MISTRIAL Bill Cosby -- Charged W/Aggravated Sexual Assault/Other Rape Allegations #5

[msphilosopher]

I'm no expert in the court room but why are there more men than women in the jury?

 

[Jamais]

My opinion only, men tend to be less judgmental regarding 'affairs' and sexual encounters then women.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Jun 6 2017, 5:03 am ET

Bill Cosby Sexual Assault Trial: Six Takeaways From Day One

by Tracy Connor and Hannah Rappleye

NORRISTOWN, Pa. — A celebrity cameo. Powerful opening statements. A crying witness. A blistering cross-examination.

The first day of Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial was full of drama and emotion, the tension between the prosecution and defense on full display in a packed Pennsylvania courtroom where jurors followed the action like they were watching a tennis match...

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/bi...ual-assault-trial-six-takeaways-day-1-n768601

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I'm no expert in the court room but why are there more men than women in the jury?

Imo, men who are jurors seem to be less emotional and they look at the facts while disregarding the drama. Some women tend to be very harsh in their opinions of other women. I think it is a good makeup of the jury.

All I hope is in the end they will all vote unanimously and for once make BC accountable for his decades of serial assaults/rapes. I certainly hope none of them cloud their vision simply because of who he is. They need to look at the criminal acts he committed and not as America's Dad.

We have seen both men and women (several women have been on these kind of cases where the (Hollywood star) defendant walked) swayed by this before, and I pray that injustice doesn't happen here.

 

[msphilosopher]

Those reasons seem a little sexist IMO.

 

[barcode]

One does have to admit the more than 50 calls seems a little fanatic.

 

[zencompass]

My opinion only, men tend to be less judgmental regarding 'affairs' and sexual encounters then women.

I understand what you are saying and I respect your opinion.

If we are generalizing then I would state that my opinion is that regardless of a person's sexual makeup, few would look kindly upon hearing about sexual assault.

Affairs are one thing, drugging and having sex with a person without their consent is another.

Men or women, we all know someone in our lives who has been raped and we have seen the devastating effects on their lives.

 

[zencompass]

Since each one of us, male of female, are individuals, unique with our perspectives and our life experiences, we each have our own opinions.

I believe that the idea of drugging and taking advantage of someone sexually is repulsive to the majority of people, regardless of their sexual makeup.

Regardless of our sex, we each have different opinions, thoughts and beliefs. To the majority of people, in my opinion, sexual assault is abhorrent.

 

[zencompass]

https://twitter.com/MontcoCourtNews/with_replies?lang=en

The reporter mentions the theme of "betrayal" in this case. This theme runs through cases of sexual assaults which are perpetrated by someone known to the victim.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

06/06/2017

Cosby’s lawyer attacks 1 accuser as sex assault trial opens

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Bill Cosby’s lawyer asked jurors Monday not to view him as a fallen celebrity on trial in a sexual assault case, but as a flawed man “whose infidelities have made him vulnerable” to these types of accusations.

Cosby, 79, the champion of fatherhood and family values, walked into court without his wife of more than 50 years, Camille, or any of their four daughters. He was instead joined by a TV daughter, Keshia Knight Pulliam, who was five when he made her a child star on the “The Cosby Show.”

A prosecutor in opening statements urged the jury to focus on the man, not the fictional characters he created.

“Actors and actresses, celebrities as a whole … they become larger than life. We have a collective imagination of all of the characters they portray and, because of that, we think that we really know them,” Assistant District Attorney Kristen Feden said. “In reality, we only have a glimpse of who they really are.” ...

http://www.wildabouttrial.com/one_off/cosbys-lawyer-attacks-1-accuser-as-sex-assault-trial-opens/

I wish this trial was being live streamed. I'd be watching.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Jun 6 2017, 1:29 pm ET

Cosby Trial: Andrea Constand Testifies That Comedian Sexually Assaulted Her

by Tracy Connor and Hannah Rappleye

NORRISTOWN, Pa. — The woman at the center of the Bill Cosby trial took the stand Tuesday and told a jury that the comedian sexually assaulted her while she was incapacitated from pills he gave her at his home in 2004.

“I was frozen…I was very limp,” Andrea Constand told the seven men and five women who will decide Cosby’s fate during a dramatic afternoon in Montgomery County Court. “I wanted it to stop.”

Cosby, 79, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of aggravated indecent assault, the only criminal charges stemming from dozens of accusations of sexual misconduct lodged against him in the last two years...

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/bi...s-preview-andrea-constand-s-testimony-n768641

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Jun 7 2017, 4:58 am ET

Bill Cosby Sexual Assault Trial: Five Takeaways From Day Two

by Tracy Connor and Hannah Rappleye

The woman Bill Cosby is charged with drugging and molesting returns to the witness stand on Wednesday, and the comedian's lawyer suggested she will turn up the heat.

"Just getting started," defense attorney Angela Agrusa told reporters as she left the Montgomery County Courthouse on Tuesday after she spent a couple of hours cross-examining Andrea Constand...

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/bi...-assault-trial-five-takeaways-day-two-n769061

 

[wendiesan]

I'm no expert in the court room but why are there more men than women in the jury?

Just adding my two cents here, but I think that in this particular jury, the resulting constitution of the jury could be based on the makeup of the original jury pool and shows the results of the various tests administered when vetting the people in that pool. As well, lawyers may have challenged potential members of the jury for a variety of reasons.
I thought it was an interesting observation, and did a little additional looking on other influences.
Counterintuitive as it seems to me to be, some recent studies have indicated that a jury consisting of more women than men is "less likely to convict in rape cases". [http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/stanford-rape-case-female-dominated-juries-less-likely-to-convict-in-rape-cases-404525.html} (In fact, the documentary Is this Rape? Sex on Trial, contended that "the victim, rather than the defendant, come under the most scrutiny". [http://theconversation.com/is-jury-bias-preventing-justice-for-rape-victims-60090].)
An example of a verdict that might indicate anti-victim bias, or perhaps pro-wealth bias, was the recent decision of Tennessee jury.

...in Memphis, defense attorney Steve Farese Sr. told a jury of 9 women and 3 men that his wealthy client, businessman Mark Giannini, was not guilty of rape and that the victim was lying. Said Farese, “Women can be especially good at it (lying) because they’re the weaker sex and we … and we want to protect them and not have anybody take advantage of them, at least I https://rumpydog.com/2017/04/22/its-all-her-fault/do.; http://www.dreamindemon.com/community/threads/attorney-steve-farese-tells-a-rape-trial-jury-that-women-are-especially-good-at-lying.89035/”

The defendant was found not guilty.

 

[Hatfield]

From above link:

"Kelly Johnson, the first witness for the prosecution in the criminal trial against Bill Cosby for sexual assault against Andrea Constand, broke down and wept as she recalled an alleged assault by Cosby at the Bel Air hotel in 1996."

"The former William Morris assistant recalled how Cosby had invited her for lunch but how it quickly transpired that the lunch which she had assumed would be at the hotel was in a bungalow he had reserved."

"She recalled that he answered the door dressed in a bathrobe and slippers.
He tried to get her to drink wine but she described herself as ‘not much of a drinker.’

"As she described her increasing discomfort her voice trembled and she clutched a tissue as she related how he told her ‘You look like you need to relax.’

"Mining her memory she said ‘He held his hand like this, ‘she clenched her first before her. ‘He opened his hand and there was a big white pill in his palm.’

"Under extreme duress Johnson said she decided to feign taking it, intending to hide it under her tongue and spit it out in the bathroom."

"But when she pretended to swallow it with water he offered her wine and said: ‘Open your mouth. Lift up your tongue. And I did and there it was.’

"She then swallowed."

"Soon, she said she felt ‘underwater.’

IMO

Her testimony rings true to me. This part "there was a big white pill in his palm." rings true since many years ago I did see real qualudes before they discontinued them and they were rather large in size and were white in color.

As she talks about her reaction to them that also sounds like she is telling the truth.

I think she is coming across as a credible witness.

 

[Truthy]

IMO

Her testimony rings true to me. This part "there was a big white pill in his palm." rings true since many years ago I did see real qualudes before they discontinued them and they were rather large in size and were white in color.

As she talks about her reaction to them that also sounds like she is telling the truth.

I think she is coming across as a credible witness.

And the thing is, he could get her fired, blacklisted with one call. That's why he knew he could pressure her. Ugh.

 

[msphilosopher]

Just adding my two cents here, but I think that in this particular jury, the resulting constitution of the jury could be based on the makeup of the original jury pool and shows the results of the various tests administered when vetting the people in that pool. As well, lawyers may have challenged potential members of the jury for a variety of reasons.
I thought it was an interesting observation, and did a little additional looking on other influences.
Counterintuitive as it seems to me to be, some recent studies have indicated that a jury consisting of more women than men is "less likely to convict in rape cases". [http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/stanford-rape-case-female-dominated-juries-less-likely-to-convict-in-rape-cases-404525.html} (In fact, the documentary Is this Rape? Sex on Trial, contended that "the victim, rather than the defendant, come under the most scrutiny". [http://theconversation.com/is-jury-bias-preventing-justice-for-rape-victims-60090].)
An example of a verdict that might indicate anti-victim bias, or perhaps pro-wealth bias, was the recent decision of Tennessee jury.
The defendant was found not guilty.

Very informative. That makes sense. Thank you for sharing

I only keep a critical of the jury selection because well how the jury is stacked may very well determine the verdict.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Any thoughts on why Cosby's wife hasn't attended the trial? He's had a different woman at his side each day, but Camille hasn't been one of them. :waitasec:

 

[MsJosie]

Any thoughts on why Cosby's wife hasn't attended the trial? He's had a different woman at his side each day, but Camille hasn't been one of them. :waitasec:

I would think she would not want to hear about all of the testimony. To me, it was evident she knew but turned her back on the escapades....or IF she is testifying, she might not beable to be in the court room until after her testimony. Does anyone know if she is testifying?

 

[zencompass]

In my view, the Defense attorneys would not be pleased that the spouse of a defendant is not showing support by attending in Court.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I would think she would not want to hear about all of the testimony. To me, it was evident she knew but turned her back on the escapades....or IF she is testifying, she might not beable to be in the court room until after her testimony. Does anyone know if she is testifying?

I hadn't considered that Mrs. Cosby might be testifying at her husband's sexual assault trial. :thinking: