Cosby may get lawsuit dismissed
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Lawyers for comedian Bill Cosby and a woman accusing him of sexually abusing her as a child were due to face off in a California courtroom on Thursday over a defense bid to dismiss her lawsuit for reasons related to the statute of limitations.
His accuser in that case, Judy Huth, now in her 50s, sued Cosby in December 2014, alleging that he plied her with alcohol and molested her during an encounter at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles in 1974, when she was 15.
OK, I'm not going to ask what a 15 year old was doing at the Playboy mansion.
Cosby has called Huth's account a fabrication and asserted that her case against him grew out of a failed extortion attempt.
Huth is one of more than 50 women who have come forward over the past two years to publicly accuse Cosby of rape and other forms of sexual abuse. Most involve incidents said to have occurred a decade ago or more, too long to be criminally prosecuted, or even litigated in civil court.
Because of the stupid, stupid statute of limitations.
But authorities in Pennsylvania charged the entertainer in December with sexually assaulting a woman in 2005. And at least nine other women - eight of them in Massachusetts - are currently suing Cosby for defamation, claiming they were smeared by his public assertions that their allegations of sexual wrongdoing were false.
Huth, however, filed her suit under a California law allowing victims of childhood abuse to sue beyond the statute of limitations if, within the last three years, they have realized they suffered from psychological damage that previously was repressed.
Cosby's lawyers have countered that Huth's claim fails to meet that test, saying she "unsuccessfully tried to sell her story to the tabloids nearly a decade ago."
"This fact belies the allegations in the lawsuit that (Huth) only just discovered the basis for her claims within the past three years," defense lawyers argued in their court filing. According to Cosby's lawyers, Huth sued the comedian only after unsuccessfully trying to extort him for hush money.
Cosby's lawyers also have sought dismissal of Huth's complaint on grounds that she lacked the required certification from mental health professionals to support her claims.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Craig Kaplan was expected to hear arguments from both sides and possibly render a ruling on Thursday.
Mom's Boyfriend sexually assaults 5 year old
EDWARDSVILLE, ILLINOIS (KTVI) – It took a Madison County jury approximately 90 minutes to deliberate Thursday before convicting an Alton man of criminal sexual abuse of a young girl.
According to the Madison County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, James Steele was charged in May 2013 with two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child. The incident occurred in December 2012.The victim was five-years-old at the time of the assault. Steele was in a relationship with the victim’s mother at the time.
Alton police detectives began their investigation after the mother contacted them.
Steele will be sentenced within the next six to eight weeks. He faces six to 30 years in prison on each charge, plus an additional 12 to 60 years due to the circumstances surrounding the case.
I hate this - mom's are just not discriminating enough with their boyfriends. There are far too many stories like this.
Pennsylvania man charged with child rape
that may have continued over 11 years
HIGHSPIRE, Pa. (WHTM) – A Dauphin County man is headed to trial on charges he sexually abused a child for more than a decade.Victor Morris, 69, of Highspire, was held for court after a preliminary hearing Thursday before Magisterial District Judge Kenneth Lenker.
Morris is charged with rape of a child and 18 related counts for sexual abuse that allegedly occurred when the minor was between the ages of 6 and 17 years old, according to the district attorney’s office.
Lenker also denied a motion by Morris’ attorney to lower bail, which is set at $500,000.
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