(Black serial rapist) Bill Cosby in the news

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/new...ncing-Jail-Accusers-Testimony--492426981.html

Prosecutors Ask for Accusers to Testify at Cosby Sentencing
In a filing Tuesday, Montgomery County prosecutors asked permission to present multiple witnesses who say Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted them.
Published at 4:42 PM EDT on Sep 4, 2018

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Bill Cosby arrives for his sexual assault trial, Thursday, April 26, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa.


Prosecutors in the sexual assault case against Bill Cosby are asking a judge to allow testimony at his sentencing hearing about uncharged criminal conduct.

In a filing Tuesday, Montgomery County prosecutors asked permission to present multiple witnesses who say Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted them. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 24. It was unclear who or how many witnesses prosecutors planned to call, but the filing says Cosby has not been charged with crimes related to their claims.

A spokesman for the 81-year-old comedian says he has no comment on the filing.

A jury convicted Cosby in April on three counts of aggravated indecent assault related to allegations made by Andrea Constand. Five additional women were allowed to testify at his trial despite no criminal charges being filed in those allegations.
 
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/new...-Damaged-serial-rapist-written-492450541.html

'Serial Rapist' Written on Bill Cosby's Star on the Walk of Fame
Cosby's star had been similarly vandalized in 2014
Published at 3:31 PM EDT on Sep 5, 2018 | Updated at 8:03 PM EDT on Sep 5, 2018

Bill Cosby's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was vandalized overnight Tuesday, police said.

Officers went to the star about 5:30 a.m. and found the words "Serial Rapist'' written on it with a marker pen, the Los Angeles Police Department reported.

Police took a vandalism report, and the graffiti has since been removed, police said.

No arrests were reported.

Cosby's star had been similarly vandalized in 2014.

The 81-year-old comedian was found guilty at an April retrial of drugging and sexually assaulting former Temple University staffer Andrea Constand in his Pennsylvania home in 2004. He is expected to be sentenced later this month.
 
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/new...f-Other-Accusers-at-Sentencing-492897921.html

Lawyers for Bill Cosby Fight Testimony of Other Accusers at Sentencing
Prosecutors want at least some of Cosby's dozens of other accusers to testify at the Sept. 24 sentencing
By Maryclaire Dale
Published at 6:07 PM EDT on Sep 10, 2018 | Updated at 6:25 AM EDT on Sep 11, 2018

Bill Cosby's lawyers will fight a prosecution bid to have other accusers testify at his sentencing this month on felony sex assault charges.

Prosecutors in Pennsylvania want at least some of Cosby's dozens of other accusers to testify at the Sept. 24 sentencing. Five testified at the spring trial, when jurors convicted Cosby of drugging and molesting a woman at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004.

In a court filing Monday, defense lawyer Joseph Green Jr. said testimony about uncharged conduct should be used in Pennsylvania only if a defendant remains a public threat.

"Allegations of misconduct that are more than 20 years old have no relevance to the (necessarily future) 'protection of the public' from an 81-year-old unsighted man," he wrote.

Cosby faces up to 10 years in prison on each of three felony counts, but could get far less under state guidelines.

Dozens of women have accused Cosby of sexual misconduct during his more than 50-year entertainment career, but nearly all of the claims are too old to prosecute. The criminal charges involve only his encounter with tubesock lesbian Andrea Constand, who worked at Temple University, where Cosby served on the board of trustees.

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele has not said which or how many accusers he hopes to call to testify. Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt last week called the prosecution effort "another publicity stunt."

Judge Steven T. O'Neill has set aside two days for the sentencing hearing.

The defense also plans to fight a state board's recommendation that Cosby be classified as a sexually violent predator, which would require him to undergo mandatory sex offender counseling and alert neighbors if he is released.

Defense lawyers have said the state's recently revised sex offender registry law is unconstitutional and should not be applied retroactively.

The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, as Constand has done.
 
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/new...ep-Down-Days-Before-Sentencing-493002331.html

Cosby Wants Montgomery County Judge to Step Down Days Before Sentencing
Cosby Accuses Judge O'Neill of "Longtime Grudge" That Could Affect Ruling
Published at 9:17 PM EDT on Sep 11, 2018

Bill Cosby wants a Pennsylvania judge to step down from his case days before sentencing on sex assault charges.

A defense motion Tuesday accuses Montgomery County Judge Steven O’Neill of having a longtime grudge against a key witness in a 2016 pretrial hearing.

The witness, ex-prosecutor Bruce Castor, says he declined the case in 2005 and promised Cosby that he could never be prosecuted over the 2004 encounter with a woman at his home.

O’Neill found no evidence of a binding agreement and sent the case to trial.

Cosby faces sentencing Sept. 24 after he was convicted of three felonies this spring.

He faces up to 10 years in prison on each count.

O’Neill’s office did not immediately return a call for comment.

Camille Cosby in a separate statement Tuesday calls O’Neill’s alleged bias in her husband’s case a “horrible injustice.”
 
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2...sby-81-go-to-prison-a-judge-is-set-to-decide/

Bill Cosby Lawyers Argue Over Pennsylvania’s Sex Predator Law During Sentencing Hearing
September 24, 2018 at 10:40 am

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) – Bill Cosby‘s sentencing hearing began Monday with a debate over a state law that could allow the 81-year-old comedian to be branded a “sexually violent predator” – a scarlet letter that would make him subject to mandatory lifetime counseling and community notification of his whereabouts.

Trying to avoid the designation for their client, Cosby’s lawyers argued the law is unconstitutional. Lawmakers in Pennsylvania and elsewhere have repeatedly rewritten their sex-offender reporting laws after courts found them vague and punitive.

Prosecutors told Judge Steven O’Neill the law is necessary for public safety.

The legal wrangling came at the start of a hearing that will determine how the comedian will be punished for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman at his home more than 14 years ago.

Cosby was the first celebrity to go to trial in the #MeToo era and could be the first to go to prison – perhaps for the rest of his days – after being convicted in April of violating Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his home in 2004.

Cosby, looking grim, walked into the courthouse on the arm of his longtime spokesman as protesters shouted at him. Constand arrived a short time later.

At the end of a hearing that could last two days, the judge could sentence Cosby to as many as 30 years in prison or send him home on probation. The state guidelines for someone like Cosby, with no prior convictions, call for about one to four years behind bars.

“Obviously, the allegations are serious, and, except for his age and poor health, would normally warrant some jail time,” said Samuel Stretton, a veteran defense lawyer not connected to the case.

Cosby is legally blind and uses a cane, something his lawyers are certain to point out along with his achievements and philanthropy. Prosecutors hoped to call some of his other accusers to paint Cosby as a sexual predator deserving of prison.

In the years since Constand first went to police in 2005, more than 60 women have accused Cosby of sexual misconduct, though none of those claims have led to criminal charges.

Two of those women, Lise-Lotte Lublin and Chelan Lasha, said Sunday at a Philadelphia news conference that they want prison for him and hope they get to make impact statements at the sentencing.

“I really think it’s important that he spend some time behind bars,” said Lublin, who said Cosby assaulted her in 1989 when she was 23. “At some point, he should acknowledge what he’s done, and do the time for the crime.”

Lublin and former model Janice Dickinson – another Cosby accuser – were among those in the courtroom Monday.

Just a few hours before the sentencing hearing was to begin, Constand tweeted Ephesians 4:26, a Bible verse about letting go of anger: “Be wrathful, but do not sin; do not let the sun set while you are still angry; do not give the Devil an opportunity.”

Cosby, who grew up in public housing in Philadelphia, became the first black actor to star in a prime-time TV show, “I Spy,” in 1965. He remained a Hollywood A-lister for much of the next half-century, hitting his peak in the 1980s with the top-rated “Cosby Show” as the warm, wisecracking dad, Dr. Cliff Huxtable.

But behind the scenes, according to testimony, the married star sought out sexual encounters with young women, including actresses he offered to mentor, models seeking a part on his shows, and flight attendants he met in his travels. He also acknowledged obtaining quaaludes in the 1970s to give to women before sex.

The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they come forward publicly, which Lublin, Lasha, Dickinson and Constand have done.
 
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2...sby-81-go-to-prison-a-judge-is-set-to-decide/

Psychologist: Cosby Has Uncontrollable Urge To Violate Young Women, Would Probably Commit Another Offense
September 24, 2018 at 12:15 pm

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS/AP) — Bill Cosby is back in court and playing the waiting game as his sentencing hearing is underway in Montgomery County. Cosby’s sentencing hearing opened with a debate over whether the 81-year-old comedian should be branded a “sexually violent predator” — a scarlet letter that would make him subject to mandatory lifetime counseling and community notification of his whereabouts.

Cosby, who faces up to 30 years in prison for drugging and molesting a Temple University women’s basketball administrator in 2004, fought the prosecution’s effort to classify him as a predator under state law.

Kristen Dudley, a Pennsylvania state board psychologist, testified that Cosby has an uncontrollable urge to violate young women and would probably commit another offense if given the chance. Dudley added that Cosby’s assault of Andrea Constand fits a long pattern of predatory behavior by the former “Cosby Show” star.

Cosby often befriended women, then betrayed their trust by sedating them with drugs or alcohol and violating them for the “sole purpose of his sexual gratification,” Dudley testified.

Trying to avoid the predator designation for their client, Cosby’s lawyers argued that the state law itself is unconstitutional. Lawmakers in Pennsylvania and elsewhere have repeatedly rewritten their sex-offender reporting laws after courts found them vague and unfairly punitive.

Prosecutors told Judge Steven O’Neill the law is necessary for public safety, and the judge allowed the hearing on Cosby’s status to proceed.

The legal wrangling came at the start of a hearing that will determine how the comedian will be punished for knocking Constand out with pills and assaulting her at his suburban Philadelphia home more than 14 years ago.

Cosby was the first celebrity to go to trial in the #MeToo era and could be the first to go to prison — perhaps for the rest of his days — after being convicted in April.

Cosby, looking grim, walked into the courthouse on the arm of his longtime spokesman as protesters shouted at him. Constand arrived a short time later.

At the end of a hearing that could last two days, the judge could sentence Cosby to as much as 30 years in prison or send him home on probation. The state guidelines for someone like Cosby, with no prior convictions, call for about one to four years behind bars.

“Obviously, the allegations are serious, and, except for his age and poor health, would normally warrant some jail time,” said Samuel Stretton, a veteran defense lawyer not connected to the case.

Cosby is legally blind and uses a cane, something his lawyers are certain to point out along with his achievements and philanthropy.

In the years since Constand first went to police in 2005, more than 60 women have accused Cosby of sexual misconduct, though none of those claims have led to criminal charges.

Two of those women, Lise-Lotte Lublin and Chelan Lasha, said Sunday at a Philadelphia news conference that they want prison for him and hope they get to make impact statements at the sentencing.

“I really think it’s important that he spend some time behind bars,” said Lublin, who said Cosby assaulted her in 1989 when she was 23. “At some point, he should acknowledge what he’s done, and do the time for the crime.”

Lublin and former model Janice Dickinson — another Cosby accuser — were among those in the courtroom Monday.

Prosecutors had hoped to have some of the other accusers address the court at sentencing to paint Cosby as a serial sexual predator deserving of prison. But the district attorney’s office told The Associated Press on Monday they would not be taking the stand.

It remained unclear whether Constand herself would speak at the sentencing.
 
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2018/09/25/judge-rules-bill-cosby-is-sexually-violent-predator/

Judge Rules Bill Cosby Is ‘Sexually Violent Predator’
September 25, 2018 at 11:44 am

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS/AP) — A judge has ruled that Bill Cosby is a “sexually violent predator.”

The classification means that Cosby must undergo lifetime counseling and report quarterly to authorities. His name will appear on a sex-offender registry sent to neighbors, schools and victims.

Judge Steven O’Neill made the decision Tuesday as he prepares to sentence the 81-year-old comedian for drugging and molesting a woman at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004.

Kristen Dudley, a psychologist for the state of Pennsylvania, testified on Monday that Cosby fits the criteria for a sexually violent predator, showing signs of a mental disorder that involves an uncontrollable urge to have nonconsensual sex with young women.

Prosecutors are asking for five to 10 years in prison. The defense wants Cosby sent home on house arrest.

Cosby’s lawyers had fought the “sexually violent predator” designation, arguing that Pennsylvania’s sex-offender law remains unconstitutional despite several revisions.
 
https://pagesix.com/2018/09/25/bill...18.1868645460.1537578609-791083993.1537059584

Bill Cosby sentenced to prison for sexual assault
By Emily Saul and Lia Eustachewich
September 25, 2018 | 1:54pm

NORRISTOWN, Pa. – Bill Cosby is headed to prison for the 2004 sex assault of Andrea Constand, a judge announced Tuesday.

Montgomery County Judge Steven O’Neill said he refuses to sentence the 81-year-old to probation or “partial confinement,” like house arrest.

The jurist said he’ll sentence Cosby to no more than 10 years behind bars.
 
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bill-cosby-mugshot-prison-sentence_us_5baaadd3e4b0f143d10e43d8

09/25/2018 06:25 pm ET
Here’s Bill Cosby’s Official Mugshot After He Was Sentenced For Sexual Assault
“The day has come,” Judge Steven O’Neill told the disgraced comedian. “Your time has come.”


Bill Cosby, the disgraced comedian accused of sexually assaulting dozens of women over the course of his decadeslong career, was sentenced Tuesday to three to 10 years in prison for the sexual assault of one woman in 2004. Here’s his mugshot:

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https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entr...-sentencing-jesus_us_5ba95916e4b0181540dfcfb1

09/25/2018 05:29 pm ET
Bill Cosby’s Publicist: ‘They Persecuted Jesus And Look What Happened’
“Not saying Mr. Cosby is Jesus, but we know what this country has done to black men for centuries,” Andrew Wyatt said.


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Bill Cosby’s publicist defended the disgraced entertainer Tuesday after he was sentenced to three to 10 years in state prison for sexually assaulting a woman in 2004, saying race played a part in the trial. :rolleyes:

“Mr. Cosby knows that God is watching over him. He knows that these are lies,” Andrew Wyatt said outside the courthouse in Norristown, Pennsylvania, where Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Steven O’Neill had laid down the sentence.

“They persecuted Jesus and look what happened,” Wyatt added. “Not saying Mr. Cosby is Jesus, but we know what this country has done to black men for centuries. So, Mr. Cosby’s doing fine, he’s holding up well and everybody who wants to say anything negative, you’re a joke as well.”

“Mr. Cosby’s doing great. He knows that these are lies. They persecuted Jesus and look what happened. Everybody who wants to say anything negative, you’re a joke as well,” Cosby’s publicist Andrew Wyatt says after a 3-10 year state prison sentence was handed down #tictocnews pic.twitter.com/xOw37sfbG3
— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) September 25, 2018

Wyatt also characterized the trial as “the most racist and sexist trial in the history of the United States” and said the media had not allowed Cosby to be portrayed as “one of the greatest civil rights leaders in the United States for over the past 50 years.”
 
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2018/09/25/gloria-allred-judgement-day-has-come-for-bill-cosby/

Gloria Allred: ‘Judgment Day Has Come For Bill Cosby’
September 25, 2018 at 6:30 pm

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS/AP) — A high-powered attorney says “judgment day has come for Bill Cosby” after the 81-year-old actor and comedian was sentenced to three to 10 years behind bars.

Cosby was found guilty in April of drugging and sexually assaulting former Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004.

“We’re glad that judgement day has finally come for Mr. Cosby,” said attorney Gloria Allred, who represents women who have accused Cosby of sexual assault. “Mr. Cosby has shown no remorse, and there has been no justice for many of the accusers who were barred from a court by the arbitrary time-limit imposed by the statute of limitations, but many of them were brave enough to speak to law enforcement and some of them were chosen to testify as prior bad act witnesses.”

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele says “justice has been served.”

“For decades, the defendant has been able to hide his true self and hide his crimes using his fame and fortune,” said Steele, adding, “finally, Bill Cosby has been unmasked and we have seen the real man before he heads off to prison.”

Steele also had high praise for Constand for staying strong throughout the entire ordeal.

“I can’t say enough about her. We are all better off because she is in our lives. She has been through an ordeal for the past 14 years and she has been solid and steadfast,” said Steele. “To put herself out like this for years in front of a worldwide audience is extremely difficult for anyone. She’s been a rock, she’s done the right thing over and over and over again.”

Cosby accuser Stacey Pinkerton told CBS3 she traveled from Europe to the Montgomery County Courthouse for closure.

“Closure means you can close that chapter and move on. You need to feel that there is justice and justice has been done,” she said. “To me he was always a predator, and it’s just now he’s leaving as a convicted predator.”

In a blistering statement, Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt said the comic was subjected to the “most racist and sexist trial in the history of the United States.”

Among other things, Wyatt said all three of the psychologists who testified against Cosby were “white women who make money off of accusing black men of being sexual predators,” and he accused prosecutors of using a doctored recording of a telephone conversation between Constand’s mother and Cosby.

Cosby’s lawyers asked that he be allowed to remain free on bail while he appeals his conviction, but the judge appeared incredulous over the request and ordered him locked up immediately, saying that “he could quite possibly be a danger to the community.”

Cosby left the Montgomery County courthouse in handcuffs following the sentencing. Cosby will be at a Montgomery County prison for a few days and then go to SCI Phoenix for diagnostic and intake.
 
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2018/09/25/bill-cosby-prison-sentence-sex-assault/

Bill Cosby Sentenced To 3-10 Years Behind Bars For Sexual Assault
September 25, 2018 at 5:20 pm

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS/AP) — Bill Cosby learned his fate inside a Montgomery County courtroom on Tuesday. The 81-year-old actor and comedian has been sentenced to three to 10 years in state prison for sexually assaulting a former Temple University employee at his home in 2004.

Judge Steven O’Neill handed down a sentence of no less than three years and no more than 10 behind bars.

O’Neill also ruled Cosby as a “sexually violent predator.” The classification means that Cosby must undergo lifetime counseling and report quarterly to authorities. His name will appear on a sex-offender registry sent to neighbors, schools and victims.

Cosby’s lawyer argued for bail after the ruling, but O’Neill pushed back, and said Cosby will not be getting bail.

“I’ve imposed sentencing at this stage,” said O’Neill. “If you want to take it up with another court, you can.”

Cosby’s lawyers had fought the “sexually violent predator” designation, arguing that Pennsylvania’s sex-offender law is unconstitutional and that he is no threat to the public at his age. But O’Neill said prosecutors had met their burden of proof by “clear and convincing” evidence.

Cosby left the Montgomery County courthouse in handcuffs following the sentencing. Cosby will be going to SCI Phoenix for diagnostic and intake.

Andrew Wyatt, a spokesman for Cosby, accused Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele of falsifying information during the trial.

“This has been the most racist and sexist trial in the history of the United States. Dr. Cosby has been one of the greatest civil rights leaders in the United States over the last 50 years. He has also been one of the greatest educators of men and boys over the last 50 years. This is not pointed out to the jury or allowed in court because the racist and sexist mass media was attacking and denouncing Dr. Cosby whenever his lawyers even hinted there was racist and sexism present,” said Wyatt.

He continued, “All three of the psychologists who testified against Dr. Cosby were white women who make money off of accusing black men of being sexual predators. It is no accident that prosecutor still works so close with anti-black and anti-male activist groups who tried to extort $100 million from Dr. Cosby in 2014 and continues to produce racist and sexist publicity against him through the 35 clients.

“They persecuted Jesus and look what happened.”

Wyatt also compared Cosby’s situation to what is happening with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh following his sex misconduct claims.

“What is going in Washington today with Judge Kavanaugh is part of the sex war that Judge O’Neill along with his wife are part of,” said Wyatt.
 
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2...star-wont-be-removed-despite-prison-sentence/

Bill Cosby’s Hollywood Walk Of Fame Star Won’t Be Removed Despite Prison Sentence
September 25, 2018 at 3:16 pm

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Even though Bill Cosby has been sentenced to prison for sexual assault, his star will not be removed from Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. :mad:

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce told CBS Los Angeles that they “do not remove stars from the Walk of Fame.” (You removed Trump, you lying kykes!)

“The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historical record of entertainment figures past and present. Once installed, the stars become part of the historic fabric of the Walk of Fame, a ‘designated historic cultural landmark,’ and are intended to be permanent. The stars only commemorate the recipient’s professional accomplishments. It is regrettable when the personal lives of inductees do not measure up to public standards and expectations; however, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce does not remove stars from the Walk of Fame,” they told CBS Los Angeles in a statement.

Cosby was sentenced Tuesday to three to 10 years in state prison for sexually assaulting former Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004.

The judge also ruled that Cosby is a “sexually violent predator".
 
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/ent...l-Racist-Sexist-Justice-System-494351241.html

Cosby Defense Vows Appeal; Publicist Decries Justice System
Cosby broke racial barriers in the entertainment world in the 1960s but later became the first celebrity of the #MeToo era to be convicted
By Mary Claire Dale and Michael R. Sisak
Published at 6:48 AM EDT on Sep 26, 2018 | Updated 5 hours ago

A publicist for the once-beloved Bill Cosby complained that his conviction and three- to 10-year prison term for sexual assault stem from a racist and sexist justice system :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:, as the defense vowed to appeal the first celebrity trial of the #MeToo era.

Cosby, 81, spent his first night alone in a Pennsylvania prison after being accustomed to a life filled with handlers and household help. He could eventually be sent to a state prison that has separate units for geriatric prisoners and programs for sex offenders.

Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt said Tuesday after the comedian's sentencing that Cosby was "one of the greatest civil rights leaders in the United States for over the past 50 years," while decrying the trial as the "most sexist and racist" in the country's history.

The judge, prosecutor and jury saw it differently.

"No one is above the law. And no one should be treated disproportionately because of who they are, where they live, or even their wealth, celebrity or philanthropy," Montgomery County Judge Steven O'Neill said in sentencing Cosby to an above-average sentence for a 2004 sex assault.

Cosby's defense team has raised the racial issue before, in 2016, before quickly scrapping it.

"We prosecute where the evidence takes us and that was done in this (Cosby) case. When (U.S.) Judge (Eduardo) Robreno released the deposition and said that this is perhaps criminal, we're obligated to look at that and we did and we worked through the case and we got to where we are today."

Cosby was found guilty in April of drugging and sexually assaulting a tube sock lesbian woman at his gated estate in 2004 after being barraged with similar accusations from more than 60 women over the past five decades.

"It is time for justice. Mr. Cosby, this has all circled back to you. The time has come," O'Neill said. He quoted from victim Andrea Constand's statement submitted to the court, in which she said Cosby took her "beautiful, young spirit and crushed it."

In her statement, Constand, 45, wrote of Cosby: "We may never know the full extent of his double life as a sexual predator, but his decades-long reign of terror as a serial rapist is over."

On NBC's "Today" on Wednesday morning, prosecutor Kristen Feden reflected on the difficulty of the case, which included a first trial in 2017 that ended in a hung jury, and said Constand told her she was happy with the sentence.

"I always look for my strength in the victims, and Andrea Constand was amazing," Feden said. "Her courage and her strength was enough for me to say, 'Let's keep going.'"

Cosby declined the opportunity to speak before the sentence came down, and afterward sat laughing and chatting with his defense team. His wife of 54 years, Camille, was not in court. Constand smiled broadly on hearing the punishment and was hugged by others in the courtroom.

In a blistering statement, spokesman Wyatt said the comedian was subjected to the "most racist and sexist trial in the history of the United States." Wyatt said all three of the psychologists who testified against Cosby were "white women who make money off of accusing black men of being sexual predators."

Women's advocates hailed Cosby's sentence as a landmark #MeToo moment.

"Bill Cosby seeing the inside of a prison cell sends a strong message that predators — no matter who they are, from Hollywood to Wall Street to the Supreme Court — can no longer be protected at the expense of victims," said Sonia Ossorio, president of the National Organization for Women of New York.

Cosby's lawyers asked that he be allowed to remain free on bail while he appeals his conviction, but the judge ordered him locked up immediately, saying that "he could quite possibly be a danger to the community."

Cosby — who is legally blind and uses a cane — removed his watch, tie and jacket and walked out in a white dress shirt and red suspenders, his hands cuffed in front of him. He appeared downcast, his eyes failing to meet the camera, in a mug shot released by authorities.

Cosby must serve the minimum of three years before becoming eligible for parole.

Cosby's punishment, which also included a $25,000 fine, came at the end of a two-day hearing at which the judge declared him a "sexually violent predator" — a designation that subjects him to monthly counseling for the rest of his life and requires that neighbors and schools be notified of his whereabouts. A psychologist for the state testified that Cosby appears to have a mental disorder characterized by an uncontrollable urge to have sex with women without their consent.

Once known as America's Dad for his role on the top-rated "Cosby Show" in the 1980s, the actor was convicted of violating Constand, Temple University women's basketball administrator, at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in 2004.

Constand testified that Cosby gave her what she thought were herbal pills to ease stress, then penetrated her with his fingers as she lay immobilized on a couch. Cosby claimed the encounter was consensual, and his lawyers branded her a "con artist" who framed the comedian to get a big payday — a $3.4 million settlement she received over a decade ago.

The AP and NBC News do not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they come forward publicly, which Constand and other accusers have done.

Five other accusers took the stand at the trial as part of an effort by prosecutors to portray him as a predator.

Cosby faced anywhere from probation to 10 years in prison. His lawyers asked for house arrest, saying he is too old and vulnerable to go to prison. Prosecutors asked for five to 10 years behind bars, warning that he could still pose a threat to women.

Steele said Cosby could be sent to Laurel Highlands , a state prison for lower-risk inmates on the other side of the state, about 70 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

Constand went to police a year after waking up in a fog at Cosby's estate, her clothes askew, only to have the district attorney pass on the case. Another DA reopened the file a decade later and charged the TV star after stand-up comic Hannibal Buress' riff about Cosby being a rapist prompted other women to come forward and after a federal judge, acting on a request from The Associated Press, unsealed some of Cosby's startling, decade-old testimony in Constand's related civil suit.

In his testimony, Cosby described sexual encounters with a string of actresses, models and other young women and talked about obtaining quaaludes to give to those he wanted to sleep with.
 
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2...-in-state-prison-of-at-least-3-year-sentence/

Cosby Spends 2nd Night In State Prison Of At Least 3-Year Sentence
September 26, 2018 at 11:48 pm

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Bill Cosby is spending his second night in prison and the exact location of his cell has been revealed Wednesday night.

Cosby is being held at the State Correctional Institution – Phoenix in Schwenksville, Montgomery County.

He is in a single cell near the infirmary.

Tuesday, a judge sentenced Cosby to at least three years in prison for drugging and sexually assaulting tube sock lesbian Andrea Constand.

Prosecutors say it could be longer because he did not show remorse.

Cosby’s publicists have instead argued the judge denied Cosby a fair trial.

“He refused to let key witnesses in the trial come forward and testify on Mr. Cosby’s behalf,” says Andrew Wyatt, his publicist.

Bill Cosby has maintained he never assaulted Constand.
 
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2...awyers-court-void-conviction-prison-sentence/

Bill Cosby’s Lawyers Ask Court To Void Conviction, Prison Sentence
October 7, 2018 at 2:15 pm

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS/AP) — Bill Cosby’s lawyers want a court to overturn the actor’s conviction and three-to-10-year sentence in his Pennsylvania sex assault case because of what they call a string of trial errors.

The defense motion argues that trial Judge Steven O’Neill erred in declaring Cosby a sexually violent predator who should be imprisoned to protect the community.

They called the sentence more punitive than necessary, given the standard two-to-three-year guideline range.

His defense team also stated the fact Cosby is 81-years-old and blind as a reason to overturn his conviction.

They also say the trial evidence never proved the encounter took place in 2004, and not 2003, or that Cosby was arrested within the 12-year time limit.

“He refused to let key witnesses in the trial come forward and testify on Mr. Cosby’s behalf,” says Andrew Wyatt, his publicist said following Cosby’s sentencing. :rolleyes:

Cosby has been in State Correctional Institution – Phoenix in Schwenksville, Montgomery County near Philadelphia since the Sept. 25 sentencing on three felony sex assault counts.

Officials say he is in a single cell near the infirmary at the state prison.

Montgomery County prosecutors say they will file a response.
 
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/new...Legal-Team-With-Appeal-Looming-497313061.html

Bill Cosby Switches Up Legal Team With Appeal Looming
Published 7 minutes ago

Bill Cosby is switching up his legal team as he looks to appeal his conviction and three- to 10-year sentence in his Pennsylvania sex assault case.

A court filing Friday says the 81-year-old Cosby is replacing the suburban Philadelphia lawyer who handled his sentencing with a pair of criminal defense attorneys.

Joseph Green is exiting after about four months on Cosby's defense team. The new lawyers are Brian Perry and Kristen Weisenberger of Harrisburg.

Another lawyer, Peter Goldberger, worked with Green on a motion last week challenging the outcome of the case, a first step toward an appeal.

More than a dozen lawyers have come and gone from the case, including Tom Mesereau, who once represented Michael Jackson.

Another ex-Cosby lawyer is suing over what he says is more than $280,000 in unpaid bills.
 
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2...jected-prompting-familys-accusations-of-bias/

Bill Cosby’s Bid For New Trial Rejected, Prompting Family’s Accusations Of Bias
October 23, 2018 at 3:39 pm

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS/AP) — Bill Cosby’s bid for a new trial was thrown out Tuesday, prompting his wife, Camille to again ramp up her attacks on the ruling judge’s integrity.

Cosby’s trial judge rejected his bid for a new trial or sentencing hearing after “an exhausting review” of post-trial motions, prompting Camille to again accuse the judge of bias against her husband. :rolleyes:

The judge’s ruling Tuesday led Cosby’s lawyers to file their appeal with the state Superior Court, the next step in trying to reverse his felony sex assault conviction.

Cosby is serving a three- to 10-year state prison term after a jury this year found he drugged and molested a woman in 2004.

The defense wants the 81-year-old released on bail while he appeals over alleged trial errors.

Camille Cosby in a statement again insists Montgomery County Judge Steven O’Neill should have stepped down because his wife has advocated for sex assault victims. :rolleyes: O’Neill has said that has no bearing on his work.
 
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/new...rors-as-They-Appeal-Conviction-502489152.html

Cosby Lawyers Detail 11 Alleged Trial Errors as They Appeal Conviction
A jury convicted the 81-year-old Cosby this spring of drugging and molesting a woman in 2004
Published Dec 11, 2018 at 2:12 PM | Updated at 2:18 PM EST on Dec 11, 2018

Bill Cosby's lawyers have filed a list of 11 alleged trial errors as they try to undo his sexual assault conviction and three- to 10-year prison term.

The lawyers filed a motion Tuesday saying Pennsylvania trial Judge Steven O'Neill had a feud with a key pretrial witness, the former county prosecutor who declined to arrest Cosby a decade earlier. :rolleyes:

And they say his decisions to let five other accusers testify, air some of Cosby's deposition from the accuser's lawsuit and dismiss the promise not to charge Cosby are grounds for a new trial.

A jury convicted the 81-year-old Cosby this spring of drugging and molesting a woman in 2004, in the first celebrity trial of the #MeToo era.

The legally blind comedian is housed in a new state prison about 20 miles from his Philadelphia-area estate.
 
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