Bill Cosby guilty, yells in court, Bounce TV drops ‘The Cosby Show’ reruns
On Thursday, the jury in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault retrial reached a verdict in the case, announcing that they found Cosby guilty on all three counts of aggravated indecent assault.
Cosby has been convicted of drugging and molesting a woman by a Philadelphia jury — three counts of aggravated indecent assault. The guilty verdict came less than a year after another jury deadlocked on the charges.
Victims of Cosby sitting in the Norristown, PA, courtroom shrieked and cried in delight after the first verdict was announced.
In closing arguments, prosecutor Kristen Feden accused Cosby of being a con man who used his image on TV to gain women’s trust so he could drug them and sexually assault them.
“He is nothing like the image that he plays on TV,” Feden said in court on Tuesday. “In fact, he utilized that image and cloaked himself so that he was able to gain the trust, gain the confidence of these young women so he could strip them of their ability to say no, administering an intoxicant the same way he administered an intoxicant to Andrea Constand.”
“She is not the con,” Feden continued. “He is.”
The jury, comprised of seven men and five women, began deliberations on Wednesday which lasted approximately 14 hours. Cosby could face up to 10 years in prison for each count.
Judge Steven O’Neill said Cosby could remain free on bail until sentencing. Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele pleaded for him to be jailed immediately, saying he was a flight risk and owned a plane. Cosby, who had been silent throughout the trial, shouted back.
“He doesn’t have a plane, you a**hole,” said Cosby, referring to himself in the third person, his voice shaking.
“We are very disappointed by the verdict,” Cosby’s lead defense attorney Tom Mesereau said outside the courtroom after the verdict was read. “We don’t think Mr. Cosby is guilty of anything, and the fight is not over.” Asked by a reporter whether he plans to appeal, he said, “Yes, yes, very strongly.”
MSNBC’s Katy Tur called it an “incredible day” and the verdict “groundbreaking,” noting this jury also might have been swayed because five other accusers were allowed to testify about their own experience with Cosby, unlike in the previous trial.
Bounce TV dropped the airing of the The Cosby Show following the verdict.
“Effective immediately, Bounce is removing The Cosby Show from our schedule,” the digital network, owned by Katz Broadcasting, said in a statement.
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