On Wednesday, June 30th, the media outlets blew up over the news of Bill Cosby’s release from prison. If you were like me, I was just as surprised as a lot of other people. Once named as one of America’s top tv dads, playing Dr. Cliff Huxtable, in The Cosby Show, Bill Cosby is now a free man. Mr. Cosby was convicted in 2018 and spent almost three years of a three to ten-year sentence at a maximum-security state prison in Philadelphia. How did this happen? A technicality.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that he was wrongly convicted of sexually assaulting a woman. The technicality comes into play because a prosecutor made a decision in 2005 that he wouldn’t pursue a criminal case against Mr. Cosby. However, during his civil trial, Cosby made self-incriminating statements that another prosecutor used to convict him. This in turn violated his Fifth Amendment rights.
Many expressed their support and joy over the news, while many others expressed disappointment and anger. One supporter was his tv wife from The Cosby Show, Phylicia Rashad. She stated, “Finally!!! A terrible wrong is being righted-a miscarriage of justice is corrected!” Her comment was met with much criticism and people were very quick to call her out on it. Three hours later, Rashad shared an apology on Twitter and Instagram stating, “I fully support survivors of sexual assault coming forward. My post was in no way intended to be insensitive to their truth. Personally, I know from friends and family that such abuse has lifelong residual effects. My heartfelt wish is for healing.”
When Cosby was convicted in 2018, there seemed to be a sense of relief for the #MeToo movement; that progress was being made. More victims were coming forward, hoping that justice would be served for them too. However, knowing that during his civil trial, Cosby admitted to having drugged and sexually assaulted women to now being released from prison on a technicality, one woman calls it a slap in the face for them. I understand.
Last night on Twitter, Bill Cosby wrote, “I have never changed my stance nor my story. I have always maintained my innocence. Thank you to all my fans, supporters, and friends who stood by me through this ordeal. Special thanks to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for upholding the rule of law.”
Sexual assault can happen to anyone, male or female. It includes rape, child sexual abuse, marital rape, attempted rape, incest, sexual harassment, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and indecent exposure. To be fair, it has been stated that sexual assault is an accusation that is easy to be made and hard to prove, and harder to be defended by the party accused. It is important that the accused know their rights. One can and should hire an attorney if they have been falsely accused. As a resource for someone who has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline, available 24/7 at 800-656-4673.
~Janet Downs~
Janet Downs is an instructor with over 20 years of experience, having worked with Fortune 500 companies and non-profit organizations. She volunteers and is a resource for the homeless community and is working towards starting her own non-profit. She’s passionate about mental health and seeks to bring more awareness to the black community. She is active in church ministry, a writer, and loves music, hiking, and travel.
