If you paid attention to sitcoms in the late 1980s and early 1990s, you likely became infatuated with one of America’s greatest television families: The Huxtables. Clair Huxtable was the mother-figure that young girls dreamed of becoming. Theodore was the stereotypical embodiment of teenage boys and the mischief they love to navigate. Rudy was the sweetest younger sister that couldn’t possibly get any more adorable. But the heartbeat of the Huxtable family was the admirable patriarch, Dr. Cliff Huxtable, who could bring a smile to even the harshest critics’ faces. Dr. Huxtable was entertaining, full of love, and oh so fun to watch.
But Bill Cosby is not Dr. Huxtable. While he wowed and entertained viewers for years, his “good doctor” persona was indeed an act for the ages. Bill Cosby is a convicted sexual predator who has been accused of abusing and assaulting over 60 women throughout this lifetime. In 2004, Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted former Temple University employee, Andrea Constand. In 2018, he was convicted of three counts of aggravated indecent assault and sentenced to serve three to ten years in a Pennsylvania federal prison. He has appealed his conviction.
Cosby has stated that he did not commit the crimes in which he has been convicted, and he claims he is being held as a “political prisoner” as a result of unjust and unfair trials. He anticipates serving his entire sentence because he refuses to show remorse or admit to something he claims that he did not do.
While Cosby does not expect to be released early on parole, his legal team believes he should be released in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. On April 10, 2020, Pennsylvania governor, Tom Wolf, authorized temporary reprieve for Pennsylvania inmates who are considered nonviolent or vulnerable. There are approximately 1500 inmates eligible under the governor’s order. Bill Cosby, however, is not one of them.
A spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections has stated that Cosby is not eligible because he is a sex offender. Yet, according to his legal team, the idea that Cosby is excluded from the reprieve is “absurd and unAmerican.” Cosby is 82-years old, blind, and takes medication to treat high blood pressure. His legal team has stated that even though Cosby did not receive the death sentence, Pennsylvania is trying to execute him by exposing him to the coronavirus.
Ironically, what Cosby is seeking is the one thing that he never afforded the dozens of women he has been accused of assaulting: mercy. Survivors of sexual abuse and assault deserve justice. The qualified attorneys at Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis, and Overholtz represent survivors. Please contact us to receive more information.
Sources:
–‘Bill Cosby took my spirit and crushed it’: Andrea Constand speaks out on sexual assault
–Bill Cosby retrial verdict: Guilty on all 3 counts of aggravated indecent assault
–Bill Cosby interview: He expects to serve full 10-year sentence rather than say ‘sorry’
–Bill Cosby won’t get out of prison early, despite coronavirus fears