Bill Cosby's Quaaludes Testimony Allowed In Court, Judge Rules

NORRISTOWN, PA — The jury in the Bill Cosby retrial is allowed to hear testimony previously given by the former comedian that relates how he provided women with quaaludes, a judge ruled early Tuesday.

The court order, given by Judge Steven T. O'Neill means that jurors will hear, in Cosby's own words, about the sedative medication which he admitted he gave to women. It's not Cosby's only publicly known reference to drugging women, either.

During a 1991 interview with Larry King, for example, Cosby makes extensive reference to something called "Spanish Fly," essentially a date rape drug.

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"Spanish Fly was the thing that all boys, from age 11 on up to death...we will still be searching for Spanish Fly. And what was the old story? You took a little a drop, on the head of a pin, and you put it in the drink, and the girl would drink it, and...hello, America."

In the same self-incriminating vein are passages from his 1991 book "Childhood," which were quoted by Philly.com: "They're (women) never in the mood for us ... they need chemicals."

Cosby, 80, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he drugged and molested Temple University employee Andrea Constand inside his Cheltenham home in 2004. Dozens of women have leveled similar accusations at Cosby in recent years, however, Constand is the first to bring the former comedian to criminal trial.

The subject of the admissibility of Cosby's 2004 testimony and previous statements is yet another similarity to his first trial on these charges last year. Prosecutors previously argued that the statements reflect Cosby's character and a "cloak" which he was hiding behind.

While Tuesday's decision is doubtlessly an important win for the prosecution, O'Neill similarly allowed this testimony to be read into record last year at the trial which ultimately ended in a stalemate.

Cosby's retrial is already in its second week and looks to at least last longer than the first trial. Jurors have already heard testimony from Constand herself and five of Cosby's other accusers.

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