Shortly before Bill Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 years in jail on aggravated sexual assault charges, he had another serious legal problem. It seems “The Cosby Show” actor hadn’t paid his lawyers for representing him in his case relating to drugging and sexually assaulting a woman named Andrea Constand in 2004. As part of the ongoing #MeToo movement, around 60 other women came forward, accusing the actor of sexual assault.

According to a report by CBS News, Schnader Harrison Segal and Lewis filed the lawsuit against Cosby in the Montgomery Country Counter of Common Pleas on 21 September.

The 81-year-old comedian and actor owes the law firm a hefty $292,948 (£224,825), plus interest, cost and late fees covering the period August 2017 until July 25 this year.

Unpaid bills haunt Bill Cosby in jail

Cosby signed on with the firm in March 2016, following criminal charges that were filed against him in Montgomery County. Cosby was represented by a partner of the firm, Sam Silver, in his civil and criminal cases, many of which went back several years. The actor paid the bills up to the end of June 2017. Despite his unpaid bills, Silver continued to act for Cosby up until the criminal trial in April 2018. However, the lawyer withdrew from his case in January, shortly before the retrial began.

According to a report by Legal Intelligencer, the law firm said in its complaint that they had received several promises from employees of Cosby that payments were on the way, but they never arrived.

On 30 August 2018, Silver advised that if the firm didn’t receive payment, they were planning to file a lawsuit against Cosby on 4 September.

CBS News contacted Peter Goldberger, a lawyer representing Cosby but he declined to comment on the case. They were also unable to get a comment from Cosby or the plaintiff law firm.

Cosby, law suits and the #MeToo movement

The first trial against Cosby ended with a hung jury last year. However, he was in April found guilty of aggravated indecent assault against Andrea Constand. Earlier this week, “The Cosby Show” acted received a three to 10 year sentence in the $400 million state prison located in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

Besides Constand, more than 60 women came forward as part of the #MeToo movement, accusing Cosby of assaulting them. However, it was the Constand case that sent him to jail. Cosby has also had to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED