Criminal Charges Against Cosby Will Move Forward

After a two-day hearing, a Pennsylvania judge has ruled that the criminal charge case against Bill Cosby will move forward. Beginning on Tuesday morning, Cosby's lawyers participated in a pre-trial hearing with Judge Steven O’Neill in which they argued that the 78-year-old should not face criminal charges because of what they claim was a non-prosecution agreement with former Montogomery Country District Attorney Bruce Castor, who declined to press charges against Cosby in 2005.

During the hearing, Castor claimed that while he did grant verbal immunity, the "only place the matter was put in writing was in the 2005 press release announcing his decision not to prosecute," according to the Chicago Tribune. The current D.A. claims that there is no record of the immunity being promised.

Cosby was charged with alleged aggravated indecent assault, a second degree felony, on Dec. 30, 2015. The charge is in response to an allegation of assault from former Temple University employee Andrea Constand. She claims the assault took place in 2004 at Cosby’s Pennsylvania home. Bustle reached out to Cosby's lawyer regarding the charge, but did not receive a response.

If found guilty, Deadline reports that The Cosby Show star faces 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine.