Conservative black group faults US judge for releasing Cosby documents, testimony

PHILADELPHIA – A black conservatives leadership group is criticizing the federal judge who unsealed portions of Bill Cosby’s deposition in a sexual assault lawsuit.

Project 21 is sponsored by the Washington-based National Center for Public Policy Research. It says Cosby’s public statements about parenthood, crime and other issues shouldn’t have played a part in the decision.

Project 21 says the documents should be sealed or unsealed based solely on “legal reasons, not due to Cosby’s beliefs.”

U.S. District Judge Eduardo Robreno said in Monday’s ruling in Philadelphia that he unsealed the 2005 documents because local court rules favour transparency.

Robreno said Cosby’s claims of embarrassment were insufficient legal grounds to keep the documents sealed.

He also said Cosby “voluntarily narrowed (his) zone of privacy” when he used the media “soap box” to comment on other people’s behaviour.