Cosby’s lead attorney withdrawing from upcoming trial

Brian McMonagle filed to leave the defense team before Cosby begins another trial for three counts of sexual assault, after an earlier trial ended in a mistrial.

Bill Cosby leaves a Montgomery County courthouse in July 2016 after his request for dismissal of charges was denied. FILE PHOTO | BRIANNA SPAUSE

Bill Cosby’s lead defense attorney Brian McMonagle is withdrawing from the comedian’s counsel. McMonagle filed documents leave the defense team on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.

Judge Steven O’Neill, the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas judge on Cosby’s criminal trial, will consider McMonagle’s request at a pre-trial conference on Aug. 22, the Associated Press reported.

McMonagle’s decision comes just months before Cosby’s retrial date, which is set to start in November. Cosby is being retried on three counts of aggravated assault.

In June, O’Neill declared a mistrial after more than 50 hours of deliberations. Jurors were unable to reach a unanimous decision on any of the three counts of sexual assault.

Cosby is accused of sexually assaulting former Temple employee Andrea Constand  in 2004. Cosby was a university trustee at the time of the alleged assault.

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