Jury Finds That Bill Cosby Sexually Assaulted Woman In 1972, Awards Her More Than $19 Million

A civilian assemblage successful California recovered Monday that Bill Cosby was liable for drugging and sexually assaulting a female successful 1972 and awarded her $19.25 million.

After a astir two-week proceedings successful Santa Monica, jurors recovered nan 88-year-old Cosby liable for nan intersexual artillery and battle of Donna Motsinger.

Cosby’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, said successful an email that they are disappointed and afloat intend to entreaty nan verdict.

The determination came astir 5 years aft Cosby was freed from situation successful Pennsylvania erstwhile nan authorities Supreme Court threw retired a criminal condemnation based connected akin allegations.

Motsinger had been a server astatine a edifice successful Sausalito adjacent San Francisco who said successful her lawsuit, revenge successful 2023, that Cosby had invited her to his stand-up drama show astatine a theatre successful adjacent San Carlos. Both were successful their 30s astatine nan time. She said Cosby gave her vino and 2 pills that she believed were aspirin, and that she was going successful and retired of consciousness arsenic 2 men put her successful a limousine.

“She woke up successful her location pinch each her apparel off, isolated from her underwear connected – nary top, nary bra, and nary pants,” nan suit said. “She knew she had been drugged and raped by Bill Cosby.”

In tribunal filings, Cosby's lawyers based on that nan allegations rested almost wholly connected speculation and assumption, saying Motsinger “freely admits that she has nary thought what happened.”

Jurors awarded Motsinger $17.5 cardinal successful past damages and $1.75 cardinal for early damages, including “mental suffering, nonaccomplishment of enjoyment of life, inconvenience, grief, anxiety, humiliation, and affectional distress.” They deliberated for conscionable complete a day.

They tin grant moreover much successful a punitive damages shape of nan proceedings that starts later Monday.

Cosby did not attest astatine nan trial, whose witnesses included Andrea Constand, nan Temple University sports administrator he was convicted of sexually assaulting successful a Pennsylvania criminal tribunal successful 2018. The state's Supreme Court threw retired nan verdict and Cosby was freed from situation aft serving astir 3 years of a three- to 10-year sentence.

Motsinger first made her allegations anonymously successful a 2005 suit revenge by Constand.

The Associated Press does not typically sanction group who opportunity they person been sexually abused unless they travel guardant publically and consent to beryllium named, arsenic Constand and Motsinger have.

In 2022, a assemblage successful Santa Monica awarded $500,000 to a female who said Cosby sexually assaulted her astatine nan Playboy Mansion erstwhile she was a teen successful 1975.

Motsinger's suit echoed allegations of rape, intersexual battle and intersexual harassment made by astatine slightest 60 women against Cosby, each of which he has denied.

The erstwhile stand-up drama and tv superstar erstwhile wide known arsenic “America’s Dad” became nan first personage tried and convicted successful nan #MeToo era earlier his condemnation was permanently thrown retired erstwhile appeals tribunal recovered he gave incriminating grounds successful a deposition only aft believing he had immunity from prosecution.