Bill Cosby Freed after Sexual Assault Conviction Overturned

American entertainer Bill Cosby is freed from prison after Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court overturn his sexual assault conviction. The judges admit their decision was unusual, but ruled a “process violation” by the prosecution.

Mr Cosby, 83, was found guilty in 2018 of drugging and molesting ex-basketball player Andrea Constand. At the time, his conviction was regarded a landmark moment in the #MeToo movement. Despite dozens of women publicly accusing Mr Cosby of sexual assault, the incident against Ms Constand was the only one he was criminally tried for. He served over two years of a three to 10 year sentence at a state prison close to Philadelphia.

The high court came to their verdict on Wednesday because Mr Cosby’s lawyers previously agreed with a state prosecutor that he would not be charged in the case.

The former actor, most famous for starring in the 1980s television series The Cosby Show, looked frail. Shortly after leaving prison, he slowly walked to the media who waited outside his home. He made no comment himself, leaving all speaking to his lawyers.

His spokesman Andrew Wyatt made the following statement: “Mr Cosby has always used his celebrity and his name to uplift women… How could a man who is being watched by the FBI every day be raping and drugging women… especially a black man?”.

What was the conviction against Bill Cosby?

Mr Cosby was found guilty of indecent assault against Ms Constand, particularly for an incident that occurred at his home in 2004. The pair first met in 2002 at Temple University, with the much younger Ms Constand viewing the comedian as a mentor figure.

Ms Constand came forward to police in 2005 to report the assault where he drugged and molested her. But former state prosecutor Bruce Castor did not press criminal charges. Following this, she sued the comedian for sexual battery and defamation. A year later, they reached a settlement with a confidentially agreement.

Dozens of other women came forward in 2014 and 2015 with similar allegations against Mr Cosby. Local authorities limited on which accusations they could pursue, but it prompted reopening of the case involving Ms Constand. Days before the expiry of the 12 year limit on her allegations, Mr Cosby eventually had charges brought against him.

Testimonies at his trial from other accusers helped prosecutors paint a pattern of Mr Cosby’s predatory behaviour.

The complex reasonings behind the judges’ ruling related primarily to the agreement reached by Mr Castor. It stated that Mr Cosby would not face charges if he testified in Ms Constand’s civil lawsuit.

In addition, the judges found testimonies from accusers not related to the case influenced the trial.

In conclusion, they had to discharge Mr Cosby and prevent any further charges on this particular case.

Mixed reactions

While fans of Mr Cosby shouted their support during the media conference, others were not so happy at the verdict.

In response to the news, his co star on the Cosby Show, Phylicia Rashad, who played his wife, says “a miscarriage of justice is corrected!”.

However, Prosecutor Kevin Steele believes it is unjust that a man found guilty by a jury should now go free on a procedural issue. It has no relevancy to the crime committed. He hopes that the decision does not deter other victims of sexual assault from coming forward. He says, “no one is above the law – including those who are rich, famous and powerful”.

The ruling is “devastating”, especially for those who bravely testified in the case.

Meanwhile Mr Cosby’s spokesman says, “This is the justice Mr Cosby has been fighting for. They saw the light”. “He was given a deal and he had immunity. He should have never been charged”.

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