NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) - The Latest on Bill Cosby’s sexual assault retrial (all times local):
5 p.m.
A new group of potential jurors summoned to Bill Cosby’s sexual assault retrial is proving more opinionated and less willing to serve than the panel that produced seven jurors over the last two days.
Two-thirds of the 119 people brought in for group questioning Tuesday afternoon said they’ve already formed an opinion about Cosby’s guilt or innocence. A little more than half of Monday’s panel said they had already made up their minds.
All but about 20 people in Tuesday’s group begged off the case, saying it’d be a hardship to serve.
Seven jurors have been picked for the retrial. Eleven slots remain to be filled.
The 80-year-old comedian is charged with drugging and molesting a woman in 2004. His first trial ended in a hung jury.
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12:50 p.m.
Seven jurors have been picked in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault retrial.
Prosecutors and the defense chose a half-dozen jurors in rapid succession Tuesday after only choosing one juror Monday. Five of the jurors are white and two are black. The panel so far has four men and three women.
All of the jurors seated Tuesday say they’ve read media reports about Cosby’s case but haven’t formed an opinion about his guilt or innocence and can serve as fair and impartial jurors.
The Cosby jury will consist of 12 jurors and six alternates.
The 80-year-old comedian is charged with drugging and molesting a woman at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. His first trial ended in a hung jury.
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11 a.m.
Two more jurors have been picked in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault retrial.
Both women say they’ve read media reports about Cosby’s case and the #MeToo anti-sexual assault movement. But they say they haven’t formed an opinion and can serve as fair and impartial jurors.
They were picked Tuesday, the second day of jury selection. Cosby’s lawyers are upset because prosecutors have blocked two white men from serving on the jury, including one who said he thought many of the women coming forward in the #MeToo movement are “jumping on the bandwagon.”
Cosby’s lawyers have also used two strikes, both to block white women from serving.
Cosby is charged with drugging and molesting a woman at his suburban Philadelphia home. He’s pleaded not guilty. His first trial ended in a hung jury.
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8:50 a.m.
The judge in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault retrial has delivered two major victories to the comedian’s legal defense.
Judge Steven O’Neill ruled Tuesday that a woman who says his accuser was out for money can testify. He also ruled that the jury can hear the amount of the settlement that Cosby reached with his accuser.
Cosby’s defense has laid out their plan to portray the accuser as a greedy liar who framed the comedian to get rich.
His accuser’s attorney says that the woman, Marguerite Jackson, is “not telling the truth.”
O’Neill previously helped prosecutor’s case by allowing five additional accusers to testify against Cosby.
Jury selection in the case is continuing Tuesday.
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8:30 a.m.
Comedian Bill Cosby has arrived for the second day of jury selection in his retrial on sexual assault charges.
A woman walking into the suburban Philadelphia courthouse with Cosby Tuesday said they are looking for fair and impartial jurors. Only one juror was chosen Monday during the first day of jury selection.
The 80-year-old Cosby is charged with drugging and molesting a former Temple University athletics administrator at his home in 2004.
The judge last June declared a mistrial after more than 52 hours of jury deliberations over six days. One juror said the panel was split 10-2 in favor of conviction, while another said the group was more evenly divided.
The male juror seated Monday indicated he had no knowledge of the case and wouldn’t let what he’s heard about the #MeToo movement influence his ability to be impartial.
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12:20 a.m.
One juror has been picked and key rulings are on the way in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault retrial.
Judge Steven O’Neill says he will reveal his decisions on lingering issues in the case before jury selection resumes on Tuesday in suburban Philadelphia.
O’Neill is expected to rule if Cosby’s lawyers can call a witness who says accuser Andrea Constand talked about framing a celebrity so she could sue and get money.
Marguerite Jackson’s testimony is crucial to the defense’s plan to portray Constand as a greedy liar.
Just one juror was seated as jury selection began on Monday. The young man said he had no knowledge of Cosby’s case.
The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Constand has done.
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