An attorney for Bill Cosby said Tuesday that it is unlikely the comedian will speak publicly about his sexual assault case, after his spokesman said he was considering a series of town halls.
The spokesperson made the announcement after a sexual assault trial in Pennsylvania ended in a hung jury and mistrial on June 17. Prosecutors say they will retry Cosby, 79. After the mistrial, a Cosby spokesman had said the entertainer was considering a town hall in July.
Asked whether his attorneys would allow that before the second trial, Cosby attorney Angela Agrusa told reporters after a hearing in a California civil case: "I can't imagine that we would."
"He does not take lightly these criminal charges," Agrusa said. "He would never do anything that undermined the import of this issue. So I don’t see him speaking publicly like that, no.”
Agrusa spoke to reporters after a hearing in Santa Monica involving Judith Huth, who has accused Cosby of forcing her to perform a sex act at the Playboy Mansion sometime around 1974, when she was 15.
In a different criminal case in Pennsylvania, a jury deadlocked last week and a judge declared a mistrial. That case involves allegations that Cosby drugged and molested Andrea Constand, then an employee of Temple University, at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004.
That case is the only instance in which Cosby faces criminal charges. Other women have accused him of sexual misconduct. Cosby and his lawyers have denied all the claims.
Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele announced he plans to retry the case. Cosby is free on $1 million bail.
Related: Cosby Juror Says It Was a 'True Deadlock'
Agrusa said the town halls under consideration never included Cosby speaking about sexual assault. She said Cosby is eager to return to performing.
Cosby spokesperson Andrew Wyatt had initially said the events under consideration would involve discussions about the judicial system, and later said it would be about education and personal development and if questions about the criminal case came up they would be vetted and Cosby "may or may not" answer them.
Related: Cosby Could Testify at Second Trial, Lawyer Says
Agrusa said prosecutors have indicated a retrial could take place within 120 days. "I believe that round two will ultimately provide the acquittal that Mr. Cosby seeks in Norristown," she said of the criminal case.
Huth's attorney, Gloria Allred, said the judge in that case set a trial date for July 30, 2018. If Cosby does give public appearances to discuss the criminal matter, Allred said she may hold “a parallel speaking tour” in cities where he appears.
