Bill Cosby's First Criminal Hearing Starts Tuesday

It's finally time for Cosby to face his accusers in court. Cosby's first preliminary hearing begins Tuesday in Pennsylvania, where he will face felony indecent assault charges tied to Andrea Constand. According to CNN, Cosby is required to appear at 9:30 am ET, and it's unknown whether or not Constand will also be in attendance. At this hearing, the prosecution will need to prove there's a preponderance of evidence that could point to Cosby being guilty.

If Constand's name sounds familiar, it's probably because she was the first woman to come forward and accuse Cosby of assault. In 2005, she filed a civil suit against the comedian that said he allegedly drugged and assaulted her, but the suit was later settled outside of court. Then, in 2014, the case was reopened thanks to new evidence. Cosby was charged with alleged aggravated indecent assault, a second degree felony, on Dec. 30, 2015 and could face 10 years in prison if he is proven guilty. At the time, Bustle reached out to Cosby's lawyer regarding the charge, but did not receive a response.

Aside from Constand, more than 50 other women have accused Cosby of similar sexual crimes. Cosby maintains that he did not commit these crimes, and his original statement (via his former lawyer, Marty Singer) from November 2014 reads as follows:

Over the last several weeks, decade-old, discredited allegations against Mr. Cosby have resurfaced. The fact that they are being repeated does not make them true. Mr. Cosby does not intend to dignify these allegations with any comment. He would like to thank all his fans for the outpouring of support and assure them that, at age 77, he is doing his best work. There will be no further statement from Mr. Cosby or any of his representatives.