After repeated attempts to stall his sex-assault case, Bill Cosby finally has. The New York Times reports that a Pennsylvania court on Tuesday paused proceedings to consider whether appeals filed by the embattled comedian should be reviewed. (Cosby’s team has argued that his indecent-assault charges here should be tossed, because a former prosecutor promised not to follow through on Andrea Constand’s 2005 allegations. D.A. staffers and lower Montgomery County judges tried to block such moves.) The Superior Court update comes one week before Cosby’s next preliminary hearing date, which would have reportedly involved evidence and calls for witnesses. That appearance is now indefinitely postponed (and potentially canceled). And if the court ultimately disagrees with the D.A.’s position on the petitions, the Times notes, a tangential review of Cosby’s appeal could begin — one that will further stall his criminal case.
In other Cosby news, his slow-moving Massachusetts libel case is trying to gain steam with third-party depositions. THR reports that prosecutors want to question music producer Quincy Jones ASAP, because they believe he might know about Cosby’s alleged assault history; they also want to nab Cosby’s former attorneys and publicist, and to subpoena documents from talent agency WME. The attorney for Tamara Green and Co. filed a motion earlier this week saying Cosby shouldn’t also be allowed to delay this case, because such “gamesmanship†isn’t fair to the plaintiffs and their already-maligned reputations. (Green’s team has argued here that Cosby publicly branded their clients as liars, after they levied assault accusations. But the Cosby side wants this one halted for potential self-incrimination that could influence the Pennsylvania case and vice versa.) Green’s corner also doesn’t want to wait on this, because they claim Jones’s health is a concern and two close Cosby associates (a spokesperson and William Morris agent) who might have been useful have already died. For more on that, head here, and be prepared for more waiting.