Bill Cosby’s Lawyer Files Complaint About 'Sexist' Remark Made by Judge During Hearing
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Kimberly Foxx, State’s Attorney for Cook County in Illinois has already released a statement condemning the judge’s behaviour, which she said was unacceptable and ran contrary to the values of the criminal justice system.
Jennifer Bonjean - the lawyer who represented Bill Cosby when the comedian stood accused of drugging and raping a number of women - has said she has filed a complaint after a Cook County judge made "sexist" and offensive comments about her during the court hearing.
Bonjean claims that after the hearing ended, judge William Raines started discussing her with his two assistant state's attorneys and an assistant public defender.
Bonjean claims that after the hearing ended, judge William Raines started discussing her with his two assistant state's attorneys and an assistant public defender.
“Did you see her going nuts, glasses off, fingers through her hair … It’s insane. Can you imagine waking up next to her every day? Oh my God,” judge Raines said, Bonjean claims.
At this point, assistant state’s attorney Susie Bucaro reportedly said: "There would be a number of things wrong in my life if I was waking up next to her every day," to which the judge replied: "I couldn’t have a visual on that if you paid me."
Bonjean says she has all the remarks on video as the hearing was livestreamed on YouTube. She filed a motion to have the livestream preserved.
"Ohh, wait ... Media streaming live on YouTube? What’s up with this?" the judge allegedly said before the stream was ended.
Bonjean says the remarks made by the judger and assistant state’s attorneys are a sign they should not be "presiding over things as important as criminal court proceedings where people’s lives hang in the balance".
Kimberly Foxx, State’s Attorney for Cook County in Illinois has apologised to the lawyer over the incident.
Bonjean has represented several high-profile individuals, including famous US comedian Bill Cosby. The nine-time Grammy Award winner was accused by several women of drugging and raping them, but since his alleged crimes spanned decades and exceeded the statute of limitations, prosecutors couldn’t charge. However, one case, involving former basketball player Andrea Constand, did go to trial in 2018.
Cosby, who was 80 when the proceedings took place, received a sentence of three to 10 years. After serving two years, the verdict was overturned as there was a "process violation" – the court cited an agreement Cosby’s lawyers struck with the former prosecutor, who promised not to charge him over Constand’s accusations if he testified during the trial. The court said that the prosecutor’s successor was obliged to stick to the agreement.
Bonjean says she has all the remarks on video as the hearing was livestreamed on YouTube. She filed a motion to have the livestream preserved.
"Ohh, wait ... Media streaming live on YouTube? What’s up with this?" the judge allegedly said before the stream was ended.
Bonjean says the remarks made by the judger and assistant state’s attorneys are a sign they should not be "presiding over things as important as criminal court proceedings where people’s lives hang in the balance".
Kimberly Foxx, State’s Attorney for Cook County in Illinois has apologised to the lawyer over the incident.
Bonjean has represented several high-profile individuals, including famous US comedian Bill Cosby. The nine-time Grammy Award winner was accused by several women of drugging and raping them, but since his alleged crimes spanned decades and exceeded the statute of limitations, prosecutors couldn’t charge. However, one case, involving former basketball player Andrea Constand, did go to trial in 2018.
Cosby, who was 80 when the proceedings took place, received a sentence of three to 10 years. After serving two years, the verdict was overturned as there was a "process violation" – the court cited an agreement Cosby’s lawyers struck with the former prosecutor, who promised not to charge him over Constand’s accusations if he testified during the trial. The court said that the prosecutor’s successor was obliged to stick to the agreement.
