Bill Cosby freed from prison, conviction overturned in court Published By Alexandra Heilbron on Jun 30, 2021


Bill Cosby courtesy: The World Affairs Council of PhiladelphiaBill Cosby's sex assault conviction was overturned in a Pennsylvania court today on a technicality. Cosby had served two years of a 10-year sentence for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004.

The Supreme Court found that District Attorney Kevin Steele did not stand by a promise to Cosby by his predecessor, former prosecutor Bruce Castor, not to file criminal charges if the comedian testified in a 2005 civil lawsuit filed by Constand against Cosby.

Cosby admitted during testimony during that trial to using quaaludes during consensual sexual encounters with women in the 1970s.

The civil lawsuit was settled in 2006 for approximately $3 million. Steele filed criminal charges against Cosby in 2015. Although more than 50 women accused Cosby of similar crimes, the statute of limitations had run out -- for sex crimes, the statute of limitations expires after 12 years.

Cosby, now 83, vowed to serve his entire sentence rather than show remorse. He continues to claim the encounters were consensual.

Cosby will walk out of prison a free man this afternoon (June 30, 2021). ~Alexandra Heilbron

Back to News


Comments & Discussion

  • Sophia Smith - 6/30/2021 5:06:15 PM
    Personally I have to say I agree with this decision. There was a civil judgment for her so I don't agree with them sending him to prison years later for the crime. I am not discounting what happened to her. It was obviously wrong but she took the money so that should have been the end of it
  • Mary - 6/30/2021 5:14:52 PM
    Civil and criminal trials are two different trials ….so her taking money would have nothing to do with it.
  • MA - 6/30/2021 5:44:07 PM
    No such thing as 'justice'.....not for people like him, wealthy and celebrity. He should have spent every day of his 10year sentence locked up. He is a predator and a thoroughly bottom of the barrel slimeball. Can't imagine his wife will be happy to have that ugly face on the pillow next to hers. What about all the other women he raped??? Definitely different rules for 'them' and 'us'.
  • TD - 6/30/2021 6:08:57 PM
    Somebody really screwed up within the legal system. Because of this gross incompetence a serial rapist who drugged and raped several women for many years is now set free.
  • brian - 6/30/2021 6:25:25 PM
    He should rot in jail , he had his jollies and should pay more than cash for them . He admitted giving women drugs , May he be held up as a pariah wherever he goes.
  • Lorena - 6/30/2021 6:47:33 PM
    So he did almost 3 years - I think that's enough. Do I believe he did that one woman -maybe , but I certainly don't believe that 53 women were assaulted by him. Anyway, 2.5 years is a long enough sentence. Go home Bill...and enjoy the last years of your life. I will always think of you as Heathcliff ...... and I still love the Cosby Show and always will.
  • Gwen - 6/30/2021 7:33:16 PM
    My mom really liked Bill Cosby and collected all his records way back when. Boy would she ever be turning over in her grave about all this.
  • Janet - 6/30/2021 7:50:57 PM
    He admitted to drugging women before having sex with them, therefore it was not consensual. Cosby is an admitted sexual predator and rapist and hopefully, he´ll never enjoy another day of freedom again, whether he´s in prison or not. #KarmaComesForSexualPredators #CosbyIsASexualPredator
  • Debra - 6/30/2021 9:35:35 PM
    The man is 83, let him free. He still has to meet his maker. It's better on the soul 2 forgive n let God take care of it. Nobody passes that judgement. At his age he's not far from it.
  • Cara King - 6/30/2021 10:23:41 PM
    you should of died in prison. what u did to the women was death row
  • yeknom - 6/30/2021 10:51:20 PM
    at least he served some time and everyone knows what leach just truly is. and with broken system somethings better then nothing
  • Rose - 6/30/2021 11:01:09 PM
    And he'll get every penny he ever paid out and more when he sues the system for wrongful imprisionment based on supreme court opinion of 'technical' error. Talk about Star Struck Justice.
  • Carrol - 7/1/2021 1:43:07 AM
    Sophia Smith; Lorena; Rose & Debra --- you ALL are a total DISGRACE to your gender!!! Shame, shame, SHAME brainless boneheads.Thank goodness the rest of you demonstrate that women with brains out number those with none.
  • Stan - 7/1/2021 6:40:16 AM
    This is really outrageous. The kind of thing you'd expect from a Canadian court. Even a life sentence would have been too merciful. He deserves agony.
  • Rise - 7/1/2021 9:44:33 AM
    Carrol Throw stones at people when you know what your talking about. If you cannot take the time to interpret what is written then in your own words the only “brainless bonehead” around here is you. And Cosby WILL sue and he WILL get millions adding greater injustice to the whole situation and further torturing his victims. Justice should not be decided on a technicality when overwhelming evidence proves guilt. Again…::: The power of the ‘star’ resulting in star struck justice!
  • Rise - 7/1/2021 9:44:33 AM
    Carrol Throw stones at people when you know what your talking about. If you cannot take the time to interpret what is written then in your own words the only “brainless bonehead” around here is you. And Cosby WILL sue and he WILL get millions adding greater injustice to the whole situation and further torturing his victims. Justice should not be decided on a technicality when overwhelming evidence proves guilt. Again…::: The power of the ‘star’ resulting in star struck justice!
  • Bob - 7/1/2021 10:41:43 AM
    Once again, the rich and famous get away with murder. In this case, with sexually assaulting women. Justice comes with a $$$$.
  • Tim - 7/1/2021 1:48:11 PM
    Really sick. And he got too good a deal in the first place, thanks to the ridiculous statute of limitations. There should be no statute of limitations for crimes like this.
  • Marilyn Glasgow - 7/1/2021 6:12:10 PM
    Lorena, I agree completely. It's nice to know there are some women with brains. Getting a little tired of hearing from the 'snowflakes', that they think enough is never enough. Still waiting to hear what their role, in these situations, was. Enjoy the rest of your life Bill.
  • Barbara Muszik - 7/1/2021 7:19:13 PM
    Well interesting comments for sure on this story. 1. To those believers that he should be let out of his prison cell I totally "disagree". I agree with Carrol's remarks how we should be ashamed at even allowing the thought of his "innocence". 2. Yes the star struck airheads still thinks he is the persona of the Cosby Show. Well he is NOT. It was proven with a whole bunch of testimonies from various women who said they went through the same thing. Bill Cosby is a second Harvey Weinstein to the tee!! He did this with help of his team that worked for him who also covered a lot of this up because in the "old" Hollywood days they could get away with it!! 3. Now this is a question for the Cosby fan lovers: would you stick up for him if he had done this to your relative eg. daughter?? I think NOT!!
  • Bill - 7/1/2021 8:48:12 PM
    Who the hell was the idiot that let him off? Harjit Saijan???
  • thomas turner - 7/2/2021 1:04:53 PM
    ever heard of forgiveness
  • Masi - 7/2/2021 4:18:13 PM
    Hello! is everyone missing this; If you get raped you go the police immediately; not 30 years later and try to get a pay check.
  • Masi - 7/2/2021 4:19:46 PM
    Hello! is everyone missing this; If you get raped you go the police immediately; not 30 years later and try to get a pay check.
  • Mac - 7/2/2021 6:27:26 PM
    Hey Thomas turner: if you think these kinds of crimes are forgivable then you are a despicable scumbag too.
  • liz - 7/3/2021 9:42:40 AM
    To Masi 3 comments --- I agree that if a woman is sexually assaulted she needs to report it to the police as soon as possible. But for many women having lived through this horrible violent act, it is very difficult for them. They feel anger and shame and fear of judgement. So whether they come forward with their story within 30 hours or 30 years, its still a crime and the guilty party need to be punished for what he did to this woman.
  • Ann - 7/3/2021 5:28:47 PM
    I’ve been raped these women knew they were about to get high amd get freaky. Let that man go!!!! Damn he already a hundid
  • Kathy Perkins - 7/4/2021 1:55:39 PM
    I kind of agree that the girls were involved with the drugs and we're spending time with him and they were getting high cuz why would you wait 30 years to say anything I believe she was just after the money and then other people jumped on board to get money to

Join The Conversation:

Please provide us with your information (*Required)

1000 characters remaining