In a gravely questionable judicial reversal that can be open for debate, Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction has been overturned by Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The court ruled that Cosby’s agreement with former prosecutor Bruce Castor in 2005 should have been prevented him from being charged again. The decision stated, “The collective weight of these considerations led D.A. Castor to conclude that, unless Cosby confessed, there was insufficient credible and admissible evidence upon which any charge against Mr. Cosby related to the Constand incident could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt,” and Cosby was released on Wednesday afternoon, hours after the court’s decision.
Cosby was charged in 2015 and convicted in 2018 with a sentence of 3 to 10 years in prison for raping Andrea Constand at his Philadelphia home in 2004. He was arrested just days before the 12-year statute of limitations expired on newly unsealed evidence. At his first trial in 2017, a judge had only allowed one other accuser to testify due to which the jury could not reach a definite verdict in the case. But in the retrial in 2018, five other accusers testified about similar allegations to Constand’s which subsequently found Cosby guilty and he was convicted on April 26, 2018. However, the SC found the trial tainted, even though a lower court found a pattern of Cosby drugging and molesting women.
I have never changed my stance nor my story. I have always maintained my innocence.
Thank you to all my fans, supporters and friends who stood by me through this ordeal. Special thanks to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for upholding the rule of law. #BillCosby pic.twitter.com/bxELvJWDe5— Bill Cosby (@BillCosby) June 30, 2021
News of his release has been met with disdain across. Several celebrities have reacted to it. Phylicia Rashad celebrated his shocking release from prison. Taking to Twitter, she wrote, “FINALLY!!!! A terrible wrong is being righted- a miscarriage of justice is corrected!” along with a photo of Cosby. Rashad played Cosby’s sitcom wife, Clair Huxtable, for all eight seasons on The Cosby Show from 1984 through 1992. Her tweet received widespread backlash and hate and she responded to the outpouring of online dismay to her original tweet with a followup writing, “I fully support survivors of sexual assault coming forward. My post was in no way intended to be insensitive to their truth. Personally, I know from friends and family that such abuse has lifelong residual effects. My heartfelt wish is for healing.”
I fully support survivors of sexual assault coming forward. My post was in no way intended to be insensitive to their truth. Personally, I know from friends and family that such abuse has lifelong residual effects. My heartfelt wish is for healing.
— Phylicia Rashad (@PhyliciaRashad) June 30, 2021
However, other celebs like Ellen Barkin, Debra Messing, Rosie O’Donnell and Amber Tamblyn tweeted their disgust in the justice system and stated that they stand in solidarity with the survivors who were assaulted by Cosby. Kid Cudi rebuked those showing support for Cosby. Social justice activist, author and actor Rose McGowan — one of the first women to blow the lid on the truth about Harvey Weinstein also tweeted sending support to the victims of Cosby. Dylan Farrow also penned a statement regarding Cosby’s release and also wrote about James Franco who has settled his sexual misconduct case for $2.2 million. Gretchen Carlson, the former Fox News anchor who helped kickstart the #MeToo movement with her 2016 sexual harassment lawsuit against former Fox News chief Roger Ailes, called it “a miscarriage of justice.”
I GUESS 70 WOMEN WERENT ENOUGH - fuck u bill https://t.co/9dZUPzGx9U #WTF #RAPIST
— ROSIE (@Rosie) June 30, 2021
Heartbreaking for all survivors. #MeToo lasts forever https://t.co/0behEZS8PQ
— Ellen Barkin (@EllenBarkin) June 30, 2021
I don't want to hear anything about how cancel culture ruined men's lives during the MeToo era reckoning for women and survivors. How we went too far. Today's news that Cosby's conviction is being overturned is proof we haven't gone far enough. Our justice system MUST change.
— Amber Tamblyn (@ambertamblyn) June 30, 2021
To every woman who was sexual assaulted by #BillCosby my heart hurts for you today and I am full fury. It’s horrifying.
— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) June 30, 2021
People that are celebrating Bill Cosby being released are fuckin idiots.
— The Chosen One (@KidCudi) June 30, 2021
I stand with all of Bill Cosby’s accusers on this dark day.
— Rose McGowan (@rosemcgowan) June 30, 2021
Regarding Cosby, Franco, and all of the perpetrators who won’t face justice pic.twitter.com/338cKuyGjt
— Dylan Farrow (@RealDylanFarrow) June 30, 2021
This is outrageous and what a miscarriage of justice for all of the #BillCosby survivors. https://t.co/tcrr61Z6fD
— Gretchen Carlson (@GretchenCarlson) June 30, 2021
Before his release Wednesday, Cosby served nearly three years of his sentence at a state prison near Philadelphia. He had previously settled a lawsuit with Constand in 2006 for nearly $3.4 million. However, in 2014 dozens of women came forward to accuse him of drugging and raping them. As many as 60 women came forward to accuse him and eventually his career ended.
(Source: Twitter/Variety)
