September 25, 2018
by Jim Larson
On September 25, 2018, disgraced actor/comedian Bill Cosby received a prison sentence of three to 10 years for the felony sexual assault of Andrea Constand, who claims that he drugged and raped her in his Pennsylvania home in 2004. It’s a crime that he continues to deny because he says the sex was consensual. According to the Associated Press, Cosby was denied bail and “led away to prison in handcuffs.” Cosby’s wife Camille and his three surviving children were not present in the Norristown, Pennsylvania, courtroom where he received his sentence.
Cosby was found guilty of felony sexual assault in April 2018 in a second trial for the crime. The first trial, which took place in 2017, ended in a hung jury.
Since being arrested for the crime, Cosby’s legacy has been permanently tarnished. Several networks stopped showing reruns of his TV shows, numerous awards and honors he received over the years were rescinded, and his membership was canceled in many industry organizations, such as the Television Academy.
June 30, 2021 UPDATE: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned Cosby’s conviction, and he was released from prison on June 30, 2021. He cannot be re-tried for this case. According to the Associated Press, the court decided to overturn the conviction because “the prosecutor who brought the case was bound by his predecessor’s agreement not to charge Cosby.”