GUILTY! Bill Cosby found guilty on all counts at sexual assault trial
Bill Cosby was convicted Thursday of sexual assault by a US jury, which found him guilty of drugging and molesting a university employee 14 years ago in the first celebrity trial of the #MeToo era.
The frail and 80-year-old disgraced television star could now end up spending the rest of his life behind bars when he is sentenced for assaulting Andrea Constand at his Philadelphia mansion in January 2004. The jury found him guilty on three counts of aggravated indecent assault - digitally penetrating and groping her and forcing her hand on his penis - of the former Temple University employee, who had accused Cosby of giving her three blue pills and a sip of wine, which led to her losing her consciousness.
Cosby is expected to be sentenced to 30 years in prison — 10 years for each count, but may end up serving them concurrently, CNN reported.
Constand was in the court room in Norristown, just outside Philadelphia, as the verdict was read out to stifled sobs in the gallery. The Montgomery County jury of seven men and five women had deliberated for more than 14 hours over two days before reaching the consensus.
Cosby, who maintained a stone-faced silence throughout the trial became animated when District Attorney Kevin Steele began addressing bail. Judge Steven O’Neill had allowed Cosby to remain free on bail until the yet undecided day of sentencing, but Steele requested that he be jailed immediately, claiming that he was flight risk and that he could escape in his plane.
At this point, Cosby, screamed “He doesn’t have a plane, you a*****e,” referring to himself in the third person, adding. “He doesn’t know.”
“We are very disappointed by the verdict,” Cosby’s lead defense attorney Tom Mesereau told reporters outside the courtroom, according to Deadline.
“We don’t think Mr. Cosby is guilty of anything, and the fight is not over." He also explicitly stated that Cosby's team would strongly appeal against the verdict.