Bill Cosby’s Los Angeles Civil Trial, Explained

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Bill Cosby is on trial again, this time in a civil court in Santa Monica, accused of sexual assault. The 88-year-old comedian is accused of raping a woman almost 60 years ago before one of his comedy shows. Like other women who have accused Cosby, Donna Motsinger claims he used a drug to incapacitate her before the alleged attack, according to court filings. Cosby continues to deny the allegations and maintains he did not assault Motsinger.

Bill Cosby continues to deny all accusations of sexual assault made by numerous women. His trial began on March 10th and is expected to last two weeks, with three additional accusers scheduled to testify, according to the New York Times. The current case is one of many civil lawsuits against Cosby being heard in courts nationwide. Here’s an update on the latest trial.

Who is Donna Motsinger?

In 1972, Donna Motsinger, a server at the popular Trident restaurant in Sausalito, California, met Bill Cosby while waiting on his table. Cosby was a frequent customer, and on one occasion, he was unusually friendly, staying after his meal to chat with Motsinger. According to a lawsuit filed on September 27, 2023, Cosby even asked to call her son and used the restaurant phone to do so, allegedly as a way to groom her for future assault. Now 84 years old, Motsinger also stated that everyone at the restaurant treated Cosby with excessive admiration due to his fame.

What does Motsinger allege?

I remember hearing about what happened to Motsinger. She was heading home to Mill Valley when Bill Cosby apparently started following her. He pulled up beside her and asked if she wanted to go to a comedy show with him at the Circle Star Theater in San Carlos, and she agreed. He offered to pick her up, and when he did, it was in a limo! She said he gave her a glass of wine while they were in the car.

According to the lawsuit, after arriving at Circle Star Theater, Cosby led the woman to his dressing room. She started feeling unwell, and Cosby reportedly gave her a pill he said was aspirin. She then lost consciousness, and while two of Cosby’s assistants helped her, she was put into his limousine with him. She remembers Cosby putting his arms around her in the car. The last thing she recalls is seeing flashes of light. She woke up at home, stripped down to her underwear – she wasn’t wearing a top, bra, or pants – and realized she had been drugged and sexually assaulted by Bill Cosby.

How was Motsinger able to sue Cosby after so many years?

Several states, including California, have recently changed their laws to allow people who allege they were sexually assaulted to file lawsuits even if the incidents happened many years ago, as the Times reported. Similar to this, Bill Cosby faced multiple lawsuits in New York thanks to the state’s Adult Survivors Act, which gave accusers a one-year period to pursue legal action for claims that were previously too old to be filed. That window in New York closed in November 2023, the Associated Press says.

What has Motsinger’s attorney said?

The Times reports that Jesse Creed, Motsinger’s lawyer, stated the proposed changes are necessary to ensure justice for sexual assault survivors. He explained that California lawmakers understand it often takes survivors years to process trauma and find the strength to confront their attackers.

Who else will testify?

Besides Motsinger, several other women who have accused Bill Cosby of assault are also expected to testify. This includes Andrea Constand, whose accusations were central to Cosby’s conviction, according to the New York Times.

What has Constand said about Cosby?

Andrea Constand has stated that Bill Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her at his home near Philadelphia in 2004. At the time, she worked as a sports director at Temple University, where Cosby had also gone to school. During his 2018 retrial, Constand testified that Cosby gave her a pill, telling her it was for allergies. She trusted him as a mentor and took the pill, after which she began to feel dizzy and unwell. She alleged that Cosby, who was in his late 60s at the time, then began to touch her inappropriately. According to the New York Times, her account at a separate civil trial was consistent with her testimony in the criminal case.

Wasn’t Cosby convicted in Constand’s case against him?  

However, in 2021, Pennsylvania’s highest court overturned his felony conviction. They ruled that a previous agreement with a former prosecutor should have prevented the trial from happening in the first place. The court also criticized the use of witnesses who testified about his past misconduct during the second trial. In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to review the case, meaning the Pennsylvania court’s decision stood.

What has Cosby’s team said?

Bill Cosby’s lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, has told the court that the accuser’s story relies on guesses and is too old to be considered. Bonjean stated that the accuser is simply speculating that Cosby gave her pills other than aspirin, and it’s unclear how he would have known she’d ask for them. Cosby refutes the accuser’s allegations. Records from a previous legal questioning show Cosby also expressed concerns about his finances during that time.

Will Cosby be at the trial?

Cosby is not expected to be in court, according to the New York Times.

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2026-03-18 21:55