Yesterday, we reported that the disgraced comedian Bill Cosby had gotten bad news when a jury found him liable for drugging and sexually assaulting the former waitress Donna Motsinger more than 50 years ago.
Now, Cosby, 88, is firing back through his attorney, who is claiming that the former The Cosby Show star was “denied a fair trial.”
Cosby Sounds Off Through Lawyer
After finding Cosby liable for this alleged 1972 crime, a jury ordered him to pay over $59 million in damages. Cosby’s lawyer Jennifer Bonjean, however, is hitting back by claiming that the verdict was flawed. She is also pledging to appeal it.
“Mr. Cosby was denied a fair trial,” Bonjean told People Magazine. “No one can meaningfully defend against allegations that are a half-century old. This case exemplifies how the retroactive abolition of statutes of limitations cannot be reconciled with due process.”
“The jury was bombarded with uncharged, unproven accusations, turning the proceedings into a trial of Mr. Cosby’s character rather than an evaluation of the plaintiff’s claims,” she continued. “The excessive damages award bore no relation to the evidence and was clearly intended to make Mr. Cosby a symbol.”
Not stopping there, Bonjean went on to call the outcome “a profound failure of the legal system.”
“This represents a profound failure of the legal system and sets a dangerous precedent,” Bonjean concluded. “An appeal is forthcoming.”
Motsinger Breaks Her Silence
Motsinger, 84, has claimed that Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her back in 1972 after inviting her to a standup comedy show of his. She alleges that Cosby gave her wine and a pill that she thought was an aspirin. However, it left her incapacitated.
Motsinger immediately celebrated the jury’s ruling against Cosby.
“It has been 54 years to get justice, and I know it’s not complete for the rest of the women, but I hope it helps them a little bit,” Motsinger told The New York Times outside the courthouse after the ruling was handed down. She went on to describe the over $59 million in damages award as being “icing on the cake.”
Back in 2005, Motsinger was one of 12 anonymous “Jane Does” who testified in a civil rape case filed against Cosby by former Temple University athletics director Andrea Constand. The case was settled out of court one year later.
Cosby’s Prior Sexual Assault Conviction
In 2018, Cosby was convicted of criminal sexual assault for the alleged attack on Constand. However, he was released from prison in 2021 after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court vacated his conviction.
In 2022, a civil jury also found Cosby liable for assaulting Judy Huth when she was a teenager. That jury awarded her $500,000.
Cosby had been known for decades as “America’s Dad.” However, that all changed when dozens of women shockingly came forward to accuse him of drugging and raping them. Though Cosby has always maintained his innocence, the vast majority of the public firmly believe he’s guilty. This has caused Cosby to fall into complete disgrace as of late.
Cosby can fight the latest jury ruling all that he wants to, but it won’t save him when it comes to where he stands in the court of public opinion. Only time will tell if Cosby will be able to get this ruling overturned, but it’s certainly not looking good for him.