ANDREA CONSTAND

Experts say it is unlikely that the nation's top court will take up the petition given the highly unusual circumstances that led to Cosby being released.

The prosecutors who brought Cosby to a conviction in 2018 — and then saw him freed earlier this year — are asking the Supreme Court to throw out a state court's ruling.

Prosecutors have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction.

Prosecutors asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to reinstate Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction, complaining the verdict was thrown out over a questionable agreement that the comic claimed gave him lifetime immunity. Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele called the court's decision “an indefensible rule," predicting an onslaught of criminal appeals if it is allowed to stand.

Bill Cosby accuser Andrea Constand has penned a memoir out Tuesday that offers a view from her seat at the center of a high-profile #MeToo case.

Phylicia Rashad tweeted her joy at co-star Bill Cosby's sexual assault conviction being overturned.

Lawyers for British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell are arguing a court decision that freed Bill Cosby from prison backs up tossing out her sex trafficking case. In court papers filed on Friday, the lawyers said the former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein is in a “similar situation” as Cosby because both were covered by non-prosecution deals at the time they were charged in sex abuse cases. Cosby was convicted in 2018 on charges of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004, when she was a Temple University employee.

Melinda Henneberger is disgusted that Bill Cosby evaded justice. But as we’ve seen time and again here in Wyandotte County, prosecutorial misconduct really deserves the blame.

"I made the correct decisions at the time and they still hold up today," former prosecutor Bruce Castor said Thursday.

I’m so conflicted.

The public outcry over Bill Cosby’s sudden release from prison, where he was serving a sentence for criminal sexual assault, was swift, with #MeToo activists worried it would have a chilling effect on sexual assault survivors.

The seven justices who reversed Bill Cosby’s conviction this week spent months debating whether he had a secret agreement with a prosecutor that tainted his 2018 criminal sexual assault conviction. In the end, Pennsylvania’s highest court ruled that a district attorney had induced Cosby to give incriminating testimony in 2005 for a lawsuit, with the promise that no criminal charges would be filed.

Phylicia Rashad has found herself embroiled in controversy after expressing public support for Bill Cosby’s release from prison, with some prominent Black voices calling for her dismissal as dean of Howard University's College of Fine Arts.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court's decision Wednesday to vacate Bill Cosby's conviction stems from a 2005 agreement that gave Cosby immunity from criminal prosecution.

When Bill Cosby went to prison nearly three years ago, it was the most stunning development yet of the year-old #MeToo movement.

Cosby was released from prison on Wednesday after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned a sexual assault conviction.

Cosby was convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, a former Temple University employee.

Cosby, 83, was convicted of sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, a former Temple University employee, at his home in 2004.

Visceral reactions to the news that Bill Cosby has been released from prison include shock from victims' advocates and MeToo activists to support from his friend and TV co-star Phylicia Rashad.

The US comedian leaves jail hours after a Pennsylvania court overturned his sexual assault conviction.

Once a national treasure, the comedian was jailed for sexual assault but that conviction has now been overturned.

Bill Cosby was released from prison after Pennsylvania high court ruled the sex assault case against him violated an earlier deal with prosecutors.

Gilbert Carrasquillo/GettyAs nationwide anger erupted on Wednesday after Bill Cosby walked out of a Pennsylvania prison with his sexual-assault conviction overturned, legal experts were alternately aghast and numb to a signature villain of the MeToo Era slipping away.The Pennsylvania State Supreme Court vacated Cosby’s 2018 conviction on three felony counts of aggravated indecent assault after finding that a previous understanding with prosecutors should have prevented the charges from ever bein

Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction has been thrown out by Pennsylvania’s highest court, which ruled that he was unfairly prosecuted because a previous district attorney had promised he wouldn't be charged.

Bill Cosby's sexual assault conviction was thrown out Wednesday by Pennsylvania's highest court in a ruling that swiftly freed the actor from prison more than three years after he was found guilty of drugging and molesting Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia mansion. Cosby, 83, was the first celebrity tried and convicted in the #MeToo era, and his conviction was seen as a turning point in the movement to hold powerful men accountable for sexual misconduct. The split court found that Cosby was unfairly prosecuted because the previous district attorney had promised the comedian once known as “America's Dad” that he wouldn't be charged over Constand's accusations.

Two agonizing truths about the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's decision

Cosby, 83, was convicted of sexually assaulting Andrea Constand at his home in 2004.

As angry reactions lit up social media, Bill Cosby's costar Phylicia Rashad lauded the Philadelphia Supreme Court's decision to vacate his conviction.

The White House declined to comment on the imminent release of imprisoned comedian Bill Cosby after a Pennsylvania court overturned his 2018 sexual assault conviction.

Cosby is set to walk free because of a deal he made with Bruce Castor, who was widely mocked over his performance in Trump's second impeachment trial.

A previous prosecutor had decided not to charge the legendary comic, and he relied on that move to speak freely and give incriminating statements.

The court found that his due process rights were violated when he was charged for a 2004 assault after previously being promised by prosecutors that they wouldn't bring criminal charges against him.

Cosby has served more than two years of a three to 10-year sentence at a state prison.

Mark Makela/Getty ImagesThe first major criminal conviction of the #MeToo era fell apart on Wednesday, with former TV star Bill Cosby walking out of prison a free man.The Pennsylvania State Supreme Court ruled Wednesday to vacate his 2018 conviction and sentence for sexual assault, finding that Cosby had been double-crossed by prosecutors who reneged on a public declaration not to prosecute him. At about 2:30 p.m., just two hours after the ruling, he walked out of SCI Phoenix, a state prison out

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby arrives at the Montgomery County Courthouse for sentencing in his sexual assault trial, in Norristown, Pennsylvania, September 24, 2018. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned Bill Cosby's sex assault conviction, setting the stage for the release of the 83-year-old comedian later in the day. The state's highest court tossed Cosby's conviction as a result of an agreement he had with a prior prosecutor that would have prevented Cosby from being criminally charged in the case. Originally, the trial judge had allowed just one other accuser to testify at Cosby's first trial. This testimony tainted the trial, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court said, even though the lower appeals court had found it appropriate to show a pattern of behavior.

Bill Cosby has been freed from prison after Pennsylvania’s highest court overturned his sexual assault conviction.

Pennsylvania’s highest court overturned Bill Cosby’s sex assault conviction Wednesday after finding an agreement with a previous prosecutor prevented him from being charged in the case. Cosby has served more than two years of a three- to 10-year sentence at a state prison near Philadelphia. The court said that District Attorney Kevin Steele, who made the decision to arrest Cosby, was obligated to stand by his predecessor’s promise not to charge Cosby when he later gave potentially incriminating testimony in Constand's civil suit.

The 83-year-old has long said he would resist treatment programs and refuse to acknowledge wrongdoing.

Actor Bill Cosby has been denied parole after refusing to participate in sex offender programs during his nearly three years in state prison in Pennsylvania.

Actor Bill Cosby won't be paroled this year after refusing to participate in sex offender programs during his nearly three years in state prison in Pennsylvania. The 83-year-old Cosby has long said he would resist the treatment programs and refuse to acknowledge wrongdoing even if it means serving the full 10-year sentence. Cosby spokesperson Andrew Wyatt called the decision “appalling” and said Cosby “vehemently proclaims his innocence.”

Cosby was convicted of the 2004 sexual assault of ex-Temple University employee Andrea Constand in his mansion. Entertainment legend Bill Cosby was recently denied parole at the Pennsylvania prison where he has been incarcerated since 2018 serving a three-to-10-year sentence for aggravated sexual assault. The Pennsylvania Parole Board denied the 83-year-old actor-comedian-producer based on “a number of reasons,” according to a CNN report.

He argued that Trump could not have — and would not have — encouraged the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. “We’re really here because majority in the House of Representatives does not want to face Donald Trump as a political rival in the future. AdHis reemergence as an impeachment lawyer for Trump was a head-scratching moment for Pennsylvania's political and legal world. He had not campaigned for Trump, and a longtime friend, Brian Miles, told the Inquirer that the two men had never discussed Trump before Castor mentioned recently that he was up for the job. For all the criticism directed at him, Castor suggested that Trump did not criticize his performance.

Now the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is set to hear his appeal of the conviction on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020. The arguments will focus on the trial judge's decision to let five other accusers testify for the prosecution. Cosby, 83, hopes to overturn his 2018 sex assault conviction because the judge let prosecutors call five other accusers who said Cosby mistreated them the same way he did his victim, Andrea Constand. Judge Steven T. O'Neill had allowed just one other accuser to testify at Cosby's first trial in 2017, when the jury could not reach a verdict. O'Neill then let five other accusers testify at Cosby's retrial in 2018, when the jury convicted him of drugging and sexually assaulting Constand.

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will hear Bill Cosby's appeal of his felony sex assault conviction on Dec. 1. A lower appeals court had upheld his conviction, but the state's high court agreed this year to review two key issues in the case. The high court will also consider whether the jury should have heard evidence that Cosby had given quaaludes to women in the past. Dozens of women have come forward over the years to accuse Cosby of sexual assault, and the trial judge deemed him a sexually violent predator. The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are sexual assault victims without their permission, which Constand has granted.

PHILADELPHIA – Legal advocates are lining up on both sides of actor Bill Cosby’s appeal as the Pennsylvania Supreme Court prepares to review his 2018 sex assault conviction. Cosby was the first celebrity to go on trial in the #MeToo era, and his appeal could resolve lingering questions about how the cases should be tried. Public defenders in Philadelphia, in a friend-of-the-court brief filed in Cosby's appeal, noted that courts have given conflicting guidance on the issue. The other groups filing legal briefs in the appeal include the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association. Cosby’s trial judge, Montgomery County Judge Steven O’Neill, said their testimony did just that, even if it occurred a decade or two before Constand's encounter.

PHILADELPHIA Bill Cosbys lawyers argued in an appeals filing Thursday that it was fundamentally unfair to let prosecutors use Cosbys damaging deposition from a sex accusers lawsuit against him at trial. A spokeswoman for the Montgomery County district attorney's office declined comment but said prosecutors would file a response in the coming month. Cosby, 83, is serving a three- to 10-year prison term after the jury in his 2018 sex assault trial convicted him of three counts of felony sex assault over a 2004 encounter with accuser Andrea Constand. Fundamental fairness and principles of due process mean that promise was binding on Montgomery County prosecutors, Cosbys lawyers argued. In June, Pennsylvanias highest court agreed to review those two issues, overturning a lower court that had rejected Cosbys appeal.

___Constand knew Cosby from her job at Temple University, where Cosby was a booster, alumnus and longtime trustee twice her age. (She thought she was taking a homeopathic supplement; Cosby later said it was Benadryl, while acknowledging he once gave a 19-year-old Quaaludes before sex.) A decade later, Black comedian Hannibal Buress took Cosby to task for his scolding. You rape women, Bill Cosby, so turn the crazy down a couple notches," he said onstage in 2014. She also believes that racial bias exists in the criminal justice system.

PHILADELPHIA In a stunning decision that could test the legal framework of #MeToo cases, comedian Bill Cosby has won the right to fight his 2018 sexual assault conviction in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Cosby has said he relied on that agreement before agreeing to testify in the trial accuser's civil lawsuit. Those issues have been at the heart of the case since Cosby was charged in December 2015, days before the 12-year state of limitations expired. Montgomery County Judge Stephen O'Neill allowed just one of them to testify at Cosby's first trial in 2017, which ended with an acquittal. The Associated Press typically does not name people who say they have been victims of sexual assault without their permission, which Constand has granted.

(Reuters) - Lawyers for Bill Cosby on Thursday asked the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to hear his appeal of his 2018 sexual assault conviction, a month after a lower court rejected their argument that the disgraced comedian did not get a fair trial. FILE PHOTO: Actor and comedian Bill Cosby leaves the Montgomery County Courthouse after his first day of sentencing hearings in his sexual assault trial in Norristown, Pennsylvania, U.S., September 24, 2018. The Pennsylvania court is not obligated to take up the appeal, a copy of which was provided by Cosbys spokesman. Stacey Witalec, a spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, confirmed that Cosby had requested an appeal, but it was not immediately clear when the court would make a decision on whether it will consider it. Cosbys latest appeal comes days after a rape trial for former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein opened in New York.

(Reuters) - A Pennsylvania appeals court on Tuesday dismissed Bill Cosbys bid to overturn his 2018 sex assault conviction, rejecting his lawyers argument that a judge deprived the comedian of a fair trial by allowing other accusers to testify. Cosbys spokesman Andrew Wyatt said Cosby would appeal the conviction in the State Supreme Court. Our personal battle against clear, racist, incestuous vindictiveness, within the Pennsylvania criminal justice systems, is not over, Camille Cosby, the entertainers wife, said in a statement. FILE PHOTO: Actor and comedian Bill Cosby is seen in this booking photo released by Montgomery County Correctional Facility, Maryland U.S., September 25, 2018. Courtesy Montgomery County Correctional Facility/Handout via REUTERSCosbys lawyers took issue with Montgomery County Judge Steven ONeills decision to allow testimony from five other accusers whose claims were too old to lead to criminal charges.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (Reuters) - A trio of Pennsylvania judges on Monday appeared deeply skeptical of Bill Cosbys effort to have his sexual assault conviction overturned, as the comedians lawyers argued in court that the trial judge had deprived him of a fair trial. Actor and comedian Bill Cosby leaves the Montgomery County Courthouse after his first day of sentencing hearings in his sexual assault trial in Norristown, Pennsylvania, U.S., September 24, 2018. But Judge John Bender, the presiding judge on the panel, expressed doubt about that assertion. Cosbys first trial in June 2017 ended in a mistrial after the jury could not agree on a verdict. At that trial, ONeill permitted only a single other accuser to testify.

FILE PHOTO: Actor and comedian Bill Cosby leaves the Montgomery County Courthouse in handcuffs after sentencing in his sexual assault trial in Norristown, Pennsylvania, U.S., September 25, 2018. A jury in Norristown, Pennsylvania, found Cosby guilty in April 2018 of drugging and sexually violating former Temple University administrator Andrea Constand, at his home near Philadelphia in 2004. Cosby, who is married, has insisted all along that any sexual encounters he had were consensual. The defense argued it should have been excluded as irrelevant to the criminal case and a violation of Cosbys constitutional protection against self-incrimination. Cosbys lawyers maintain the criminal case was itself a violation of a 2005 promise by Steeles predecessor, Bruce Castor, to refrain from prosecuting Cosby if the entertainer agreed to sit for the sworn deposition in Constands civil suit.

A Pennsylvania judge has ordered Bill Cosby to face trial for criminal sexual assault. Andrea Constand alleges that she was assaulted by Cosby in 2004. CBS News correspondent Jericka Duncan joins CBSN with more on what to expect.

Bill Cosby could come face-to-face with one of the women accusing him of drugging and molesting them. Prosecutors claim the 2004 encounter between Cosby and then-Temple University employee Andrea Constand was criminal sexual assault. CBS News legal expert Rikki Klieman joins "CBS This Morning" to discuss Tuesday's upcoming proceedings.