Bill Cosby Freed From Prison After Court Reverses Sexual Assault Conviction

On Wednesday (June 30), Bill Cosby returned home after Pennsylvania's highest court overturned his sexual assault conviction. The court said that the actor should never have faced charges after striking a non-prosecution deal with a previous district attorney more than 15 years ago.

The 83-year-old actor and comedian was released from a state prison in Pennsylvania just before 2.30 pm (1830 GMT) and an hour later he arrived at his stately stone mansion in Elkins Park, a Philadelphia suburb. He also made a brief appearance alongside his lawyers in front of a gaggle of cameras late in the afternoon.

While he didn't answer any questions at the time, the actor posted a statement to his Twitter account thanking his supporters and saying, "I have never changed my stance nor my story. I have always maintained my innocence."

Notably, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's decision came after Cosby had served more than two years of a three-to-ten-year sentence following his 2018 conviction. However, the court's ruling in the case has prompted outrage among sexual assault victims and their advocates.

In a statement, Andrea Constand and her attorneys said that they were not only disappointed in the ruling but concerned that it could dissuade other victims from seeking justice. "Once again, we remain grateful to those women who came forward to tell their stories," they added.

For the unversed, Cosby was accused of multiple sexual assaults over nearly five decades by more than 50 women. Constand's allegations were the only ones against Cosby that were not too old to allow for criminal charges. The actor was found guilty of drugging and molesting Andrea Constand, an employee at his alma mater Temple University, in his home in 2004. His conviction was seen as a watershed moment in the #MeToo movement.

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