The jury in Bill Cosby’s retrial found the man guilty of aggravated assault after a deliberation that lasted 12 hours. His conviction on all three counts means that they determined beyond a reasonable doubt that he molested Temple University staffer Andrea Constand back in 2004, despite the fact that she could not consent because he gave her some pills that left her unconscious.
What happens next for Bill Cosby? It seems that he is not going to jail yet. Judge Steven O’Neill allowed Cosby who already posted a $1 million to remain free on bail until his sentencing.
O’Neill said that the sentencing could take place in 75 days. He ordered Cosby to undergo a ‘sexually violent predator’ assessment before sentencing.
He also clarified that Cosby will be restricted to house arrest, will have to wear a GPS monitor and can only heave his home to visit his doctors within a five-county area.
‘It’s supposed to happen within 90 days (of conviction) but if all the parties agree it happens after that, it’s fine,’ saidBrian Zeiger, a defense lawyer who tries cases in Montgomery County, Pa., and the neighboring Philadelphia and Bucks counties.
Cosby is 80 years old and he was convicted on three counts each carrying up to 10 years in prison, This means that he might end up dying behind bars.
‘I would think that it would be a concurrent situation,’ said Zeiger.
He also stated that whether a defendant gets concurrent sentencing ‘depends on the judge and the number of victims. In this case, they only proceeded with one. But I think they would also consider his age.’
Zeiger also said that if Cosby’s sentence is less than one or two years, he’ll probably serve it at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Eagleville, Pa., or through house arrest.
‘If it’s one to two years or more, he would go into the state system in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,’ he said, ‘and then the trial court would lose jurisdiction over his custody.’