[Current Events] Cosby vs. Constand: So Close To The Finish [Written by Brandon Williams]

This past Monday the closing arguments were delivered in the case of Andrea Constand and her allegations of assault against Dr. Bill Cosby. The jury began their deliberations that Monday after both sides delivered their closing arguments. After Ms. Constand’s testimony the jury went off to meet and discuss the details as they were presented to them, and after 3 days they have still yet to overturn a verdict. This afternoon they received portions of the accuser’s testimony about being drugged and molested by Dr. Cosby in his home back in 2004. During the case last week, she testified Dr. Cosby gave her pills, assisted her with getting to the couch and violated her while she was woozy and unable to say no or resist his advances. The jury, which consists of 7 men and 5 women, requested testimony about a detective’s interview with Cosby from 2005, roughly a year after Ms. Constand claimed she was assaulted. In this interview, Dr. Cosby stated that while in his home he gave Ms. Constand a Benadryl, the allergy medication, to help her relax and stated that she didn’t show any negative reaction to the pill at all and did not object or deny his advances in any way. Dr. Cosby’s legal team stands behind the fact that he and Ms. Constand were consenting sexual partners, while Ms. Constand states that she and Dr. Cosby weren’t in any way romantic and that he gave her something that was stronger than a simple Benadryl. One bit of evidence against Dr. Cosby that is a bit more than damming is that in a deposition given around 2005 he admitted that he would in fact give Quaaludes to women he wanted to have sex with, which is what prompted several other women to come forward with allegations of sexual assault against Dr. Cosby. The charges that are currently being held against Cosby are 3 counts of aggravated indecent assault, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years, which have the opportunity to be merged if Dr. Cosby is in fact convicted.