The Cosby Trial
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William Henry Cosby Jr. born July 12, 1937 is an American stand-up comedian, actor,
and author who held an active career for over six decades.
In the mid-2010s, numerous women made sexual assault accusations against Cosby, the
earliest dating back to 1965. More than 60 women have accused him of either
attempted sexual assault, rape, drug-facilitated sexual assault, sexual battery, child sexual
abuse, or sexual misconduct, all of which he has denied, and the statute of limitations had
by the mid-2010s expired in nearly all cases. Cosby was found guilty of three counts
of aggravated indecent assault and sentenced to three to ten years in prison in September
2018. He is currently incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution – Phoenix in
Pennsylvania. (physical sexual assault, unwelcome conduct, Quid pro quo)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Case
Cosby has repeatedly denied the allegations and maintained his innocence. In November 2014,
he responded to a question about the allegations and said: "I don't talk about it." In past
interviews that were made public, Cosby declined to discuss the accusations. However, he
told Florida Today, "People shouldn't have to go through that and shouldn't answer to
innuendos." In May 2015, he said, "I have been in this business 52 years and I've never seen
anything like this. Reality is a situation, and I can't speak." `
Based on incidents in January 2004, Cosby was found guilty on April 26, 2018, of three counts
of aggravated indecent assault against a Toronto woman, after a jury trial. On September 25,
2018, he was sentenced to three to ten years in state prison and a $25,000 fine plus court costs of
both trials. After a brief period in the Montgomery County Correctional Facility, Cosby was
moved to a state prison, SCI Phoenix in Skippack Township, Pennsylvania, on September 25,
2018, where he was confined to a single cell. On January 28, 2019, Cosby was moved from
administrative segregation into the general population. On December 10, 2019, the verdict was
upheld on appeal.
On June 23, 2020, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Cosby would be able to appeal his
sexual assault conviction based upon questions on testimony from a witness being more
prejudicial than probative. The court will hear his appeal on arguments of whether it was proper
for five prosecution witnesses to testify in the case and include a deposition that Cosby admitted
to giving Quaaludes to other women in the past. The court also agreed to review whether a
former prosecutor had informed Cosby that he would not be prosecuted for the assault, which
resulted in Cosby's agreeing to testify in his accuser's civil lawsuit.
If a convicted sex offender wants to be considered for parole, they must typically, according
to legal experts, be willing to show remorse for their actions. Comedian Bill Cosby, who
was convicted on three charges of felony aggravated indecent assault and classified as a
“sexually violent predator” last year, says he would rather serve his full ten-year prison sentence
than do so.
In an interview from his prison cell with the National Newspaper Publishers Association, the
first he is given since his high-profile trial concluded over a year ago. In April 2018, a grand jury
found him guilty of the three assault charges for drugging and sexually assaulting Temple
University director of basketball operations Andrea Constand at his home in 2004. Then, in
September 2018, the comedian was sentenced to three to ten years in prison.
“When I come up for parole, they’re not going to hear me say that I have remorse,” Cosby told
the website. “I was there. I don’t care what group of people come along and talk about this when
they weren’t there. They don’t know.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Summary
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Did they show remorse? No, He did not show any signs of planning to show remorse.
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Did they get fired? After the allegations resurfaced in 2014, Wendy Williams recalled
that during her radio show in 1990, she referred to sexual assault allegations against
Cosby that had been published in the National Enquirer tabloid. Williams said Cosby
called her boss in the middle of the broadcast demanding that Williams be fired.
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Did they go on trial? Cosby's first trial in June 2017 ended in a mistrial. Cosby was
found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault at retrial on April 26, 2018
and on September 25, 2018, he was sentenced to three to ten years in state prison and
fined $25,000 plus the cost of the prosecution, $43,611.
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Did they (or are they currently) in prison, and for how long? he was sentenced to
three to ten years in state prison?
Your opinion on the case, and the #METOO movement in general. Do you think the
outcome was fair in the case you chose, and why or why not? Also do you think the
#METOO movement will change behavior regarding sexual harassment in the future?
I think that the Bill Cosby case was a very interesting case to read about as it really showed me
that people that we adore and look up to might not be as good as we think they really are. And
that crime can be done regardless of your skin color as in the case people were fighting that the
evidence was made up because he was black. I honestly think that he got what he deserved and
that the victims of his actions receive at least a good amount of money to help them seek help
from the trauma that he may have caused. I think that the #METOO movement will yes change
the behavior regarding sexual harassment in the future as it really opens eyes all around about the
problems with variations of related local or international names, is a social
movement against sexual abuse and sexual harassment where people publicize allegations of sex
crimes. Like other social justice and empowerment movements based upon breaking silence, the
purpose of "Me Too", as initially voiced by Burke as well as those who later adopted the tactic,
is to empower women through empathy and solidarity through strength in numbers, especially
young and vulnerable women, by visibly demonstrating how many women have survived sexual
assault and harassment, especially in the workplace. I really think that the METOO movement if
done correctly will keep empowering women all around to come up and stand for themselves and
not only that it will spread positive feminism.
Citations
Proulx, Natalie. “What Is Your Reaction to the #MeToo Movement?” The New York Times, The
New York Times, 14 Nov. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/11/14/learning/what-is-yourreaction-to-the-metoo-movement.html.
“Me Too Movement.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Jan. 2021,
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Me_Too_movement.
“Bill Cosby Sexual Assault Cases.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Jan. 2021,
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Cosby_sexual_assault_cases.
“Is Bill Cosby Still In Jail? Is Bill Cosby Dead or Alive? Update.” The Cinemaholic, 7 July
2020, www.thecinemaholic.com/is-bill-cosby-still-in-prison/.