Bill Cosby Released From Prison and Stimulates Mixed Reactions

Bill Cosby
Image Credit: Flickr

The highest court in Pennsylvania overturns the charges of sexual assault on Bill Cosby. Following that, the actor got his release from imprisonment.

As per the officials’ statement, the octogenarian saw the air outside the State Correctional Institution Phoenix in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday afternoon.

Andrew Wyatt, Cosby’s publicist, was to pick him up from the prison, as per his statement to ABC news.

Bill Cosby released from prison

Aerial footage captured him wearing baggy trousers and a maroon t-shirt when he entered his mansion at Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. He also made a sign with his fingers, which symbolized peace as he walked into his house.

Later on the day, he accompanied his publicist and the lawyers to the far end of the driveway, where they assembled to address media.

Wyatt celebrated justice for one and all Americans in his statement.

The actor took to Twitter and re-asserted his innocence in the case. He also thanked his friends, supporters, and fans who had his back throughout the entire ordeal. Also, he thanked Supreme Court in Pennsylvania and credited them with upholding the much-revered rule of the law.

Jennifer Bonjean, one among the appellate attorneys and the rest of the legal team, stated that they were excited to have Bill Cosby home.

Bonjean claimed that the three years long imprisonment was unjustified. But he served a sentence with dignity. As a man of principle, he even became the mentor to his fellow inmates. She further stated that he utilized the stay; the stay couldn’t punish him.

She expressed her gratitude to the Supreme Court and praised it for not being biased towards the lower rung courts’ public opinion to own partial opinions.

Andrea Constand was shocked over the judge’s rule

An employee of Temple University, Andrea Constand, said Bill Cosby drugged and harassed her sexually in 2004. The court charged Cosby in 2018 September for a three to ten years sentence in the state prison. He served a three-year prison statement.

However, Constand, along with her lawyers, wasn’t happy with this sentence. They said this majority decision to be disappointing. Not only that, but it would also discourage many victims who believed the rule of law to be their doorway to justice. This may lead to forcing a victim to choose between either filing a civil or criminal action.

During the proceedings, Pennsylvania Supreme Court concurred in listening to two main points in the appeal Cosby made to take down his sexual assault charge.

Was it unfair to release Bill Cosby?

On June 30, the state Supreme Court released a ruling whereby they stated that the prosecution of Cosby should have never occurred. For he had struck a deal with former Montgomery County prosecutor Bruce Castor. The deal read that if Cosby agreed to give a deposition concerning the case in the civil jurisdiction brought by Constand against him, then Castor cannot prosecute the comedian criminally.

During his out-of-court testimony, he incriminated Kevin R. Steele, the successor of Castor, that the former charged Cosby back in 2015.

Andrea Constand remarked that this decision to bring down charges resulted from taking advantage of technicalities in law procedures.

Even during former president Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial, Castor was the one who represented him.

The 79-page long decision noted the constraints present in the whole process of giving vast discretion to the Commonwealth’s prosecutors.

Moreover, the justices in the case wrote that if any decision of unconditional charge is undertaken publicly which is intended to induce any action, the denial to grant the benefit of the decision to the defendant means a severe blow to his fundamental rights. It further said, not only was he not guilty, but rather he himself was a victim of “coercive bait and switch.”

Bill Cosby considered himself to be invincible

Initially, Cosby thought himself to be immune to criminal proceedings. The ultimate civil lawsuit got finalized at three million dollars and above in 2006.

Thus this criminal charge harmed him much.

The decree stated that he could never be tried again on criminal charges.

Steel stated on June 30 that the procedural issues that allowed Cosby to walk Scott free had nothing to do with the facts. In fact, a jury found him guilty, but he got his release.

Also, she applauded Constand for showing immense strength and perseverance in carrying this lawsuit forward. This was an inspiration for many women who might have the same experience.

Steele further said that she wishes that this will not have a bad influence on sexual harassment reporting. Her prosecutors will follow the evidence no matter what the consequence is. She asserted her firm belief in inequality before the law.

In his interview with Philadelphia-based KYW Newsradio, Castor added that he was acquainted with these and not at all surprised with the court’s decision.

He recalled an earlier incident where the court shut the case due to the shocking behavior of the prosecutor and didn’t even ask for any new trial. He detested what happened with Cosby.

However, attorney Gloria Allred was furious with this decision. She had previously represented many women who gave testimony in Bill Cosby’s trial. Their testimony added a pre-history to what Cosby did, incriminating him further.

She sees this case as an exemplary instance in the fight for true justice, no matter what the court’s decision was. Also, the overturning based on only technical grounds doesn’t do away with the claim that he engaged in these acts.

Bill Cosby
Image Credit: Flickr

Mixed reactions from netizens on the case

The news of early release stunned Janice Baker Kinney. She was one among the many women who gave their testimony in the trial. She alleged that Cosby sexually harassed and assaulted her back in 1982. Being a woman of 24 years, she worked as a bartender in Reno, Nevada.

She expressed her shocking surprise at how one technicality could overturn other people’s living true experience.

Victoria Valentino didn’t testify but also accused Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting her. She was a Playboy model and shared her anger at the news of his release with ABC news.

She even claimed Cosby to be a sociopath and a serial rapist.

Valentino added that she and many other accusers got some letter from Pennsylvania state officials asking them to deny parole by Cosby.

Cosby’s petition for early parole in May was also denied. The correctional official stated this resulted from a refusal to participate in sex offender programs held in jail.

Cosby’s lawyers even accused the trial judge of committing an error when he allowed Cosby to testify about the possible usage of quaaludes during any consensual sexual involvements with women back in the 1970s.

Along with three judges from Supreme Court, two lower-rung courts had earlier refused to take away the charges from Cosby.

Despite many allegations, Cosby maintained that he is innocent. He never participated in any non-consensual sexual encounters.

Share this:
About Shusree Mukherjee 70 Articles
Writing allows me to pour my heart out in words. So, that's what I've been doing for the past 6 years. I strive to bring in a change in the world by taking tiny steps of curating the right message that needs to be conveyed.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*