July 7th, 2017 – Now hiring: New criminal defense lawyer for Bill Cosby
Bobby Allyn, reporter with WHYY– Newsworks , interviews Dennis McAndrews regarding the media in the Cosby Case
While the two week trial of Bill Cosby ended in a mistrial, this is just the beginning for those involved in the case. This past week, Judge Steven O’Neill set November 6th, 2017 as the starting date for the Cosby retrial. While this date is less than 4 months away, it appears that both surprises and changes are already underway. With discussion of Cosby’s lead defense attorney, Brian McMonagle, stepping down, it is inevitable that the public will have many questions. Bobby Allyn with WHYY Newsworks talks with Dennis McAndrews about Cosby’s public relations team and how their frequent public presence and statements throughout the trial can potentially have a major impact on the entire case.
Excerpt below from Now hiring: New criminal defense lawyer for Bill Cosby. Dennis McAndrews discusses Cosby’s PR team and the effect they may have on the Cosby case:
Dennis McAndrews, a Philadelphia area defense lawyer and former prosecutor, said it is generally a bad professional approach to “try a case in the media,” or provide on-the-record statements to journalists while a trial is underway. So, feeling muzzled in the face of noise stirred by Cosby’s publicists placed McMonagle in an unenviable position.
It presents ethical issues in trying to stay in the judge’s good graces, McAndrews said. In fact, at one point, O’Neill in open court admonished Wyatt for statement he made to reporters insinuating that a mistrial was afoot before the judge had actually declared one.
“It’s a disaster,” McAndrews said. “It’s a disaster to deal with on so many levels. Dealing with the client. Dealing with the court. Dealing with the message you want to get out publicly. It’s almost unimaginable to me.”
…..McAndrews, who sat in the courtroom during the trial, agreed, saying McMonagle was “exceptionally well-prepared. He understood the main thing about the case and focused on that main thing. He was a very effective cross-examiner, and presented the evidence that helped, not hurt, the case.”
Bobby Allyn’s full article, Now hiring: New criminal defense lawyer for Bill Cosby, can be read by clicking here
