WTF Bill Cosby!!!

[Tim McG]

 

2 hours ago, JSngry said:

The thread is a topical one, and certainly not without political implications and ramifications. But per board rules, the discussion is rightly held apart from them.

Nice to see some parity for a change.

If I had said that you guys would have bust my chops without even thinking twice, er...just sayin'.

Edited January 24, 2016 by Tim McG

[Scott Dolan]

Parity for a change?

I've seen several posters warned over the last couple years about trying to bring politics and/or religion into conversations. 

And since you and I were the two of the major players in the demise of the politics forum, neither of us have any room to complain. 

[Christiern]

I have known Cosby to be a two-faced fraud since 1960, when I was a DJ in Philly. I'm pretty sure the I mentioned it here, but nobody took me seriously. Well?

[Larry Kart]

I remember, Chris.

[dicky]

If this forum is committed to enforcing  a no politics policy you might want to take a look at Chris Albertson's signature. 

[GA Russell]

1 hour ago, Christiern said:

I have known Cosby to be a two-faced fraud since 1960, when I was a DJ in Philly. I'm pretty sure the I mentioned it here, but nobody took me seriously. Well?

Great to see you again, Chris!

[Scott Dolan]

8 hours ago, dicky said:

If this forum is committed to enforcing  a no politics policy you might want to take a look at Chris Albertson's signature. 

What other username did you used to post under? 

[GA Russell]

On 1/7/2016 at 7:56 PM, Larry Kart said:

That would be both the late Corey Haim and Corey Feldman:

http://hollywoodlife.com/2013/10/21/corey-feldman-sexual-abuse-childhood-star-new-book/

Another actor named Elijah Woods (Lord of the Rings) discussed the predators in The Sunday Times.

http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/culture/maggie-mckneely/2016/05/23/elijah-wood-hollywood-sheltering-pedophiles

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/22/hollywood-in-the-grip-of-child-abuse-scandal-similar-to-jimmy-sa/

[T.D.]

This just in:

Judge finds enough evidence for Cosby to go to trial on sex assault

https://www.yahoo.com/news/cosby-return-court-criminal-sexual-assault-case-100217668.html

[JSngry]

I heard somewhere that Hefner is going to be investigated? If so, good.

[ejp626]

7 hours ago, T.D. said:

This just in:

Judge finds enough evidence for Cosby to go to trial on sex assault

https://www.yahoo.com/news/cosby-return-court-criminal-sexual-assault-case-100217668.html

Well, sure if you pledge not to prosecute a case and then get someone to waive their 5th Amendment rights and another prosecutor tears up the deal, you probably can make a case. 

I know it sounds like I am a Cosby apologist, but this is totally shabby, and will almost certainly be reversed upon appeal, if Cosby is actually convicted.

[Soulstation1]

Cosby found guilty on 3 counts 

👍🏽

[Scott Dolan]

Amazing!

Glad to see the justice system worked. Lots of great comedy down the drain, though. 

[Dan Gould]

The Official Statement From Camille O. Cosby.

“We the people” are the first three words of our nation’s Constitution, but who were those people in 1787? Dr. Howard Zinn, the renowned, honest historian, states in his best selling book, A People’s History of the United States: “The majority of the 55 men who framed the Constitution were men of wealth in land, slaves, manufacturing or shipping.” Clearly, most people were not included in that original draft of the Constitution; no women, Native Americans, poor white men; and, absolutely, no enslaved Africans. What have the masses of people done who are treated as outcasts by “we the people”? They, through the purity of the unceasing human spirit, forced 27 amendments to the Constitution that have guaranteed fundamental rights to all people…finally doing what the framers should have done in 1787. Now enters an American citizen, Bill Cosby.

The overall media, with their frenzied, relentless demonization of him and unquestioning acceptance of accusers’ allegations without any attendant proof, have superseded the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, which guarantee due process and equal protection, and thereby eliminated the possibility of a fair trial and unbiased jury. Bill Cosby was labelled as guilty because the media and accusers said so… period. And the media ensured the dissemination of that propaganda by establishing barricades preventing the dissemination of the truth in violation of the protections of the First Amendment. Are the media now the people’s judges and juries? Since when are all accusers truthful? History disproves that…for example, Emmett Till’s accuser immediately comes to mind. In 1955, she testified before a jury of white men in a Mississippi courtroom that a 14-year-old African American boy had sexually assaulted her, only to later admit several decades later in 2008 that her testimony was false. A more recent example is the case of Darryl Hunt, an African American who in 1984 was wrongfully convicted for the rape and murder of a white woman, only to have DNA evidence establish in 1994 that he did not commit the crime. Nonetheless he was held in prison until 2004, serving almost twenty years behind bars, until the true rapist confessed to the crimes.

These are just two of many tragic instances of our justice system utterly and routinely failing to protect African Americans falsely accused in so-called courts of law and the entirely unfair court of public opinion. In the case of Bill Cosby, unproven accusations evolved into lynch mobs, who publicly and privately coerced cancellations of Bill Cosby’s scheduled performances; syndications of “The Cosby Show”; rescissions of honorary degrees and a vindictive attempt to close an exhibition of our collection of African American art in the Smithsonian Museum of African Art. Although the Smithsonian’s hierarchy did not capitulate, a disclaimer was posted on the exterior of that Museum. And all of that occurred before the trial even started.

The worst injustices, however, have been carried out in the Pennsylvania Montgomery County Courthouse. Three criminal charges, promised during an unethical campaign for the district attorney’s office, were filed against my husband…all based on what I believe to be a falsified account by the newly elected district attorney’s key witness. I firmly believe her recent testimony during trial was perjured; as was shown at trial, it was unsupported by any evidence and riddled with innumerable, dishonest contradictions. Moreover, Bill Cosby’s defense team introduced the testimony of a witness who confirmed that the district attorney’s witness admitted that she had not been sexually assaulted, but that she could say she was and get money … which is exactly what she did.

I am publicly asking for a criminal investigation of that district attorney and his cohorts. This is a homogeneous group of exploitive and corrupt people, whose primary purpose is to advance themselves professionally and economically at the expense of Mr. Cosby’s life. If they can do this to Mr. Cosby, they can do so to anyone. How much longer will we, the majority of the people, tolerate judicial, executive, legislative, media and corporate abuses of power? We, the majority of the people, must make America what it has declared itself to be….a democracy…not to be destroyed by vicious, lying, self-absorbed paradigms of evilness. Once again, an innocent person has been found guilty based on an unthinking, unquestioning, unconstitutional frenzy propagated by the media and allowed to play out in a supposed court of law.

This is mob justice, not real justice. This tragedy must be undone not just for Bill Cosby, but for the country. I wish to thank the witnesses who courageously came forward at trial to testify as to the truth, as well as those witnesses who would have done so but for the judge preventing them from testifying. Someday the truth will prevail, it always does.

*************************************************************

Part of me wants Cosby to serve time because of his wife. She's freaking nuts and I think she knows all about his proclivities.

[Brad]

Let me have whatever she’s taking. Must be some heavy duty stuff.  

[JSngry]

36 minutes ago, Dan Gould said:

The Official Statement From Camille O. Cosby.

“We the people” are the first three words of our nation’s Constitution, but who were those people in 1787? Dr. Howard Zinn, the renowned, honest historian, states in his best selling book, A People’s History of the United States: “The majority of the 55 men who framed the Constitution were men of wealth in land, slaves, manufacturing or shipping.” Clearly, most people were not included in that original draft of the Constitution; no women, Native Americans, poor white men; and, absolutely, no enslaved Africans. What have the masses of people done who are treated as outcasts by “we the people”? They, through the purity of the unceasing human spirit, forced 27 amendments to the Constitution that have guaranteed fundamental rights to all people…finally doing what the framers should have done in 1787. Now enters an American citizen, Bill Cosby.

The overall media, with their frenzied, relentless demonization of him and unquestioning acceptance of accusers’ allegations without any attendant proof, have superseded the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, which guarantee due process and equal protection, and thereby eliminated the possibility of a fair trial and unbiased jury. Bill Cosby was labelled as guilty because the media and accusers said so… period. And the media ensured the dissemination of that propaganda by establishing barricades preventing the dissemination of the truth in violation of the protections of the First Amendment. Are the media now the people’s judges and juries? Since when are all accusers truthful? History disproves that…for example, Emmett Till’s accuser immediately comes to mind. In 1955, she testified before a jury of white men in a Mississippi courtroom that a 14-year-old African American boy had sexually assaulted her, only to later admit several decades later in 2008 that her testimony was false. A more recent example is the case of Darryl Hunt, an African American who in 1984 was wrongfully convicted for the rape and murder of a white woman, only to have DNA evidence establish in 1994 that he did not commit the crime. Nonetheless he was held in prison until 2004, serving almost twenty years behind bars, until the true rapist confessed to the crimes.

These are just two of many tragic instances of our justice system utterly and routinely failing to protect African Americans falsely accused in so-called courts of law and the entirely unfair court of public opinion. In the case of Bill Cosby, unproven accusations evolved into lynch mobs, who publicly and privately coerced cancellations of Bill Cosby’s scheduled performances; syndications of “The Cosby Show”; rescissions of honorary degrees and a vindictive attempt to close an exhibition of our collection of African American art in the Smithsonian Museum of African Art. Although the Smithsonian’s hierarchy did not capitulate, a disclaimer was posted on the exterior of that Museum. And all of that occurred before the trial even started.

The worst injustices, however, have been carried out in the Pennsylvania Montgomery County Courthouse. Three criminal charges, promised during an unethical campaign for the district attorney’s office, were filed against my husband…all based on what I believe to be a falsified account by the newly elected district attorney’s key witness. I firmly believe her recent testimony during trial was perjured; as was shown at trial, it was unsupported by any evidence and riddled with innumerable, dishonest contradictions. Moreover, Bill Cosby’s defense team introduced the testimony of a witness who confirmed that the district attorney’s witness admitted that she had not been sexually assaulted, but that she could say she was and get money … which is exactly what she did.

I am publicly asking for a criminal investigation of that district attorney and his cohorts. This is a homogeneous group of exploitive and corrupt people, whose primary purpose is to advance themselves professionally and economically at the expense of Mr. Cosby’s life. If they can do this to Mr. Cosby, they can do so to anyone. How much longer will we, the majority of the people, tolerate judicial, executive, legislative, media and corporate abuses of power? We, the majority of the people, must make America what it has declared itself to be….a democracy…not to be destroyed by vicious, lying, self-absorbed paradigms of evilness. Once again, an innocent person has been found guilty based on an unthinking, unquestioning, unconstitutional frenzy propagated by the media and allowed to play out in a supposed court of law.

This is mob justice, not real justice. This tragedy must be undone not just for Bill Cosby, but for the country. I wish to thank the witnesses who courageously came forward at trial to testify as to the truth, as well as those witnesses who would have done so but for the judge preventing them from testifying. Someday the truth will prevail, it always does.

*************************************************************

Part of me wants Cosby to serve time because of his wife. She's freaking nuts and I think she knows all about his proclivities.

Yeah, I'm sympathetic to all of that, but still, your husband's still almost certainly guilty, so save it for somebody who's not, and stop cheapening the argument.

[Dan Gould]

Just now, JSngry said:

Yeah, I'm sympathetic to all of that, but still, your husband's still almost certainly guilty, so save it for somebody who's not, and stop cheapening the argument.

but per her statement, he's totally not guilty and the victim of mob justice and an incredibly far-reaching conspiracy.

And wtf are the witnesses the judge didn't allow to testify on Cosby's behalf? I heard of none and it would take a hell of an argument to prevent a defendant from putting on his defense.  Totally unlike the effort to get the five other victims in for forming a pattern/m.o.

 

[Scott Dolan]

Um...ok...

So there have been proven cases of wrongful prosecution. This automatically means her husband is not guilty. 

Let's also not forget that he's black. 

Exasperation and desperation. I get it. Regardless, that should have never been published. It comes across as nothing less than a lucid variation of drunk texting at 2am.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

35 minutes ago, Dan Gould said:

And wtf are the witnesses the judge didn't allow to testify on Cosby's behalf? I heard of none and it would take a hell of an argument to prevent a defendant from putting on his defense.  Totally unlike the effort to get the five other victims in for forming a pattern/m.o.

According to the news reports coming from the trial, several defense witnesses, one of whom successfully got the last trial to end in a mistrial, were prevented from taking the stand this time. Conversely, other accusers were allowed to take the stand this time - something I thought was a big no-no in the US justice system.

[Dan Gould]

16 minutes ago, Kevin Bresnahan said:

According to the news reports coming from the trial, several defense witnesses, one of whom successfully got the last trial to end in a mistrial, were prevented from taking the stand this time. Conversely, other accusers were allowed to take the stand this time - something I thought was a big no-no in the US justice system.

The last trial ended in a hung jury. I don't know how a witness gets specific credit for preventing the jury from reaching a decision.  

In this trial, both sides put on a better case. The defense was able to elicit the testimony that the accuser had told her that she would make a lot of money by concocting a false claim of assault against a celebrity. She was excluded in the first trial when the accuser denied knowing her.  New evidence of at least a passing acquaintanceship was enough to get her testimony in this time.

And, as you mention, the prosecution got testimony of other accusers, all of whom described a similar pattern of behavior by Cosby and the judge allowed.

I'd also like to point out that at least one juror has stated that Cosby sunk himself when he acknowledged using quaaludes to drug women prior to sexual encounters. 

[Brad]

From what I recall of my course on evidence, prior bad acts are inadmissible to prove that the defendant committed the acts he’s accused of; it's considered prejudicial; but can be used to show a pattern of conduct. 

[Brad]

The below are the Pennsylvania evidentiary rules on prior bad acts for those who may be interested:

Crimes, Wrongs or Other Acts.

   (1)  Prohibited Uses. Evidence of a crime, wrong, or other act is not admissible to prove a person’s character in order to show that on a particular occasion the person acted in accordance with the character.

   (2)  Permitted Uses. This evidence may be admissible for another purpose, such as proving motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, absence of mistake, or lack of accident. In a criminal case this evidence is admissible only if the probative value of the evidence outweighs its potential for unfair prejudice.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

1 hour ago, Brad said:

The below are the Pennsylvania evidentiary rules on prior bad acts for those who may be interested:

Crimes, Wrongs or Other Acts.

   (1)  Prohibited Uses. Evidence of a crime, wrong, or other act is not admissible to prove a person’s character in order to show that on a particular occasion the person acted in accordance with the character.

   (2)  Permitted Uses. This evidence may be admissible for another purpose, such as proving motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, absence of mistake, or lack of accident. In a criminal case this evidence is admissible only if the probative value of the evidence outweighs its potential for unfair prejudice.

"In a criminal case this evidence is admissible only if the probative value of the evidence outweighs its potential for unfair prejudice."

And the judge allowing this testimony into evidence likely gives Cosby a better chance for his appeal. I thought it was a strange move by the prosecution. It's almost like they set themselves up for a "Well, we tried" defense if the verdict gets thrown out during appeal. My guess is they thought it was the only way to get a guilty this time.

[Dan Gould]

Also that they thought the probative value outweighed the potential for prejudice against him.

To me the problem for an appeal is that the "he was convicted for another bad act, not the one he was charged with" is kind of ludicrous. Women testified about their experiences with Cosby, and the prosecution pointed out all the ways it supports, as a pattern or MO, the actual victim's experience.

And, the defense got to try to tear down their credibility with a lot of vicious attacks on all of them iirc.

His better avenue for appeal is the usage of the sworn deposition which Cosby believed was given with the understanding it could not be used in a criminal trial but ultimately was.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

2 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

I'd also like to point out that at least one juror has stated that Cosby sunk himself when he acknowledged using quaaludes to drug women prior to sexual encounters. 

Dan - don't interpret this as a defense - but Cosby never acknowledged using quaaludes to drug women prior to sexual encounters without their consent. The media has made it out to be that way, but if you read the actual statements, he often stated that the women consented.

These "he said, she said" trials are tough to try in court. I personally think he did rape these women but I did not hear any testimony at this trial, with this woman, that would remove my "reasonable doubt", especially after hearing the testimony that she told a friend she could sue him for big money by lying.