Day one of Bill Cosby's retrial on sexual assault charges was markedly different than his first go-round, beginning with a topless protester who barreled toward him outside a Pennsylvania courthouse and evident in the prosecution's revelation of what he paid accuser Andrea Constand to settle her 2005 lawsuit. That amount—$3.38 million—was shared toward the end of the day. The Philadelphia Inquirer explains that in Cosby's first trial, which ended in a mistrial, neither side brought up the suit. Both sides are singing a different tune this time around, with Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele arguing in his opening statement the settlement's hefty amount suggests Cosby was covering for bad behavior.
Cosby's team will present its opening statement Tuesday; it's expected to portray Constand as a greedy money-seeker. Constand sued after prosecutors opted not to go after Cosby in 2005. The payment was made in 2006, reports the AP, and had never before been made public, thanks to a confidentiality agreement. But the judge ruled it was fair game for both sides in this trial. As for the ruckus this morning, the protester has been identified as Nicolle Rochelle, 39, of Little Falls, NJ. She appeared on four episodes of the Cosby Show between 1990 and 1992, but has no personal accusations against Cosby. She says "the main goal was to make Cosby uncomfortable because that is exactly what he has been doing for decades to women." She was charged with disorderly conduct and released. (More Bill Cosby stories.)
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