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Philadelphia Inquirer

Cosby Sues One of His Accusers — and Her Lawyers; Will It Silence Them in His Criminal Trial?

Feb 18, 2016  •  Post A Comment

Just one day before a pretrial hearing in a criminal sexual assault case against him in Philadelphia earlier this month, Bill Cosby filed a lawsuit against his accuser and the lawyers who have represented her for more than a decade. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the suit, filed Feb. 1 against accuser Andrea Constand and attorneys Dolores Troiani and Bebe Kivitz, alleges breach of a confidentiality agreement signed years ago in connection with the alleged 2004 assault.

“Both lawyers testified at the hearing two weeks ago in Montgomery County Court in which Cosby’s lawyers failed in their bid to persuade a judge to dismiss the aggravated indecent assault charges against him,” the story reports. “At the time, Troiani acknowledged that she had recently been sued by the entertainer, but she has declined to elaborate both on and off the stand since then, citing the seal Cosby’s lawyers sought on the litigation.”

The seal on Cosby’s suit was partially lifted Tuesday. “The specific allegations in the new claim are unclear. But its filing underscores the contentious legal fight on the sidelines of the criminal case between lawyers for the 78-year-old entertainer and those who might provide evidence against him,” the Inquirer reports.

During the pretrial hearing earlier this month, the report notes, “Troiani testified that her client had agreed not to initiate any future criminal proceedings against Cosby in her confidentiality agreement, but was insistent that the deal did not bar Constand from cooperating if authorities came to her first.”

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