Bill Cosby, previously known as “America’s Dad”, saw his day in court today, Tuesday, September 25, ending in a sentence of three to ten years in prison on the charges against Andrea Constand. Here is what you need to know about the first major celebrity conviction for the #MeToo movement.
Cosby was sentenced today with Judge Steven T. O’Neill presiding over his case. O’Neill decided to merge all three counts of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand 14 years ago due to the event taking place at one time. This dropped his sentence from a maximum of 30 years to 10. CNN has reported that Judge O’Neill has denied Cosby bail.
A psychologist from Pennsylvania’s Sexual Offenders Assessment Board asserted in court on Monday that Cosby should be categorized as a “sexually violent predator” due to an analysis of his behavior over the past 30 years. This is believed to be due to a personality disorder which urges him to sexually assault nonconsenting partners. Today, the judge favored this analysis, causing Cosby to be required to have routine counseling for the rest of his life, and to give monthly reports to police.
Mr. Cosby’s lawyer, Joseph P. Green, argued in his defense that due to Cosby’s old age at 81 and his legal blindness, he is no risk and would be unable to offend again, according to The New York Times. The source reported that Green argued, “How’s he going to meet these people? There is no reasonable prospect that an 81-year-old blind man is likely to reoffend.” Cosby’s defense was hoping for a conviction of house arrest, stating that these hindrances would not allow him to be a danger to society. The psychologist strongly opposed these claims, believing that his disorder has not gone away with age.
Bill Cosby sentenced to 3 to 10 years in state prison.
— Montgomery County DA (@MontcopaDA) September 25, 2018
According to ABC 7, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele believed that “to say that he’s too old to do that – to say that he should get a pass, because it’s taken this long to catch up to what he’s done? What they’re asking for is a ‘get out of jail free’ card.” Steele implored that Cosby receive a sentence of maximum confinement to pay for the pain he has caused.
Upon his conviction, Andrea Constand presented a victim impact statement, writing, “Bill Cosby took my beautiful, healthy young spirit and crushed it. He robbed me of my health and vitality, my open nature, and my trust in myself and others…Now, more than 60 other women have self-identified as sexual assault victims of Bill 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.”
Cosby’s wife was not present on Monday or Tuesday, and it is uncertain if she will be on Tuesday. The New York Times reports that Bill Cosby chose not to speak at his sentencing or show any sign of remorse due to already announcing his defense will be making an appeal.
Over 60 women that have accused him of sexual assault will finally see Cosby behind bars. Judge O’Neill sent him out of court in handcuffs stating that, “Mr. Cosby this has all circled back to you. The day has come, the time has come.”