Bill Cosby's Lawyers Are Trying to Keep His Upcoming Deposition Private

Bill Cosby lost his latest attempt to stop a civil lawsuit filed by Judy Huth, who says Cosby molested her at the Playboy Mansion in 1974 when she was 15 years old. The comedian will be deposed on Friday, October 9, and it will be the first time Cosby will speak directly about a sexual assault case in court since his 2005 deposition in the case of Andrea Constand, which was released by a judge earlier this year. In that deposition, he admitted to procuring quaaludes for sex.

According to the New York Times, Cosby’s deposition, which lawyer Gloria Allred has been chasing since filing Huth’s case in late 2014, will remain sealed until December. Judge Craig D. Karlan has not announced if the full deposition will be released, a decision he is saving for a separate hearing on December 22.

During Wednesday’s trial, Cosby’s attorney Martin Singer argued that the new deposition, which will be recorded, should be kept private—implying that the publicity Allred has sought (including naming Cosby in press conferences) has been inappropriate.

“He’s been tried in the media, and that’s the issue here,” Mr. Singer said.

But Ms. Allred argued: “I do think as an attorney I have a right to inform the public if I think there’s a danger to the public of a predator.”

Huth is just one of several cases, old and new, that Cosby is battling. Earlier this week, model Chloe Goins also filed a civil lawsuit against Cosby for what she says was a drugged sexual assault by the comedian in 2008 when she was 18. Los Angeles police are investigating Goins’ case, and local prosecutors are weighing criminal charges. Elsewhere, attorneys in Pennsylvania may be reevaluating Constand’s case for possible new leads amid the many women who’ve come forward accusing Cosby of abuse.

In addition, three women in Massachusetts and another in California have brought defamation cases against the former Cosby Show frontman.

In academia, the race to purge Cosby from the rolls continues. Temple University is looking to replace Cosby’s vacated seat on their board with MSNBC anchor Tamron Hall, according to Page Six. Cosby stepped down in December 2014.

As for Cosby’s side, his lawyer Singer maintains his innocence in all of the charges the comedian is facing.