Comedian and actor Bill Cosby has been found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault and now faces at least ten years in state prison, according to The New York Times.
The trial took place in the Montgomery County Courthouse, northwest of Philadelphia, the same location where Cosby’s first trial was held in June of 2017. During that trial, Andrea Constand first revealed to the jury that Cosby had sedated her using Quaaludes and subsequently sexually assaulted her, notes Business Insider. This time, justice was served.
Reportedly, Cosby went on an “expletive-laden tirade” after his conviction, as Newsweek reports, directing his anger at District Attorney Kevin Steele and shouting “I’m sick of him!”
WATCH: Bill Cosby accusers speak after guilty verdict. https://t.co/DJLG7cyKl2 pic.twitter.com/Q4AVm5SdE1
— NBC News (@NBCNews) April 26, 2018
It is impossible to ignore the potential impact that the #MeToo movement played in Cosby’s final conviction. Yet while actresses wearing black to the Golden Globes certainly helped raise awareness, the true heroines of the movement are the ones fighting for justice where it counts: Women’s Rights Attorney Gloria Allred and the brave women who testified against Cosby in the courtroom.
According to CNN, Allred is thrilled that legal progress is being made, telling reporters that, “We are so happy that finally we can say, women are believed. And not only on #MeToo but in a court of law where they are under oath, where they testified truthfully, where they are attacked,” she said, “After all is said and done, women were finally believed.”
While there is still much progress to be made, the fact that justice was finally served in such a high profile case will hopefully encourage other women to come forward in the future knowing that their voices will be heard.