse of Judy Huth. Allred previously alleged that Huth is a victim of child sexual abuse by the former comedian. The accuser claims Cosby abused her at the Playboy mansion in Southern California in her youth.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cosby's team slammed Allred and her firm on Friday, noting that Allred's team is "determined to try this case in the court of public opinion where the rules don’t apply and where their client’s ancient accusation is not subject to any meaningful vetting."
"But cases are not won at press conferences; they are won in courtrooms through the adversarial process. And that is precisely where Mr. Cosby’s team intends to defeat this case," the statement continues.
According to Cosby's legal team, the parties appeared before Judge Craig D. Karlan for Friday's status hearing where they "flagged a number of important legal issues in the case, including whether California’s abolition of a statute of limitations as to certain sex crimes is constitutional and whether Mr. Cosby will sit for a second deposition in this case."
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"In the words of Chief Justice Max Baer of the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court, ‘Mr. Cosby was the victim of a reprehensible bait and switch.’ Those actions of an over-zealous judge and prosecutor caused Mr. Cosby great suffering with a two-year-and-ten-month unjust conviction and incarceration. He legitimately fears that he could be the target of any number of other malicious prosecutions in this climate where mob-justice trumps the rule of law and bald accusations, no matter how old or how implausible, are automatically viewed as truth."
Gloria Allred represents 33 women who accused Bill Cosby of misconduct. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Cosby, 83, served more than two years of a three to 10-year sentence at a state prison near Philadelphia after being convicted of aggravated indecent assault. He was released on June 30 after his conviction was overturned on technical grounds.
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In a press conference held after Cosby's release in June, Allred, who also represents accusers in various other high-profile sexual misconduct suits, said "Mr. Cosby is not home free."