--- description: Bill Cosby has replaced a key member of his defense team, Cosby spokesperson Andrew Wyatt confirms to PEOPLE. title: Bill Cosby Replaces Lead Attorney Ahead Of Criminal Trial image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt260cfc0f2daddf7e/6988a2b0656a3f1aa0bccc50/bill-cosby-replaces-attorney.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Courts](/tag/courts/) ## Courts Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Bill Cosby Replaces Lead Attorney Monique Pressley Ahead Of Criminal Trial by [Christine Pelisek and Nicole Weisenee Egan / People](/author/people/) ## Christine Pelisek and Nicole Weisenee Egan / People Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 17, 2016 5:52 PM CUT  Comedian/actor Bill Cosby arrives at Montgomery County Courthouse on July 7, 2016 in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Comedian/actor Bill Cosby arrives at Montgomery County Courthouse on July 7, 2016 in Norristown, Pennsylvania.Gilbert Carrasquillo—Getty Images by [Christine Pelisek and Nicole Weisenee Egan / People](/author/people/) ## Christine Pelisek and Nicole Weisenee Egan / People Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 17, 2016 5:52 PM CUT [Bill Cosby](http://www.people.com/people/news/category/0,,personsTax:BillCosby,00.html "undefined") has replaced a key member of his defense team, Cosby spokesperson Andrew Wyatt confirms to PEOPLE. Angela Agrusa of Liner L.L.P. will take over for Washington, D.C.-based attorney Monique Pressley, who has vigorously defended Cosby against the more than 50 women who have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct and assault by Cosby. Agrusa, the head of litigation at the L.A. and N.Y.C. firm, will help defend Cosby in the pending [criminal case](http://www.people.com/article/bill-cosby-sexual-assault-andrea-constand-pre-trial-testimony "undefined") in Pennsylvania, where Cosby is charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting former Temple university employee Andrea Constand in 2004. Agrusa also replaces Pressley in a civil lawsuit filed by Judy Huth, a California woman who claims the comedian [sexually assaulted](http://www.people.com/article/bill-cosby-sued-woman-alleges-sexual-assault-15-years-old "undefined") her at the Playboy Mansion in 1974 when she was 15, and in a [defamation](http://www.people.com/article/janice-dickinson-vindicated-bill-cosby-testimony "undefined") lawsuit filed by Tamara Green, who sued Cosby in 2014, and accused him of lying when he denied sexually assaulting her. In July, Agrusa replaced Cosby’s Los Angeles-based attorney, Christopher Tayback. “Mr. Cosby keeps playing musical chairs with his attorneys as he keeps losing in court, both in our case and in the criminal case in Pennsylvania where the alleged victim is Andrea Constand,” said Huth’s attorney Gloria Allred in a statement to PEOPLE. “We wonder if we have seen the last change in his legal team or whether continued losses will have us see further changes. Despite the many changes in his legal team representatives, Mr. Cosby will not be able to avoid having to face a jury in a court of law.” _This_ [_article_](http://www.people.com/article/bill-cosby-replaces-lead-attorney "undefined") _originally appeared on_ [_People.com_](http://people.com "undefined") Bill Cosby Sexual Assault Trial: Cosby Gets New Attorney ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4456299/bill-cosby-replaces-attorney/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4456299/bill-cosby-replaces-attorney/"},"headline":"Bill Cosby Replaces Lead Attorney Monique Pressley Ahead Of Criminal Trial","datePublished":"2016-08-17T17:52:14.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T00:02:32.342Z","description":"Angela Agrusa will take over the case from Monique Pressley","url":"https://time.com/4456299/bill-cosby-replaces-attorney/","keywords":["Courts"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt260cfc0f2daddf7e/6988a2b0656a3f1aa0bccc50/bill-cosby-replaces-attorney.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Christine Pelisek and Nicole Weisenee Egan / People"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt260cfc0f2daddf7e/6988a2b0656a3f1aa0bccc50/bill-cosby-replaces-attorney.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Bill Cosby Hearing","caption":"Bill Cosby Hearing","creditText":"Gilbert Carrasquillo—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/courts/","name":"Courts"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4456299/bill-cosby-replaces-attorney/","name":"Bill Cosby Replaces Lead Attorney Monique Pressley Ahead Of Criminal Trial"}}]}] ```