Pennsylvania’s highest court has allowed Bill Cosby to be released from prison after overturning the sexual assault conviction against the former comedian.
The 83-year-old was convicted three years ago having been found guilty of drugging and sexually assaulting a Temple University sports administrator, Andrea Constand, back in 2004.
Cosby served just two years in prison despite the original sentence being between three to 10 years behind bars.
After a prosecutor decided not to pose any charges against Cosby, this allowed him out outwardly talk in a lawsuit against him, a key moment in his conviction years later by a fellow prosecutor.
“When an unconditional charging decision is made publicly and with the intent to induce action and reliance by the defendant, and when the defendant does so to his detriment (and in some instances upon the advice of counsel), denying the defendant the benefit of that decision is an affront to fundamental fairness, particularly when it results in a criminal prosecution that was foregone for more than a decade”, the court stated as quoted by Hypebeast.
“For these reasons, Cosby’s convictions and judgment of sentence are vacated, and he is discharged.”