Justin M. Howard | July 1, 2021
Bill Cosby was released from prison Wednesday after a Pennsylvania court overturned his conviction. The seven-member Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that Bill Cosby, 83, had been denied a fair trial in 2018 and will not be prosecuted again for the same charge. The guilty verdict was fueled by the #MeToo movement becoming the first high-profile sexual assault case of the #MeToo era. Media outlets like Fox News and NBC are reporting that the appeal courts’ decision is solely based on the immunity arrangement Cosby had with former DA Bruce Castor, completely ignoring the credibility issues found by Castor and mentioned in the Justices’ 79 page opinion letter.
Prosecutors Sticking To Guilty Verdict After Release
Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said in a statement, “He [Bill Cosby] was found guilty by a jury and now goes free on a procedural issue that is irrelevant to the facts of the crime. Prosecutors in my office will continue to follow the evidence wherever and to whomever it leads. We still believe that no one is above the law – including those who are rich, famous and powerful.”
The Pennsylvania court justices’ feel differently, writing the following about the case in their opinion letter: “After reviewing the above and consulting with County and Cheltenham detectives, the District Attorney finds insufficient, credible, and admissible evidence exists upon which any charge against Mr. Cosby could be sustained beyond a reasonable doubt. In making this finding, the District Attorney has analyzed the facts in relation to the elements of any applicable offenses, including whether Mr. Cosby possessed the requisite criminal intent.”
Bill Cosby Never Admitted To A Crime
What made Cosby look guilty to a jury and in the court of public opinion was the ‘play on Cosbys words’ by prosecutors in regards to his 2005 civil deposition. Prosecutors along with the media reported that Cosby admitted to drugging women without their knowledge and is an admitted rapist. Bill Cosby never admitted in the deposition to giving women drugs without their consent and denied having non-consenual sex with any of the accusers. “What’s important there [in the deposition] is the questions that Mr. Cosby did answer, Those answers were 1, that he never gave a woman a drug without her consent, and 2, that he never had non-consensual sex with another person.” Cosbys attorney, Monique Pressely, told a correspondent at CNN.
Bill Cosby has always maintained his innocence. A new post on the comedian’s Twitter page reads: “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.”
“We’ve said from day one, we just didn’t think he was treated fairly. And that…the system has to be fair, and fortunately, the Supreme Court agreed with us,” stated one of Cosby’s attorneys, Brian Perry. “He’s happy, his wife is happy. The system only works if it’s fair to all sides. That’s the bottom line.”