Summary: Bill Cosby gets one ruling in court to go his way when a federal judge dismissed a defamation lawsuit against him.
Comedian and actor Bill Cosby hasn’t had much go his way since more than 40 women have come forward with allegations of sexual assault against him. Cosby got his first win in months in court when a Pennsylvania federal judge threw out a defamation lawsuit against him.
The lawsuit filed by Renita Hill in October claimed that Cosby and his lawyer defamed her in the media. Judge Arthur J. Schwab ruled that the claims made against Cosby “do not support a claim for defamation as defined by Pennsylvania law.”
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Her claims cited three instances where Cosby and his lawyers told the media that his accusers needed to be fact-checked. Cosby and his lawyer told The Washington Post that his accusers had “unsubstantiated, fantastical stories.”
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Schwab found Cosby’s comments were “pure opinion” not made to label her or other women as liars or extortionists. Cosby’s lawyers said in their statement, “None of the facts alleged by [Hill] supported her claims for defamation, false light, or intentional infliction of emotional distress under Pennsylvania law.”
Hill has said she plans to appeal. Her lawyer George Kontos said, “We are disappointed, but remain committed to seeking justice in this matter. We strongly disagree with the judge’s reasoning that Cosby’s statements are constitutionally protected opinions.”
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Cosby is still facing a slew of other lawsuits ranging from defamation to sexual assault. He was recently charged in Pennsylvania with “aggravated indecent assault” for a 2004 incident involving Andrea Constand.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/21/us/bill-cosby-defamation-lawsuit-dismissed/
Photo credit: Montgomery County Office of the District Attorney