I predict the convictions will be thrown out on appeal, and the basis of the appeal will be the judge’s instruction to the jury that they could define “consent” however they wanted.
Bingo! This whole trial has been a dog-and-pony show.
Yup. I agree with you. The muddled instructions from the judge, combined with Cosby’s attorney apparently falling asleep during testimony will result in an overturn on appeal.
From the article: “Yet, it is a dangerous road, making an individual set of allegations of a trial into a representation of society’s problems with this type of accusation. Surely an individual should not be the scapegoat for the ills of society as a whole.”
I also predict it will be thrown out on appeal, but not because of the “consent” instruction. The 5 other women brought in regarding his prior bad acts - not brought in the first time because likely not constitutional and they didn’t want to risk a clean case then.
OJ was let off decades ago when the defense had a compliant jury disregard the evidence and vindicate him as justice for police and society discrimination. This time evidence that should not have been considered was brought in and appeared to be the factor getting a jury over the bar of “reasonable doubt” the prior jury could not agree on - with so much evidence this particular victim had ulterior motives for criminal charges after already obtaining $3.4 million in a settlement over 10 years ago.
Was Cosby guilty of the crime? Likely. But absent the new witnesses, unlikely it was proven beyond a reasonable doubt.