Cosby faces up to 10 years
Psychologist testifies former comedian is still a danger
A Pennsylvania judge could give disgraced comedian Bill Cosby up to 10 years today for aggravated indecent assault, and prosecutors asked for the maximum sentence yesterday, arguing that he has shown no remorse for using his celebrity status to befriend and then sexually assault Andrea Constand.
While a state psychologist testified that Cosby is still a danger and should be labeled a “violent sexual predator,” Cosby’s lawyers asked the judge for mercy, arguing that at 81 and legally blind, he is no danger to the public and should be sentenced only to house arrest.
Judge Steven T. O’Neill is expected to make his decision today, determining if Cosby will spend perhaps the rest of his life behind bars or return to the Cheltenham home where he has remained under house arrest since a jury convicted him in April of drugging and assaulting Constand back in 2004.
Women’s advocate Wendy Murphy, noting that Cosby has been accused of dozens of similar rapes, told the Herald, “If he could be punished for all of his crimes, life without parole would not be sufficient. Even on this one case, he deserves life behind bars because sexual violence is supposed to be a very serious crime, and this is an aggravated crime because he drugged her. Meager punishments disrespect the value of women’s lives.”
Murphy added, “The big question is, will he be allowed out pending appeal? If so, he won’t ever serve a day behind bars because his lawyers will drag out the appeal for many years. So the only hope for justice is that he gets some jail time, and is ordered to begin serving his sentence immediately. ”
Toni Troop of Jane Doe Inc., the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, declined to comment on what sentence Cosby should receive, saying, “We are not the jury, and there are so many factors.”
“In general, we stand with survivors and their quest with justice, whatever that may look like.” Troop added. “The real question is how are we preventing sexual violence, how are we supporting victims?”
In the Pennsylvania courtroom yesterday, Judge O’Neill also heard from Constand and her family on her trauma.
District Attorney Kevin
R. that spare Steele the Cosby defense told from the request prison judge to is essentially a “get-out-of- jail-free card,” and asserted that Cosby even hired a band while on house arrest. He asked that Cosby pay a $25,000 fine as well
as reimburse the court and prosecution for the cost of both trials.
“We ask this because of who he is behind the mask, behind the act that he perpetuated for all the years that he did, behind he used to victimize,” Steele said.
About a half-dozen of Cosby’s accusers showed up for the hearing, greeting each other with hugs.
Cosby lawyer Joseph Green urged O’Neill to avoid influence from the court of public opinion. “Mr. Cosby is not dangerous,” Green said. “Eightyone-year-old blind men who are not self-sufficient are not dangerous.”