The Latest: Cosby sexual assault retrial set for April 9

NORRISTOWN, Pa. – The Latest on a pretrial hearing in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault case (all times local):

5 p.m.

Bill Cosby’s retrial on sexual assault charges won’t begin until at least April 9.

The judge and lawyers agreed to the start date during the first of two days of pretrial hearings on Thursday.

Jury selection in the case is scheduled to begin on Monday.

Cosby’s lawyers made clear during Thursday’s hearing they plan to attack his accuser as a greedy liar who falsely accused the comedian of sexually assaulting her in 2004 so she could sue him and collect a big payoff.

The accuser’s lawyer says the woman making that claim is not telling the truth.

Defence lawyers lost their bid to have the judge step aside because his wife is a social worker and advocate for assault victims.

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4:30 p.m.

The judge in Bill Cosby’s retrial on sexual assault charges says that a jury chosen from suburban Philadelphia will be sequestered in a local hotel.

Judge Steven O’Neill told lawyers Thursday of the plan for the jury being chosen from Montgomery County.

The jury from the first trial was chosen from about 300 miles (482 kilometres) away in Allegheny County.

O’Neill rejected arguments from Cosby’s defence lawyers Thursday to step aside from the case because his wife is a social worker and advocate for assault victims.

The pretrial hearing will continue Friday ahead of the scheduled start of jury selection Monday.

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4 p.m.

Bill Cosby’s lawyers are making clear they plan to attack his accuser as a greedy liar who falsely accused the comedian of sexually assaulting her in 2004 so she could sue him and collect a big payoff.

Cosby’s lawyers outlined their strategy on Thursday as they argued for permission to call Marguerite Jackson.

Jackson says accuser Andrea Constand spoke of framing a celebrity and to let jurors know how much Cosby paid her in a 2006 civil settlement.

Constand’s lawyer has said Jackson is “not telling the truth.”

Prosecutors argued the settlement is irrelevant to the criminal case. They argued that if the settlement is allowed in, jurors should also hear about negotiations that led to the settlement.

A judge is hearing legal arguments ahead of jury selection, which is scheduled for Monday.

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12:45 a.m.

Bill Cosby’s lawyers are fighting to let jurors at his sexual assault retrial hear from a woman who says accuser Andrea Constand talked about making up allegations so she could sue and get money.

Lawyer Becky James argued at a preliminary hearing on Thursday that Marguerite Jackson’s testimony shows Constand’s state of mind before she went to police with allegations Cosby drugged and molested her in 2004.

Constand’s lawyer has said Jackson is “not telling the truth.”

Jackson worked with Constand at Temple University.

Jackson says Constand talked about wanting to set up a “high-profile person” after seeing a television news report about a celebrity accused of violating women.

Prosecutors say Judge Steven O’Neill should block her testimony like he did in the first trial because it would be hearsay.

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11:20 a.m.

The judge in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault trial has rebuffed demands from the comedian’s defence lawyers that he step aside because his wife is a social worker and advocate for assault victims.

Judge Steven O’Neill announced his decision at a pretrial hearing Thursday. He says he’s “not biased or prejudiced” by his wife’s work.

Cosby’s lawyers say they were compelled to ask for O’Neill’s recusal after a series of adverse rulings, including a decision to allow five additional accusers testify the judge let just one take the witness stand at Cosby’s first trial last year.

O’Neill says the assertion that he shares the same views as his wife or has let his rulings be influenced by her profession “is faulty, plain and simple.”

Jury selection in his retrial starts Monday.

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10:15 a.m.

The judge in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault trial is pushing back at the defence’s demands that he step aside because his wife is a social worker and advocate for assault victims.

Judge Steven O’Neill told a pretrial hearing on Thursday that rulings he’s made that went against Cosby aren’t evidence he’s being influenced by his wife’s work.

Cosby’s lawyers say they were compelled to ask for O’Neill’s recusal after a series of adverse rulings, including a decision to allow five additional accusers testify the judge let just one take the witness stand at Cosby’s first trial last year.

O’Neill has yet to decide on the request.

Cosby’s first trial ended in a hung jury. Jury selection in his retrial starts Monday.

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8:30 a.m.

Bill Cosby has arrived at the courthouse as his lawyers are expected to make a last-ditch effort to postpone the comedian’s sexual assault retrial.

Cosby arrived Thursday morning for the final pretrial hearing in suburban Philadelphia.

Cosby’s lawyers are expected to pressure Judge Steven O’Neill to step aside because they say his wife is a social worker who has described herself as an “advocate for assault victims.”

They lost a bid to overturn his ruling allowing up to five additional accusers to testify.

O’Neill presided over Cosby’s first trial, which ended in a hung jury last year. The retrial could be delayed indefinitely if he bows out.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday.

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1 a.m.

Bill Cosby’s lawyers are expected to make a last-ditch effort to postpone the comedian’s sexual assault retrial.

The final pretrial hearing is scheduled for Thursday in suburban Philadelphia.

Cosby’s lawyers are expected to pressure Judge Steven O’Neill to step aside after they lost a bid to overturn his ruling allowing up to five additional accusers to testify.

They first demanded O’Neill recuse himself last week, arguing in court papers that he could be seen as biased because his wife is a social worker who has described herself as an “advocate for assault victims.”

O’Neill presided over Cosby’s first trial, which ended in a hung jury last year. The retrial could be delayed indefinitely if he bows out.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin on Monday.