Cosby was Not Exonerated 

Last week, Legal Momentum shared in the collective shock in response to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s reversal of Bill Cosby’s conviction. Our foremost thoughts remain with his victims. Having now had the opportunity for reflection, we realize the import of this decision has two sides: on one side is due process and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s safeguarding of those protections even in an abhorrent case such as this. On the other side is the simple yet critical fact that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision is confined to the due process issue, it was not an exoneration. This is not justice for his victims, but it is not a proclamation of his innocence. It has been heartening to see the acknowledgement of this from so many over the last several days.

We realize that the result in this case sends a chilling message to survivors across the nation, and we know the work to be done so that those fears are less often well-founded. We stood with Cosby’s victims as this case reached Pennsylvania’s highest court, submitting an amicus brief in support of the conviction’s integrity. And we stand with his victims now, applauding their courage in exposing the excruciating details of his abuse to the world in order to hold a public figure accountable for his crimes. Legal Momentum will continue our efforts to educate every level of the judiciary on the realities of sexual violence so that victims seeking accountability through our justice system are not retraumatized.

We hope that the outpouring of support for the survivors in response to the court’s decision will help them find peace.