Cosby to stand trial for assault charges

More than a decade after he was first accused of sexual misconduct, Bill Cosby will go to trial.

A Pennsylvania judge found enough evidence during a hearing Tuesday to proceed with a criminal trial. It's not clear when his trial will start.

Cosby faces three counts of felony aggravated indecent assault from a 2004 case involving Andrea Constand, an employee at his alma mater, Temple University. She was the first of more than 50 women who have accused Cosby of sexual misconduct.

If convicted, Cosby faces up to 30 years in prison.

Cosby's defense attorney slammed the decision to move forward with a trial.

"The evidence presented today was evidence of nothing. They had 12 years to bring an accuser to confront Mr. Cosby. They chose not to," defense attorney Brian McMonagle said.

"There was no evidence of a crime here. And the inconsistencies that plagued this investigation from the beginning continue to plague it now. This case should end immediately."

But Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said the prosecution only had to "prove that a crime was committed and the defendant's connected to the crime."

"It's a preliminary hearing," Steele said. "Hearsay is admissible, and we're just over the next hurdle."

 

Author: 
CNN