Bill Cosby Found Guilty in Civil Trial Over 1972 Sexual Assault
Bill Cosby has been found guilty of drugging and raping Donna Motsinger, with a Santa Monica jury in a civil trial delivering the verdict. The ruling comes a staggering 54 years after the incident occurred, with Cosby ordered to pay $19.25 million in damages to the former waitress.
Details of the Civil Trial and Damages Award
The 88-year-old comedian was found guilty of sexual assault of an intoxicated woman and sexual battery of Motsinger, which took place in 1972. The jury deliberated for only three days before reaching their decision. They ordered Cosby to pay $17.5 million for the prior mental trauma suffered by Motsinger, along with an additional $1.75 million for potential future mental suffering.
Motsinger, now 84, was able to sue Cosby due to recent changes in California's statute of limitations for sex crimes. It remains uncertain whether Cosby will be financially capable of paying the damages, and his lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, has announced plans to appeal the verdict.
Background of the Assault and Legal Proceedings
In her 11-page complaint, first issued in 2023, Motsinger detailed meeting Cosby while working as a waitress in the Bay Area. She was invited to his comedy show at the Circle Star Theatre in San Carlos, where she went backstage and began feeling unwell. Cosby allegedly gave her what she believed was an aspirin, after which she blacked out.
"The last thing Ms. Motsinger recalls were flashes of light. She woke up in her house with all her clothes off, except her underwear on – no top, no bra, and no pants," the complaint stated. This incident occurred on the same night Cosby recorded his best-selling album, Inside The Mind Of Bill Cosby.
Cosby's Defense and Previous Legal History
As in previous sexual assault cases, Cosby did not testify in his own defense during this trial. In a deposition video, when asked whether he had sex with Motsinger, Cosby responded, "I cannot remember if I did or not." He has continually denied engaging in nonconsensual sex, claiming through his lawyers that he is being targeted due to his fame.
Cosby may face additional punitive damages based on the "malice, oppression or fraud" committed in 1972. This verdict adds to his extensive legal history involving sexual assault allegations from multiple women.
Previous Convictions and Legal Outcomes
In 2018, Cosby was convicted of the 2004 rape of Andrea Constand, a former Temple University athletics administrator. He was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison, but the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned the conviction on procedural grounds in June 2021.
In 2022, he was found guilty of sexually assaulting Judy Huth in 1975, when she was just 16 years old. Huth had sued him for sexual battery in 2014 and was awarded $500,000 in damages.
Cosby has been accused of drugging and raping numerous women over the years, with this latest verdict highlighting the ongoing legal consequences he faces decades after the alleged incidents.
