Bill Cosby was sentenced to 3 to 10 years in jail last night for the drugging and sexual assault of Andrea Constand, as well as a fine of $25,000 and the costs of prosecution - bringing the total to somewhere around $43,000.
Cosby was convicted in April of this year of the 2004 assault, the first trial of which ended in a deadlocked jury. Speaking at his sentencing, Judge Steven O'Neill said that "nobody is above the law because of where they live, who they are, wealth, fame, celebrity or even philanthropy."
"The court must consider the protection of the public and the gravity of the offense and the rehabilitation of the defendant. Thirty-four months this has gone on. Your time has come," Judge O'Neill told Cosby. The actor, best known for his role as Dr. Cliff Huxtable in the '80s sitcom 'The Cosby Show', was led away in handcuffs following the sentencing and was denied bail.
Janice Dickinson, who was in court when the sentencing took place and had previously accused Cosby of rape, began laughing uncontrollably until she was told to stop by a police officer in the court. Many of the women who had accused Cosby were in court for his sentencing, with Chelan Lashaan, who testified during the trial that Cosby assaulted her in 1986 when she was 17 years old, saying that she waited "30 years" to see Cosby behind bars.
Meanwhile, Cosby's spokesperson claimed that the judge's decision was "racist and sexist," and claimed that Cosby's sentence was part of the same "sex war" being waged against Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault.
Cosby's legal team also added that they are preparing a motion to address "false evidence" in the trial, however District Attorney Kevin Steele called the defense's motion "beyond a Hail Mary," and said that he was confident in the prosecution's case.
"For decades, the defendant has been able to hide his true self and hide his crimes," Steele said. "Finally, Bill Cosby has been unmasked, and we’ve seen the real man as he’s headed off to prison."
