The Latest: Bill Cosby arrives at court for pretrial hearing

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) — The Latest on a pretrial hearing in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault case (all times local):

9:15 a.m.

Bill Cosby has arrived in court for the start of a pretrial hearing in his sexual assault case.

The 80-year-old comedian entered a suburban Philadelphia courtroom Monday on the arm of his spokesman.

Cosby’s lawyers are trying to prevent dozens of accusers from testifying at his April 2 sexual assault retrial. Prosecutors want to call as many as 19 women to the witness stand in an attempt to show Cosby engaged in a five-decade pattern of drugging and harming women.

Cosby is charged with assaulting a former Temple University women’s basketball administrator at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. His first trial ended in a hung jury.

Monday’s hearing comes less than two weeks after the death of his 44-year-old daughter from kidney disease.

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10:40 p.m.

Bill Cosby is going to court to stop some of his dozens of accusers from testifying at his April 2 sexual assault retrial.

Cosby’s retooled defense team is due to clash with prosecutors over the potential witnesses at a pretrial hearing on Monday.

Prosecutors want to call as many as 19 women to the witness stand in an attempt to show Cosby engaged in a five-decade pattern of drugging and harming women.

Cosby is only charged in one case, an alleged assault on a former Temple University women’s basketball administrator at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004.

The 80-year-old entertainer’s first trial ended in a hung jury. A judge had allowed just one other accuser to testify.

Cosby’s lawyers want the same judge to limit the number of accuser witnesses again. They argue some of their claims are “virtually impossible to defend against.”