The Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned Bill Cosby’s conviction of a sexual offense and ordered his release from prison. After a few hours, the actor, who was convicted in 2018 for intoxication and molestation of a woman, was released.
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The court’s decision came just after Cosby’s two years in prison. In 2018, he was sentenced to 3 to 10 years in prison. The verdict was issued in connection with the case of Andrea Constand, who, as it was ruled, in 2004, the actor administered drugs and then sexually assaulted. Cosby was then considered an “aggressive sexual predator” and placed on a list of registered sex offenders, undergoing re-education and lifelong therapy sessions, including after release from prison.
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After 2.30 pm local time (8.30 pm in Poland) Cosby was released – confirmed the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.
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The Supreme Court’s decision is not related to new evidence of the comedian’s acquittal, but to procedural shortcomings. It goes, among others for his 2005 contract with the then state attorney. The prosecutor decided that in the absence of physical evidence, there was no chance of criminal charges against the actor and the only way to find out his guilt would be through a civil trial. He was supposed to promise Cosby that if he gave evidence in a civil trial, he would be exempt from criminal liability. However, the situation changed after – over 10 years later – the successor of the prosecutor declassified the testimonies incriminating the actor and used them to charge him with charges that led to his conviction. Another procedural error, according to the court, was the admission to testimony of five women who testified that they were also victims of harassment. The judge found that the testimony concerned isolated cases, but that it had nevertheless broken the deadlock among jurors who had previously failed to come to a consensus on Cosby’s guilt. In the new judgment, the Supreme Court ruled out that the comedian would not be charged again.
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Bill Cosby Taken Out of Montgomery County Courthouse (2018 Photo)AUKEN PAP/EPA/TRACIE
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In 2020 Cosby appealed the verdicthowever, his application was rejected because he had not participated in training for sex offenders. The actor announced earlier that he would rather serve the full 10 years than acknowledge his guilt.
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“It is unbelivable”
Lisa Bloom, a lawyer for three of the women who accused Cosby of sexual harassment, voiced her outrage over the “scandalous” sentence on CNN. “That is unthinkable,” she commented. She noted that over 50 women publicly accused the actor of harassment.
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The Cosby family thanked the Supreme Court. Her statement was made by press representative Andrew Wyatt. The man said he was already at the prison where Cosby was placed, and that the actor would be released on Wednesday.
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Bill Cosby before his hearing in September 2018AUKEN PAP/EPA/TRACIE
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From adored comedian to sex offender
Cosby, now 83, best known for his role as Dr. Cliff Huxtable from the 1980s and 1990s comedy drama “The Cosby Show”, still has a star on Los Angeles’ Avenue of Fame. Despite her conviction, she was not removed.
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His reputation collapsed after dozens of women accused him of sexual assault over several decades. His 2018 sentence was seen as a landmark moment for the #MeToo movement, which urged victims to break their silence and talk about their traumatic experiences. The campaign raised a number of allegations, mostly in the Hollywood environment.
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>> “I woke up on the carpet. I felt a stick enter my body”
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Bill Cosby in 2018Michael Candelori / Shutterstock
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The first crack in Cosby’s image appeared in 2004, when information began to be published in the media about an anonymous woman who had brought accusations against the actor of sexual assault. Cosby was to drug and drug her in his home and sexually molest her. The police began investigating the case, but prosecutors did not take any further steps due to poor evidence and did not charge the actor with any charges.
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In 2014, dozens of women accused him of harassment, and a year later, the comedian received criminal charges. The first trial took place in 2017, but the jury was unable to reach a unanimous sentence at the time.
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“There has been a cultural shift that Cosby’s victims have waited for for decades.” 26.09. | A Pennsylvania court on Tuesday sentenced American comedian Bill Cosby to three to 10 years in prison. The verdict in the TVN24 program “Get up and know” was commented by Marcin Cejrowski, editor-in-chief of Plejada.pl and Tomasz-Marcin Wrona, journalist at tvn24.pl.tvn24
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Reuters, tvn24.pl, PAP, CNN
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photo-source">Main photo source: AUKEN PAP/EPA/TRACIE
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