A Montgomery County jury found Bill Cosby guilty Thursday of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, who was a Temple University employee he had mentored.
After the monumental decision was announced, Constand's lawyer Dolores Troiani said in a publicized statement that while "justice was delayed, it was not denied."
"When you see Andrea and you've all commented about how calm she is, how graceful she is," said Troiani. "That's something that she's had to work out every day since January of 2004."
She added: "This is a life altering experience for any woman, any victim. The person who I think needs to be heralded for what she has done, is Andrea."
The jury convicted Cosby of three counts of aggravated indecent assault, which include penetration with lack of consent, penetration while unconscious, and penetration after administering an intoxicant. All are felonies and punishable by up to 10 years in state prison.
This is the second time a jury had considered Cosby’s fate. His first trial, which occurred last summer, ended with a deadlocked jury after six days of deliberations.
When the verdict was announced, Cosby sat back in his chair, according to The New York Times, and "quietly stared down." Several of his accusers briefly cheered. Judge Steven T. O’Neill called it “an extraordinarily difficult case” and added, “You have sacrificed much, but you have sacrificed in the service of justice.”
It was the only criminal case to arise from a barrage of allegations from more than 60 women who said the former TV star drugged and molested them over a span of five decades.
Cosby, 80, will remain free on bail while he awaits sentencing. He could get up to 10 years in prison on each of the three counts of aggravated indecent assault. He is likely to get less than that under state sentencing guidelines, but given his age, even a modest term means he could die behind bars.
— The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: Elle Magazine
