Ex-DA expected to be key defense witness at Cosby hearing

     Bill Cosby, left, leaves the courtroom during a break in the pretrial hearing in his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

    Bill Cosby, left, leaves the courtroom during a break in the pretrial hearing in his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

    An ex-prosecutor is expected to testify that he promised Bill Cosby would never be charged over a Pennsylvania sex-assault complaint, but a judge must decide if that constitutes an immunity deal.

    Then-District Attorney Bruce Castor will be a key defense witness at a Feb. 2 hearing to determine if the case is thrown out.

    The defense argues that prosecutors who arrested Cosby last month unfairly used his deposition testimony from the accuser’s 2005 lawsuit against him. Castor supports their position.

    But new District Attorney Kevin Steele says there’s no evidence of a signed immunity agreement. And accuser Andrea Constand’s lawyer says she doesn’t know of one.

    • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

    The deposition shows Cosby testifying that he gave Constand wine and pills before performing a sex act. He calls it consensual. She says she was drugged and violated.

    WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

    Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

    Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal