Bill Cosby: anger in America over suspension of "America's Dead" sexual assault case | infodesk4n

American comedian Bill Cosby was released after serving a life sentence for sexual assault.

In 2018, he was convicted of sexually assaulting former basketball player Andrea Constant, who was removed on Wednesday.

The judges said the prosecution "violated the rules" but acknowledged that their decision was "extraordinary".

Many fear the decision will discourage women who want to talk about alleged sexual abuse in the future.

Andrea Constant and his lawyers said the decision "was not only disappointing but also worrying because it would discourage women from seeking justice for their sexual assaults in the judicial system."

Upon his release, Bill Cosby tweeted: "I never changed my position or my story. I always insisted on my innocence."

Cosby was best known for his role on The Cosby Show in the 1980s and was once called "America's Dead".

Bill Cosby was liked by millions of Americans, but his reputation was tarnished when he was convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to three to ten years in prison.

In 1965, he became the first black American to star in a drama series. He played the role of an undercover agent named Alexander Scott.

Cosby's show was launched by NBC in 1984 and ran for eight seasons. This was his biggest hit and he became a household name.

Dozens of women publicly accused Bill Cosby of sexual assault, but he was only prosecuted in the Andrea Constant case.

His conviction in 2018 was seen as an important milestone in the Me Too movement.

In a ruling Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Superior Court found Cosby's case a "violation of the rules" because Cosby's attorneys had agreed with a previous state attorney that he was not guilty in the case.

The former actor looked very weak when he came to speak with the media outside the home shortly after his release from prison.

Among those who accused Cosby of opposing the decision was Patricia Leary Stewer.

"Eventually, 63 of us showed up," she told CNN. "I am amazed that the 43-year-old has benefited from the anxiety and trauma my family and I have endured as a result."

Janice Baker Kinney accused Bill Cosby of raping her for drugs in the 1980s. Speaking with WPVITV, she said, “I'm thrilled. I'm in awe and amazing for me. With so many people in front of you, anything can end from a legal standpoint.

Meanwhile, celebrities have also opposed the decision on social media.

Actress and social activist Amber Tembelin wrote on Twitter: "I am very angry about this news. I personally know women who have been raped with drugs. This decision and the court are shameful.

Columnist E. Jane Carroll, one of several women who accused former President Donald Trump of sexual assault, said: "That's why women don't show up."

Actress Debra Messing tweeted that the decision is dire.

Rosina Arquette, one of the first women to accuse film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault, said: "It's sad. I am wholeheartedly with my affected sisters. There is still work to be done."

Anita Hill, chair of the Hollywood Commission Against Sexual Exploitation in the Entertainment Industry, said in a statement: "Okay."

Sexual assault, harassment, and retaliation are in demand on a daily basis in the workplace. There is an urgent need for systems in the entertainment and other industries to ensure that the powerful exploiters are held accountable, that employees are protected, and that the contracts that protect the exploiters survive.

Some people, including author Keith Buicken, have expressed outrage at the prosecution and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court over the suspension.

However, some people welcomed the decision.

Actress Felicia Rashad, who played her wife on the show Cosby, wrote on Twitter: "A serious mistake has been corrected. The error of justice is corrected.

What was the charge against Bill Cosby?

Bill Cosby was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault against Andrea Constant.

She was decades younger than him and she met him in 2002 while working at Temple University.

You have described Bill Cosby as a prominent figure. She later testified that she was "frozen" when Cosby sexually assaulted her at her home in 2004 with drugs.

He first reported the matter to the police in 2005, but former state attorney Bruce Castor did not formally charge Bill Cosby.

He then sued the comedian for sexual misconduct and libel, and in 2006 reached a secret settlement with him.

In 2014 and 2015, dozens of other women accused Cosby of sexually assaulting her with drugs.

Local authorities knew that under the statute of limitations, a person could not be prosecuted for most of the charges, but they reopened the case against Andrea Constant and Andrea Constant. Bill Cosby was indicted just days before his 12-year trial expired. .

When the jury did not agree on a decision during the first trial in 2017, the judge declared the sentence invalid.

The other defendants had the opportunity to testify during the second trial, which helped the prosecution understand the trend of Bill Cosby's malicious behavior.

"The only way for Cosby to lead a normal life now is to acquit him and ban him from taking further action on these allegations," the ruling said Wednesday.

Peter Goldberger, a criminal appeals attorney, told The Associated Press that the prosecution could appeal the Pennsylvania Supreme Court review, but that it is unlikely to succeed.