Judge says Bill Cosby’s wife must give deposition in defamation lawsuit against comedian

December 30, 2015 mug shot of Bill Cosby following an arraignment for felony sexual assault of Andrea Constand
(Photo and description from Wikipedia)

BOSTON—A federal judge has denied a motion by Bill Cosby’s wife to throw out a subpoena requiring her to give a deposition in a lawsuit brought by seven women who accuse the comedian of sexually assaulting them decades ago.

The ruling issued Thursday by U.S. Judge Magistrate David Hennessey in Springfield, Massachusetts, means Camille Cosby is scheduled to be deposed by lawyers for the women on Wednesday.

In his 12-page decision, Hennessey said Camille Cosby failed to prove that she and her husband were protected by the state’s marital disqualification law. He also rejected claims that the value of the testimony would be outweighed by the “undue burden” it would cause.

Cosby has filed a countersuit against the women, accusing them of making false allegations for financial gain.