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The justices let stand the decision by a
divided Pennsylvania Supreme Court that Cosby should never have
faced the charges because a previous local district attorney had
publicly promised in 2005 not to prosecute him, turning away an
appeal by prosecutors. The state court's ruling freed Cosby
after he spent nearly three years in state prison, angering
sexual assault victims and their advocates.
Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison following his
conviction on three counts of aggravated indecent assault for
drugging and molesting Andrea Constand, a former employee of his
alma mater Temple University, at his home in 2004.
He was the first celebrity to be convicted of sexual abuse since
the #MeToo movement began exposing sexual misconduct among
powerful men in Hollywood and beyond.
Cosby is best known for his role as the lovable husband and
father in the classic 1980s television comedy series "The Cosby
Show." He also was an influential stand-up comedian.
His family-friendly reputation was shattered after more than 50
women accused him of sexual assaults spanning nearly five
decades. Constand's allegations were the only ones against Cosby
that were not too old to allow for criminal charges.
His lawyers argued on appeal that Montgomery County District
Attorney Kevin Steele should not have charged Cosby in 2015 in
the Constand case because Bruce Castor, who previously held the
job, had declined to file criminal charges and issued a press
release announcing his decision.
Steele on Monday said appealing to the Supreme Court in a bid to
reinstate the conviction was the right thing to do, and
expressed his appreciation to Constand.
"All crime victims deserve to be heard, treated with respect and
be supported through their day in court. I wish her the best as
she moves forward in her life," Steele said.
Cosby's attorney Jennifer Bonjean told Reuters: "Although we are
relieved to have this saga behind us, it is not the least bit
surprising" that the Supreme Court denied the district
attorney's appeal, calling it "patently frivolous."
The earlier refusal to prosecute meant Cosby could not avoid
testifying in a civil case Constand had brought against him,
which led to a multimillion-dollar settlement. That testimony,
in which Cosby acknowledged giving sedatives to women, played a
role in Steele's criminal case against Cosby.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court in June 2021 ruled that the
prosecution was fundamentally unfair because Cosby had relied on
Castor's promise to his detriment, in violation of Cosby's right
to due process of law under the U.S. Constitution.
In appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court, Steele said the state
court's "dangerous precedent" wrongly transformed a bare press
release into an effective immunity that has "paved the road for
thousands of other defendants to raise this issue and to seek
similar windfalls."
Cosby's first trial ended with a hung jury in 2017, when jurors
could not reach a unanimous decision on his culpability. He was
convicted at a second trial after the judge let prosecutors call
as witnesses five prior accusers - four more than in the first
trial.
Prosecutors argued that Cosby's assault of Constand was a
well-rehearsed offense he had honed over decades: befriending
younger women and acting as a mentor, only to sexually assault
them, often with the assistance of drugs.
(Reporting by Andrew Chung in New York; Additional reporting by
Joseph Ax; Editing by Will Dunham)
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