UNITED STATES
Deadline
September 24, 2018
By Dominic Patten
Having filed motion after motion during the past three years to halt or stop the rape case against the now-convicted Bill Cosby, his lawyers today made a last-ditch sleight-of-hand that could knock the two-day sentencing hearing off the rails right after it started and keep him from potentially going behind bars this week.
Throwing another spanner into the multi-trial matter, the defense suddenly stated this morning that it wished to hear from the doctor who compiled the original report that Pennsylvania’s sex offender board relied on in part for its estimation that Cosby should be designated a sexually violent predator. That Dr. Timothy Foley apparently is unavailable until Tuesday morning at the earliest, which stalled a ruling by Judge Steven O’Neill on the SVP and, under Keystone State law, consequently hits the pause button on the actual sentencing.
Noting that this tactic was “clearly delaying this,” the somewhat-annoyed judge recommended that defense attorney Joseph Green see if there is “any chance” that they can get their witness in front of him ASAP. O’Neill said that while he can’t make a ruling on sentencing before the SVP determination — the acronym both sides employed Monday — testimony in sentencing and other arguments will take up the afternoon.
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