The judge in the Bill Cosby case reversed his own decision from a year ago, allowing five additional accusers to testify in the comedian’s upcoming criminal trial.
Judge Steven O’Neill, who last year ruled against a prosecution motion to allow 13 accusers to testify against Cosby, reversed course this time and will allow five of the 19 requested by prosecutors.
Neither side would comment on the decision on Thursday, March 15.
The women have not been identified, but at least one accuser prosecutors asked for has accusations that date back to 1965, something that’s sure to leave Cosby’s team scrambling.
The judge noted in his decision that prosecutors could select five women from a period of 1982 to 1996.
Cosby is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, a former Temple University employee, at his home in 2004.
During testimony last year, Constand claimed that Cosby gave her three blue pills and put his hands down her pants. She also claimed that Cosby then placed her hand on his penis.
Cosby has denied the allegations.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin Thursday, March 29.
The trial, which is expected to last more than a month, is set to begin on Monday, April 2.