American Actor Bill Cosby Regains Freedom as Pennsylvania Supreme Court Overturns Conviction
- A new court ruling sees convicted entertainer, Bill Cosby, regain his freedom from prison after spending just two years out of his 10-year sentence behind bars
- The Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned Cosby’s conviction after finding out that a prosecutor had earlier prevented him from being charged in the case
- According to multiple reports, the new ruling by the Supreme Court also bars any retrial in the case
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Briefly.co.za News on your News Feed!
Popular American actor and comedian Bill Cosby is free from prison after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Wednesday, 30 June, overturned his sexual assault conviction.
According to reports by the New York Post, the highest court in the state overturned Cosby’s conviction after it was discovered that an agreement with a previous prosecutor prevented the 83-year-old from being charged in the case.
Source: UGC
Recall that in 2004, Cosby who once held a reputation as one of America's favourite actors, was accused of drugging and molesting a Temple University employee identified as Andrea Constand.
Also reporting on the fresh development, the Philadelphia Inquirer stated that the new ruling bars any retrial in the case.
Charges were filed against the once-celebrated entertainer in 2015. Cosby was convicted in 2018 at his second trial after a first trial ended in a hung jury. At the time, Cosby had refused to offer any remorse over the encounter with Constand. According to him, he would rather serve all 10 years of the sentence.
PAY ATTENTION: Never miss breaking news – join Briefly News' Telegram channel
Cosby's parole had been denied in May but he was released the following month
Some months ago, Briefly News reported that Bill Cosby was denied parole but remained hopeful the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court will issue an opinion to vacate his conviction.
The entertainer failed to participate in a treatment programme for sex offenders, according to the Pennsylvania Parole Board.
Cosby was not surprised by the decision because members of the board told him he wouldn't get it because he didn't take part in the treatment programme for sex offenders.
Cosby finally broke his silence on social media about being released
Bill Cosby has spoken out for the first time since being released from prison on Wednesday after his sexual assault conviction was overturned. He is grateful to finally be free after the time he had to serve.
In a tweet, Cosby declared his innocence and thanked his fans for their support. Cosby had already served more than two years of his sentence, which had been set at three to 10 years in a Pennsylvania state prison in Shippack.
The 83-year old's sexual assault conviction back in 2018, however, was overturned by the Philadelphia Supreme Court on Wednesday, according to a report by Mirror UK.
Enjoyed reading our story? Download BRIEFLY's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news!
Source: Briefly News
