In a shocking legal twist, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has overturned Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction. He will go free after serving less than three years of his ten-year prison sentence. Few people expected this to happen, ever, let alone after a judge denied parole to the disgraced TV star and comedian after he refused to participate in prison treatment programs. As it turns out, though, the court’s opinion (which followed a criminal court judge labeling him a “sexually violent predator”) is a procedural matter.
The legal process got all botched up due to a previous prosecutor (Bruce Castor, who gave a My Cousin Vinny-esque speech during Trump’s second impeachment trial) agreeing not to prosecute Cosby. A subsequent prosecutor ran with the case after several accusers came forward, years after Cosby’s $3.3 million settlement to Andrea Constand and his 2005 admission that he’d drugged and raped her and other women. And when the PA Supreme Court ruled that Cosby should go free (on a technicality), this was music to the ears of his former Cosby Show co-star, Phylicia Rashad.
“FINALLY!!!!” A terrible wrong is being righted,” The woman who played Claire Huxtable tweeted. “[A] miscarriage of justice is corrected!”
FINALLY!!!! A terrible wrong is being righted- a miscarriage of justice is corrected! pic.twitter.com/NrGUdwr23c
— Phylicia Rashad (@PhyliciaRashad) June 30, 2021
As one might expect, uh, this wasn’t the wisest thing in the world to tweet. Rashad’s got her Twitter replies (from the general public) turned off, but that hasn’t stopped anyone from quote-tweeting her while wondering how Rashad’s employer, Howard University (where she’ll be dean of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts), will view her vigorous celebration of her former TV husband.
Phylicia Rashad was recently appointed the new Dean of Howard University’s Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts. https://t.co/oLcbOodmhv
— Alan Zilberman (@alanzilberman) June 30, 2021
I feel absolutely awful for women at @HowardU. I wouldn’t feel safe coming forward with people like this in leadership roles. https://t.co/icr6a1Rffc
— Trill (@NotHustleAndFro) June 30, 2021
Rashad was named the new dean of Howard University’s College of Fine Arts in May. Deans are entrusted with the safety of their students, this tweet from her is not just disappointing but dangerous. https://t.co/pgBTbCu5Ln
— Andrea Diaz (@Drea__Diaz) June 30, 2021
CNN’s Jake Tapper summed things up pretty well: “The actress who played Mrs Huxtable weighs in.”
The actress who played Mrs Huxtable weighs in https://t.co/uYAsFmZIWe
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) June 30, 2021
Yep, Rashad does appear to overlook what actually happened here, in that no justice was corrected, and Cosby certainly wasn’t acquitted. He’s only going free because of prosecutorial error, and people have noticed.
& what is she even talking about “corrected” he was released because of an error not because he’s innocent https://t.co/d0pvykJpGU
— Grace (@GVictoriaaBC) June 30, 2021
A friendly reminder that Mr. Cosby has not been acquitted, nor has any new evidence been brought forth that challenges his guilt as it pertains to the crimes he was convicted of.
He was released on a technicality. https://t.co/7zJ8emlYuJ
— CoreyReynolds (@coreyreynoldsLA) June 30, 2021
Phylicia! #BillCosby being released from prison on a technicality is a complete miscarriage of justice & will never be an exoneration for the brutal crimes he committed against women. The world is now woke & women will no longer be silenced. You should be ashamed of yourself. https://t.co/BVWbmZME3m
— Gretchen Carlson (@GretchenCarlson) June 30, 2021
Even Bill is lookin like:
“I can’t believe you tweeted that shyt” https://t.co/TGL2IQmMfq
— Jay Pea (@jay_pea619) June 30, 2021
Others urged Rashad to sit down and maybe, you know, delete that tweet.
Girl, delete this shit. https://t.co/gwFPXyVvL4
— I Smoked Trump Org Criminal Charges (@BlackKnight10k) June 30, 2021
It’s almost like one of the reasons people don’t come out against powerful men is that the people around the powerful men are fucking entranced. https://t.co/giSOtOXqid
— Louis Virtel (@louisvirtel) June 30, 2021
Bill Cosby admitted to drugging women and he was released on a technicality. Bill Cosby is still a rapist, and I hope the Cosby Show residual checks are worth what is left of your dignity. https://t.co/LId0SIymgs
— Christopher Bouzy (@cbouzy) June 30, 2021
yikes https://t.co/8E3S55rwvI
— Imani Gandy (@AngryBlackLady) June 30, 2021
Even Bill is lookin like:
“I can’t believe you tweeted that shyt” https://t.co/TGL2IQmMfq
— Jay Pea (@jay_pea619) June 30, 2021
Throughout his case, Cosby has steadfastly refused to express remorse or admit wrongdoing regarding his alleged actions. He even insisted that he’d prefer to serve his entire sentence than make such an admission. Details of his impending release should be forthcoming.
(Via PA Supreme Court)