Bill Cosby is about to be released from prison after the highest court in Pennsylvania overturned his sexual assault conviction.
The shocking decision comes after the disgraced comedian served more than two years of a 3-10 year sentence in state prison. As you know, ‘The Cosby Show’ actor was accused of drugging and molesting a Temple University employee inside of his PA estate.
As you know, Cosby was charged in 2015, after a previously sealed document from a lawsuit revealed troubling details of an encounter, and prosecutors filed the charges just days before the 12-year statute of limitations.
Now, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decided the conviction was secured with “tainted” testimony by several other accusers who were put on the stand to show a pattern of criminal behavior. In the past, the trial judge only allowed one accuser to testify in the case, which ended in a deadlock. However, in a retrial, five other accusers were allowed to testify about their horrible experiences with the comedian in the 1980s.
Bill Cosby Is A Free Man!
The Justices of the Court voiced concern in the ruling, not just about sexual assault cases, but what they saw as a tendency to allow testimony that crosses the line into “character attacks.” In most cases, the law only allows limited testimony to show a pattern of crimes so specific that it serves to identify the perpetrator.
“The presumption of innocence just didn’t exist for him,” Cosby’s lawyer argued in December.
In May, Cosby’s parole was denied after he refused to participate in a sex offender program behind bars, saying he would resist any treatment which forced him to acknowledge any wrongdoing. At this point, Cosby says he will serve out the 10-year sentence before he would admit to anything more than a consensual encounter with any of the women.
Is Harvey Weinstein Next?!
The problem is, the ruling opens the door for other convicted Hollywood moguls to try and undo their case. In Harvey Weinstein’s case, the trial judge allowed four other accusers to testify in the case which resulted in him being sentenced to 23-years behind bars. The disgraced movie mogul is facing other charges in California, but the NYC conviction is almost certainly a life sentence.
In this case, Cosby was accused of inviting a former professional basketball player — who worked at the school — to his home where he allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted her. The alleged victim has not commented on the decision to release the comedian.
At this point, Cosby is still behind bars but is set to be released in the coming days.
