Overview
- The judge denied Bill Cosby’s motion for a new trial on Friday, finding no courtroom irregularity and ruling the damages were not excessive.
- A civil jury in March found Cosby liable to Donna Motsinger for an alleged 1972 sexual assault and awarded multimillion-dollar damages, though outlets report conflicting totals of $19.25 million and $59.25 million.
- Motsinger, now in her 80s, sued in 2023 under a temporary California law that revived certain time-barred sexual-assault claims and said Cosby drugged and assaulted her after escorting her to a show.
- Jurors concluded Cosby acted with “malice, oppression, or fraud,” a finding that allowed the trial to include a large punitive-damage component.
- Cosby has denied the allegation, previously served nearly three years in prison for a separate 2018 conviction that was overturned in 2021, and the judge’s ruling narrows his immediate legal options while preserving civil accountability for the plaintiff.