EXCLUSIVE

Bill Cosby Judge Had it Out for Key Defense Witness ... So Let Me Out of Prison

Bill Cosby has just filed legal docs railing on the trial judge in his sexual assault case for not giving him bail pending appeal, and claims the judge had a personal vendetta against a key defense witness.

Cosby's lawyers claim Judge Steven O'Neill was brutal toward Bruce Castor, the former District Attorney who investigated the case back in 2005. Cosby claims Castor gave him assurances when he was D.A. that he would not be prosecuted in the Andrea Constand case if he provided a sworn deposition in her civil case against him.

Cosby's lawyers just submitted a sworn statement by Castor, who claims he was treated with "tremendous animosity from Judge O'Neill toward me from the moment that I took the stand."

As for the animosity, Castor said in his declaration he ran against O'Neill for the Republican nomination for D.A. in 1998 and it got super dirty. Castor says O'Neill became incensed after a story came out that O'Neill had an extramarital affair and O'Neill felt Castor was behind it. Castor won the nom.

During Cosby's trial, Castor said on the stand he had indeed promised the comedian he would not be prosecuted, testifying, "I believed at the time that the allegation was made that there was insufficient evidence to convict Mr. Cosby on the facts as presented to me, something that time has shown was an accurate assessment."

Cosby's lawyers are asking to free their client pending appeal.

In filing the docs, Cosby's wife, Camille, says, "... the truth is more powerful than a corrupt judge and that my husband will once again be free."

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