Showing posts with label Judge Steven O'Neill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Judge Steven O'Neill. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Bill Cosby sentenced to 3 to 10 years in state prison

Bill Cosby was convicted in April of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and assaulting Constand at his home in 2004, in the first high-profile celebrity criminal trial of the #MeToo era.

Today Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 years in state prison on Tuesday for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand.

Cosby, 81, faced a maximum of 10 years in prison after prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed to merge the three counts of his conviction into one for sentencing purposes.

In handing down his ruling to Bill Cosby today, Judge O’Neill said no one is above the law. He also referenced how brave Andrea Constand, who Cosby was convicted to sexually assaulting, was through this whole process.

"No one is above the law, and no one should be treated differently or disproportionally," Judge Steven O'Neill said.

Cosby would be sentenced regardless of "who he is or who he was," O'Neill said.

"I have given great weight to the victim impact testimony in this case, and it was powerful," he added.

Bill Cosby’s PR representatives read out statements following the sentencing, decrying a “sex war” and referencing Jesus.

“I believe and think it is important to point out that this has been the most racist and sexist trial in the history of the United States,” said Andrew Wyatt, Cosby’s publicist. He claimed that some of those who testified against Cosby were "white women who make money off of accusing black men of being sexual predators.”

Wyatt also tied Cosby's verdict to the accusations leveled against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, claiming both were victims in a "sex war." He did not elaborate.

Wyatt later referenced the persecution of Jesus, saying, Cosby “knows that these are lies. They persecuted Jesus and look what happened. Not saying Mr. Cosby's Jesus, but we know what this country has done to black men for centuries.”

Ebonee Benson, another PR representative, read a statement on behalf of Cosby’s wife, Camille Cosby. Camille was not in court for the sentencing.

Camille’s statement decried “falsified evidence," claiming that Cosby had not been granted his right to a fair trial.

[SOURCE: CNN]