Bill Cosby Will Be Released From Prison

One of the highest profile cases of the “Me Too” era, comedian and actor Bill Cosby, will soon be a free man.

The 83-year-old star was convicted of sexual assault in 2018 and has since served over two years of a three-to-10-year sentence in a facility near Philadelphia. Temple University employee Andrea Constand accused Bill Cosby of drugging and molesting her in 2004; charges were brought up in 2015, just before the statute of limitations expired, explains CNBC. At the first trial, the judge allowed another of Cosby’s alleged victims to testify—but after the jury deadlocked, five other accusers were allowed to speak at the second trial, which resulted in a conviction. The testimony was used to demonstrate a pattern of behavior. In 2015, dozens of other accusers went on the record.

In 2018, Constand spoke bravely and eloquently of the incident and its impact, saying, “During the assault I was paralyzed and completely helpless. I could not move my arms or legs. I couldn’t speak or even remain conscious. I was completely vulnerable, and powerless to protect myself. After the assault, I wasn’t sure what had actually happened but the pain spoke volumes. The shame was overwhelming. Self-doubt and confusion kept me from turning to my family or friends as I normally did. I felt completely alone, unable to trust anyone, including myself.” You can read her full statement here.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday, June 30, that this extra testimony in the second trial tainted it and dropped all charges against the actor, citing “an agreement he had with a prior prosecutor.” But the details of this agreement are still unclear. News outlets are reporting that the new ruling bars retrial and that his conviction is tossed for good.

We’ll keep you updated on any developments.