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The lawyer representing several women who have accused Bill Cosby of sexual assault says she and her clients are "very happy" about the charges brought against the comedian in Pennsylvania on Wednesday."For many of my 29 clients who allege that they are victims of Bill Cosby, seeing him criminally charged and having to face a trial is the best Christmas present they have ever received," attorney Gloria Allred said during a press conference today. Allred spoke to reporters from her office around the same time Cosby appeared at a Montgomery County courthouse in Pennsylvania for an arraignment today. Cosby is facing felony charges of indecent assault for allegedly drugging and assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004.
"I am very happy that this day has finally come," she said.
Although Allred represents over two dozen accusers, only one of them, Judy Huth, is engaged in a civil lawsuit with the comedian. "Unfortunately, for most of the women who allege that they are victims of Mr. Cosby," Allred said, "it is too late for their allegations to be the subject of a criminal prosecution or a civil case because of the arbitrary and restrictive time limits set by law." Because Huth was 15 at the time of the alleged incident, the statute of limitations had not expired.
Even though Cosby was deposed in October for the Huth case, Allred said she filed a motion to order a second deposition because of Cosby's refusal to answer questions in the first deposition. Because of the protective order on the first deposition, the district attorney in Montgomery County did not have receive a copy, but Allred concluded by saying, "If the prosecutor decides that it is relevant and admissible to call any of my clients as witnesses in the criminal case, I know that many of my clients will be willing to testify."
Allred praised the women who have stepped forward and spoken out. "It can be very intimidating to go up against a celebrity who has an army of attorneys," said Allred. "In [Huth's] civil case, he has 700 attorneys."
"He hired 700 attorneys to fight one woman."
When asked by reporters if she was surprised the charges came today—just days before the statute of limitations was set to expire—Allred said, "I was stunned that it would happen this morning."
"I'm glad that this day has come, and in a court, this matter will be decided."