NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

Cosby judge delays some evidence rulings until jury is sworn in

NORRISTOWN, Pa.

The judge in the Bill Cosby case says he will wait until a jury is sworn in before final rulings on what evidence can be used when the comedian goes on trial Monday near Philadelphia.

Defense lawyers sparred with prosecutors Thursday before Cosby goes on trial on charges he drugged and molested a woman in 2004.

Montgomery County Judge Steven O’Neill says he will allow expert testimony on victims’ behavior as long as he finds the psychologist’s testimony valid and relevant. He says he wants to keep some arguments private until he swears in the jury.

The defense wants to block the drug expert from testifying about quaaludes because they say Cosby last possessed the sedative years before he met the accuser.

Prosecutors say they were available on the black market in the early 2000s.

Chris Cornell’s widow still awaiting details about his death

LOS ANGELES

Chris Cornell’s widow says she’s grateful for the support her family has received in the wake of the Soundgarden frontman’s death last month, but she still doesn’t know what caused him to hang himself.

Vicky Cornell says in a statement Thursday that she is still awaiting the toxicology reports she hopes will clarify the circumstances around her late husband’s apparent suicide.

“We still have several unanswered questions about what led to his death,” she said. “We believe the toxicology report will answer these questions.”

Cornell family attorney Kirk Pasich says Detroit legal officials denied his request for police and toxicology reports because the investigation remains open.

Ellen Ha, an attorney in Detroit’s Law Department, told The Associated Press on Thursday that the city sent a denial response letter May 25 to Jeffrey L. Schulman of Liner LLP who claimed his firm represents “the estate and family of Christopher Cornell.”

“On the same day, we responded to multiple media outlets with the same response,” Ha said.

The denial letter sent last week to The AP said that the “disclosure of any information at this time would compromise and interfere with” the Detroit police investigation into Cornell’s death.

Associated Press