A judge has denied Bill Cosby’s request for a new trial in a civil sexual assault case brought by Donna Motsinger, who accused him of drugging and raping her after she attended one of his comedy shows in 1972. A jury previously found Cosby liable for sexual assault and sexual battery and awarded Motsinger damages totaling $60 million, including compensation for past and future mental suffering as well as punitive damages.
Cosby had asked the court for another chance to defend himself in April, arguing that the punitive damages were too high and amounted to roughly a third of his net worth. He said the award did not serve the purpose of deterrence, noting his age, blindness, and isolated lifestyle. However, the judge rejected those arguments and ruled that Cosby did not show he had been denied a fair trial or that the verdict was unsupported by the evidence.
According to the legal documents, the court found no proof that the damages were excessive or that the jury’s decision was contrary to the law. The judge also concluded that Cosby failed to demonstrate insufficient evidence for the verdict. As a result, the original civil judgment remains in place.
Cosby has not publicly responded to the ruling. The decision marks another setback for the comedian in the long-running legal fallout connected to sexual assault allegations. The civil case centers on accusations from Motsinger dating back more than five decades, and the award reflects both compensatory and punitive damages meant to address the harm she said she suffered.
The ruling keeps the case closed at the trial-court level, leaving the original verdict intact. Motsinger’s claims, the jury’s finding of liability, and the size of the damages award were all upheld by the judge’s decision to deny Cosby’s motion for a new trial.
