Bill Cosby is guilty. (Not that we didn’t know that already.)
Yesterday, a jury found Cosby guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault against his accuser, Andrea Constand. While it isn’t a ruling on the other 59 women who have accused him of assault, there is a degree of vindication: We told you he’s a rapist, motherfuckers.
The convictions could result in a prison sentence of up to 30 years, as handed down during his as-yet-unscheduled sentencing hearing. That said, because of course, his sentence could end up being much shorter — or nonexistent. Cosby’s team is already preparing an appeal of the verdict.
Based on his conviction this week on three assault charges, comedian and TV star Bill Cosby could be sentenced to 30 years in prison.
But legal experts said the 80-year-old certainly will spend less time than that behind bars, and there’s a very real possibility that he may not ever be incarcerated.
Why? Well, it’s mostly to do with his defense team’s plan to appeal the guilty verdict — likely on the grounds that the decision to allow five other accusers to testify in the trial unfairly prejudiced the jury.
Cosby’s attorney, Tom Mesereau, will probably ask the court that his client be given home confinement during the appeal, which could take months or even years, CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson said.
Even if he does end up in prison, there’s no telling how long he’ll stay there.
Though Cosby faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele indicated he would not press for that sentence.
“He was convicted of three counts of (indecent assault), so technically that would be up to 30 years. However, we have to look at a merger of those counts to determine what the final maximum will be,” Steele said.
Legal analyst Areva Martin said the judge’s rulings so far suggest he will give Cosby a much reduced sentence.
“I think the fact that the judge yesterday allowed him to walk out of that courtroom, did not remand him immediately to jail, gives us a sense about what this judge is likely to do when he gets to the sentencing hearing,” she said.
“He will be able to take into consideration Cosby’s age, the status of his health, the philanthropic work that he’s done over the last several decades, the fact that this is his first criminal conviction — all of those will be factors that the judge can take into consideration when sentencing him.”
A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
He’s been a very good boy, y’all. And even when you drug and sexually assault a woman (or, potentially, 60 women), that’s what matters.