Bill Cosby Found Liable for 1972 Sexual Assault in Civil Trial
A civil jury in California has delivered a significant verdict, finding Bill Cosby liable for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 1972. The jury awarded the victim, Donna Motsinger, a total of $19.25 million in damages following a nearly two-week trial in Santa Monica.
Details of the Assault and Trial Proceedings
The case centered on allegations that Cosby, now 88 years old, sexually battered and assaulted Motsinger. According to court documents, Motsinger was working as a server at a restaurant in Sausalito near San Francisco when Cosby invited her to his stand-up comedy show in San Carlos. Both were in their 30s at the time.
Motsinger claimed that Cosby provided her with wine and two pills she believed were aspirin. She reported going in and out of consciousness as two men placed her in a limousine. "She woke up in her house with all her clothes off, except her underwear on – no top, no bra, and no pants," the lawsuit stated. "She knew she had been drugged and raped by Bill Cosby."
Jury Deliberations and Damages Awarded
After deliberating for just over a day, the jury awarded Motsinger $17.5 million in past damages and $1.75 million for future damages. These damages cover:
- Mental suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Inconvenience
- Grief
- Anxiety
- Humiliation
- Emotional distress
The trial also includes a punitive damages phase that began later on Monday, which could result in additional financial penalties for Cosby.
Legal Defense and Broader Context
Cosby's attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, expressed disappointment with the verdict and confirmed plans to appeal. In court filings, Cosby's legal team argued that the allegations relied heavily on speculation, noting that Motsinger "freely admits that she has no idea what happened."
This civil verdict comes nearly five years after Cosby was released from prison in Pennsylvania. His criminal conviction was overturned by the state Supreme Court in 2021, leading to his freedom after serving nearly three years of a three- to 10-year sentence. That conviction involved similar allegations from Andrea Constand, a Temple University sports administrator, who testified as a witness in this recent trial.
Motsinger first made her allegations anonymously in a 2005 lawsuit filed by Constand. She came forward publicly in 2023, aligning with practices by media outlets like The Associated Press, which typically do not name sexual abuse survivors unless they consent to be identified.
Historical Allegations and #MeToo Era Impact
Motsinger's lawsuit adds to a long list of accusations against Cosby, with at least 60 women alleging rape, sexual assault, or harassment. Cosby has consistently denied all allegations. In 2022, another Santa Monica jury awarded $500,000 to a woman who said Cosby assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion in 1975 when she was a teenager.
Once celebrated as "America's Dad" for his role in television, Cosby became a prominent figure in the #MeToo movement. He was the first celebrity tried and convicted in this era, though his conviction was later permanently overturned. An appeals court found that Cosby had provided incriminating testimony in a deposition under the belief he had immunity from prosecution, leading to the dismissal of the criminal case.
