PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The Pennsylvania Supreme Court gave Bill Cosby the opportunity to appeal his 2018 sexual assault conviction. The 82-year-old man has nearly two years in prison for three to 10 years for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, an employee of Temple University, at her home in 2004.
Constand called Cosby a sexually violent predator and asked the Supreme Court to give this decision the right weight. But in speaking Tuesday, his focus has gone beyond his case.
The Supreme Court agreed to review various aspects of the 2018 trial, including whether the jury should have listened to Cosby’s testimony about the use of quaaludes, as it stems from a separate civil case where Cosby’s attorneys argued that his client was prosecuted. promised criminal immunity.
The state’s highest court will also consider whether the testimony of five other prosecutors should have been allowed when Cosby was solely on trial for Constand’s drug abuse and sexual assault.
“A lot of things can trigger it and we all experience it to some degree,” said Constand.
Before speaking to Eyewitness News about Zoom, Constand released a statement on Twitter about the court’s decision.
It reads in part: “While everyone deserves to hear their cries and pleas, even convicted criminals, if someone’s screams are the most important thing right now, it is women who have raised their voices and put themselves in selflessly danger, such as the previous evil, act as witnesses in my case. “
pic.twitter.com/J3AgFZkrz9
– Andrea Constand (@ConstandAndrea) June 23, 2020
Constand’s work with and for other sexual assault survivors has been key in his personal journey toward healing.
“What we wanted to do was bring important technology to the fingers of survivors,” he said.
She has developed a smartphone tool called SAFEAPP, which is designed to help other victims connect with the emotional and legal help they need.
“It was a natural part of my journey to look and say, ‘What can I do, how can I take advantage of my experience and my journey and turn around and help other people?'” Constand said.
As for the appeal, Constand says his focus remains in the future.
Cosby’s team released a statement of their own, saying in part: “As we have all said, Bill Cosby’s false conviction is much bigger than he is: it is about destroying ALL black and colored people in America. We are extremely grateful to our attorneys (Brain Perry, Jennifer Bonjean and Barbara Zemlock) for their dogged efforts in the fight for Mr. Cosby’s vindication. “
The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office has said it is confident that previous decisions dismissing these appeals will be upheld.
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