Bill Cosby wants to move his sexual assault trial out of suburban Pennsylvania, arguing in court papers that "inflammatory" coverage of the case makes it impossible for him to find an impartial jury.
"Branded variously a monster, sociopath and sexual predator, everyone from the current District Attorney of Montgomery County to President Obama has publicly weighed in on the allegations against Mr. Cosby," his lawyers wrote in a Friday filing asking for a change of venue.
The home where Cosby allegedly drugged and molested Andrea Constand in 2004 is in Montgomery County, outside Philadelphia, and that's where he is set to stand trial this summer.
Citing national and local media coverage, the defense said moving the trial to a bigger place will increase the chances of finding jurors who have not been prejudiced against Cosby.
The TV star and comedian has denied assaulting Constand, who settled a civil suit with him a decade before criminal charges were brought.
He's also denied the claims of dozens of other women who have accused him of sexual misconduct since the scandal exploded last year.
The judge in Montgomery County has dealt Cosby blow after blow in pre-trial hearings, most recently ruling that his deposition in the Constand suit, in which he discusses whether he gave women Quaaludes for sex, can be used as evidence.
The judge has not yet ruled on whether 13 women who say Cosby also drugged and abused them can testify for the prosecution at the trial.
