[ad_1]
published photo, Reuters
Bill Cosby after his conviction was overturned
American comedian Bill Cosby’s release from prison after his conviction for sexual assault was overturned has sparked outrage and shock.
Cosby’s 2018 conviction was overturned on Wednesday for planting and assaulting former basketball player Andrea Constand.
The judges said a “procedural violation” had occurred on the part of the prosecution, but admitted their ruling was unusual.
Many have expressed concern that the move may discourage women from reporting harassment.
Constand and his lawyers said the decision was “not only disappointing, but disturbing as it could discourage those seeking justice for sexual assault cases in the criminal justice system from reporting or participating in the prosecution of the perpetrator. “.
After her release, Cosby tweeted: “I haven’t changed my position or my story. I have remained steadfast in my innocence.”
Cosby was best known for appearing in the 1980s television series “The Cosby Show” and was previously known as “The American Father”.
Dozens of women have publicly accused Cosby of sexual assault, but he was only prosecuted for the incident against Constand. His conviction in 2018 was widely seen as a defining moment in the Me Too movement.
The story of Bill Cosby’s rise, fall and release
In a ruling on Wednesday, Pennsylvania’s highest court found a “procedural violation” because Cosby’s attorneys reached an agreement with the former attorney general not to charge him in the case.
The ex-actor looked frail as he slowly walked towards media crews waiting outside his home, shortly after being released from prison.
Among the women who have accused Cosby, Patricia Leary Stoer has expressed outrage at the decision.
“More than 63 women have complained,” Steuer told CNN. “I wonder what the purpose of 43 years of this ordeal is and the trauma I have experienced and the trauma my family has suffered as a result.”
“I am shocked and amazing,” said Janice Baker Kinney, who accused Cosby of planting her birth control pill and raping it in the 1980s. “A lot of people have come forward.”
Meanwhile, a group of celebrities have condemned the move via social media.
Actress and activist Amber Tamblyn wrote on Twitter: “I am outraged to hear this news. I personally know women who have been drugged, raped and unconscious by this man. Shame on the court and on this decision.”
“This is why women do not report being harassed and sexually assaulted,” said author E Jean Carroll, one of the many women who accused former US President Donald Trump of sexual assault.
Actress Debra Messing called the court decision “horrible”.
“It’s disgusting. My heart is with my surviving sisters. We have work to do,” tweeted Rosanna Arquette, who was one of the first women to come forward to accuse film producer Harvey Weinstein of assault .
“Cosby’s decision shows how failings in criminal justice systems make accountability for sexual assault impossible,” said Anita Hill, chair of the Hollywood Commission, which works to end sexual abuse in the entertainment industry, in a statement.
“Sexual abuse, harassment and extortion (of things) happen every day in the workplace. There is an urgent need for systems to ensure that powerful aggressors are held accountable, protect workers, and prevent deals that protect aggressors in the entertainment and other industries. “
Some have expressed anger at the attorney general and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for overturning the conviction, including author Keith Boykin.
But some have welcomed the decision.
Actress Felicia Rashad, who played his wife on “The Cosby Show”, wrote on Twitter: “A huge mistake has been corrected – the error of justice has been corrected!”
What is Bill Cosby accused of?
published photo, Getty Images
Consande
Cosby was convicted of three counts of indecent assault against Constand.
Constand, who is decades younger than Cosby, met him in 2002 while working at Temple University in Philadelphia, and described him as a role model and teacher. Later at the trial, she testified how deeply shocked and upset she was after Cosby drugged and assaulted her at her home in 2004.
Constand first came to police about the assault in 2005, but former Attorney General Bruce Castor did not file criminal charges. She then sued the comedian for sexual assault and libel, and struck a secret deal in 2006.
In 2014 and 2015, dozens of women made similar claims that they were drugged and assaulted by Cosby. Local authorities knew the statute of limitations prevented them from pursuing the majority of these charges, but they reopened the case involving Ms Constand. In the end, just days before the 12-year limitation period expired, Cosby was indicted on charges based on Constand’s allegations.
A judge declared the trial invalid in 2017 after the jury failed to reach a decision.
The testimony of other defendants was then allowed to be heard in a second trial, helping prosecutors draw a pattern of unfair behavior from Cosby.
Wednesday’s decision reads: “There is only one remedy that can fully restore Cosby. He must be released and any future trials on these specific charges must be prevented.”
Peter Goldberger, an attorney with experience in criminal appeals, told The Associated Press that the prosecution could seek a review in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, but the attempt is unlikely to be successful.
Source link
