Disgraced comedian Bill Cosby sits in a Federal Pennsylvania prison after being found guilty of sexual assault. Now, Cosby’s lawyers are shamelessly trying to use the coronavirus pandemic as a get-out-of-jail-free card for him. All the while, Cosby’s attorneys admit that their client has not been tested for the virus and is currently “feeling fine”. What’s worse: if Cosby’s highly paid attorneys are successful, this could set a dangerous precedent for other violent felons.
Bill Cosby Wants Out Of Prison Due To Coronavirus
Fox News reported that Bill Cosby’s attorneys are concerned that he was exposed to coronavirus after one of the guards at SCI Phoenix in Montgomery County, where the actor is being housed, reportedly tested positive for COVID-19. When contacted by Page Six, however, SCI Phoenix would neither confirm nor deny the report.
But it was too late, the rumor sparked fears that the virus could have spread to other inmates and corrections officers at the Pennsylvania facility. This led the 82-year-old’s attorneys to consider requesting their client be released.
“I’m very concerned for Mr. Cosby’s health in prison during the Coronavirus epidemic,” said Andrew Wyatt, Cosby’s spokesman. “The reason: Mr. Cosby is elderly and blind — and always needs to be escorted around the prison by support service inmates, known as Certified Peer Specialists (CPI).”
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“Those inmates could fall victim to the Coronavirus and easily spread the disease to Mr. Cosby as they wheel him around in a wheelchair,” Wyatt continued. “Among their duties, the inmates bring Mr. Cosby to the infirmary for his doctor appointments and clean his cell.”
Cosby’s Attorney Doubles Down
Wyatt went on to add:
“In addition, Mr. Cosby is constantly in contact with the correction officers who could contract the disease on the outside and bring it inside the prison, potentially exposing Mr. Cosby to the virus. Prisons and jails around the country are becoming infested with coronavirus cases — and it’s only a matter of time before Mr. Cosby’s prison likely falls victim to the virus.
Mr. Cosby’s lawyers are now considering filing a motion asking the court to release Mr. Cosby from prison and place him under house arrest for the duration of his sentence. Specifically, the lawyers are focusing on whether states are granting early release to elderly inmates from prisons due to the Coronavirus — which could be a valid legal argument for Mr. Cosby.”
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Pennsylvania Department Of Corrections Speaks Out
Cosby is serving a three to 10 year prison sentence for sexual assault. He was found guilty in September of 2018. Despite his lawyers’ concerns over coronavirus, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections released a statement saying that no inmates in their system have tested positive for COVID-19 at this time.
“DOC staff are working around the clock to review and consider all possible mitigation efforts for all our inmates and parolees at this time,” said a spokeswoman, according to Variety. “As you may know, there is a legal process for release of inmates, be it parole board action, pardons, commutations or judicial… and the DOC doesn’t have that discretion.”
Some prison systems, however, are experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks. Most notably in New York and Texas.
As of Saturday, the New York prison system reported 38 prisoners and staff had test positive for coronavirus. New York Governor Cuomo has already released hundreds of non-violent inmates and flagged hundreds more for release.
Coronavirus And Prison
One inmate who has tested positive for coronavirus is none other than disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. The 68-year-old movie mogul tested positive after leaving Rikers Island for Wende Correctional Facility in upstate New York. However, Weinstein was not released from prison.
The news seems to have prompted other high profile criminals like Cosby and lawyer Michael Avenatti to call their lawyers. Both are angling for early release due to the threat posed by coronavirus. They argue that the threat to them by the virus is greater than the threat they, as convicted felons, pose to society. I bet their victims would beg to differ.
Clearly, Bill Cosby is just trying to use the chaos stemming from the coronavirus for his own personal gain. The coronavirus pandemic does not change the fact that Cosby is a convicted criminal who for now is serving out his sentence.
These pompous lawyers are playing with fire. If they lobby successfully for early release, this could open a veritable Pandora’s Box here in the United States.
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