Bill Cosby Charged With Sex assault

Embattled comedian Bill Cosby is expected to be formally charged today (Wednesday Dec. 30, 2015) in a Pennsylvania court in connection to an assault which is alleged to have occurred in 2004. While the Montgomery County DA’s office has not made a formal announcement yet, they are expected to do so this morning. The charge(s) are reportedly in connection to the 2004 assault previously brought to light by victim Andrea Constand. The woman, originally from Ontario, came forward in 2005 with claims that Cosby drugged and raped her while she was director of operations of the women’s basketball program at Temple University. The charges come mere days before the statute of limitation was due to expire, which would have barred prosecutors from filing a criminal case on this charge. This is a rare move considering the allegations are more than 10 years old, though a recent change in the District Attorney, and more than 50 other women coming forward over the past year has led to increased interest in the case. This development occurs as Cosby’s lawyers are in court seeking to keep his wife, Camille, from giving a deposition in the ongoing defamation lawsuit that Cosby has launched against his accusers. More to come as the story develops UPDATE: Cosby has arrived and already left the courthouse, after less than ten minutes. The comedian did not enter a plea at this time. He did, however, swear under oath that he did have consensual sex with the alleged victim. According to court reporters, the judge asked Cosby to surrender his passport, which his council had on hand and immediately handed over. The judge informed Cosby that he could have no contact with Andrea Constant (mentioned as ‘the complaintant’) and asked him if he understood. He smiled and said ‘Yes!’. Bail was set at $1 million, and Cosby was finger-printed and photographed before being released. Under Pennsylvania’s Rule 600, Cosby has a right to a prompt trial, which means that it may commence within the next 365 days. However, it is expected that this will be delayed as Cosby’s lawyers fight to keep all other allegations from being used to establish character in court. His next court appearance is scheduled for January 14th. UPDATE: Cosby has been formally charged with aggravated indecent assault. According to several analysts, corroborating evidence may not be required to secure a conviction – Constand’s testimony may be enough to establish a conviction. It is expected that Canadian authorities will cooperate in the investigation, as they had previously conducted their own investigation into the allegations. The maximum penalty for ‘aggravated indecent assault’ is 10 years imprisonment, though the average time served is 22-32 months. Cosby is expected to appear in court and enter a plea of ‘not guilty’ in response to the charges.