Lawyers for Bill Cosby's wife, Camille, have filed an emergency motion to delay her Jan. 6 deposition in a civil suit against her husband.
On New Year's Eve, a magistrate rejected their arguments to quash the deposition altogether, and now, they want more time to prepare a legal brief appealing the decision.
Cosby was sued by seven women who claimed that he "drugged and/or sexually assaulted each" of them. Lawyers subpoenaed Camille Cosby in early December.
Judge Rejects Camille Cosby Request to Halt Deposition Bill Cosby Tweets 'Thank You' to Friends, Family Bill Cosby: A Legal Explanation of The Charge and What's NextCosby filed a counter-defamation lawsuit on Dec. 14 and his legal team has repeatedly denied the accusations.
Attorneys for Camille Cosby, who has been married to the comedian since 1964, have argued, in part, that Massachusetts law aims to preserve “the confidentiality of marital communications." They also argued that a stay is necessary because the “plaintiffs have indicated that they intend to disclose Mrs. Cosby’s deposition testimony, including her private marital conversations to the press,” according to court documents.
Cosby is facing a charge of aggravated indecent assault, stemming from an alleged incident in 2004. He did not enter a plea and after appearing in a Pennsylvania courtroom, was released on $1 million bail.
If convicted, Cosby faces up to 10 years in jail and a $25,000 fine. He is due back in court later this month.
"The charge by the Montgomery County District Attorney's office came as no surprise, filed 12 years after the alleged incident and coming on the heels of a hotly contested election for this county's DA during which this case was made the focal point," Cosby's legal team said in a statement about the criminal charges. "Make no mistake, we intend to mount a vigorous defense against this unjustified charge and we expect that Mr. Cosby will be exonerated by a court of law."