A Pennsylvania judge today ruled that damning depositions Bill Cosby gave in 2005 and 2006 can be used as evidence in the criminal case against the much-accused actor. The trial over the alleged 2004 sexual assault of then Temple University employee Andrea Constand is scheduled to go to trial in June 2017.

“And now, this 5th day of December, 2016, upon consideration of the ‘Defendant’ s Motion to Suppress The Contents Of His Deposition Testimony and Any Evidence Derived Therefrom on the Basis that the District Attorney’s Promise Not to Prosecute Him Induced Him to Waive His Fifth Amendment Right Against Self- Incrimination’, filed August 12, 2016, the Commonwealth’s Response thereto, filed September 2, 2016, and after hearing before the undersigned on November 1, 2016, based upon the arguments of counsel and the evidence adduced, the Defendant’s Motion to Suppress is hereby DENIED in its entirety,” ordered Judge Steven O’Neill this morning in another big defeat for Cosby and his ever changing team of lawyers (read it here).

Made public last year, those past depositions found Cosby admitting to having drugs for the purpose of having sex with women. His attorneys have worked hard to suppress the depo as well as keep up to 13 women who say that Cosby sexually assaulted or drugged them from being allowed to testify. Over 60 women have come forth in the past few years with detailed and similar accusations of such actions by Cosby.

If found guilty of the three felony charges of second-degree aggravated indecent assault, the 79-year old Cosby would face up to a decade behind bars and hefty fines. After hearings last month that Further pre-trial hearings on the matter, and other attempts by the defense to derail the process, are set for later this month in front of Judge O’Neill.

The Pennsylvania case is the only criminal one against the actor with charges were laid by the newly elected D.A of Montgomery County late last year just before the state’s 12-year statute of limitations in such sex crimes expired. Cosby was arraigned December 30 and released on $1 million bail without entering a plea.

Source: Deadline