Another Legal Win For Bill Cosby Against Sexual Assault Accuser
The federal judge in Cosby’s case spoke out to explain his ruling. Simply put, he’s saying that just because someone is being accused (but has not been proven guilty) of something, does not automatically deny them their right of freedom of speech to speak out and defend themselves against the allegations, such as what Cosby did when he stated that the women were lying and had ulterior motives-financially or otherwise:
JUDGE’S RESPONSE:
Via USA Today: “An accused person cannot be foreclosed … from considering the issuance of a simple and unequivocal denial — free from overall defamatory triggers or contextual themes. In the court’s view, such a situation would be inconsistent with basic First Amendment principles,” wrote U.S. District Judge Mark Mastroianni.
COSBY’S LAWYERS SPEAK ON WIN
“It is paramount in a free society to be able to insist on one’s innocence in the face of serious public accusations, and today’s ruling reinforces that fundamental right,” said Cosby’s current lawyer, Angela Agrusa, in an emailed statement to USA TODAY.
USAT: “Today’s ruling joins a growing list of dismissals of actions against Mr. Cosby,” the Agrusa statement said. “These decisions should also pave the way to the final dismissal of the remaining civil actions pending against Mr. Cosby,” including one brought by former model and reality TV personality Janice Dickinson in California.
COSBY’S TWEET ABOUT DEFAMATION WIN
— Bill Cosby (@BillCosby) February 16, 2017
USAT: McKee’s lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to the Associated Press.
This marks the third defamation lawsuit against Cosby that was either withdrawn or dismissed recently, prompting some Cosby crowing. However, another defamation case against him, filed by six accusers, is still pending in the same federal court in Massachusetts.
I’m no lawyer, but it did seem odd to me from the jump that Cosby was being sued for defamation for publicly claiming his innocence, although his accusers were allowed to publicly claim his guilt in the press. I don’t who’s right or wrong in these Cosby assault cases, but right or wrong, free speech should apply to all citizens of the U.S., so those other defamation ‘suits against him will probably have a tough fight on their hands proving otherwise. Anywho, we’ll keep y’all posted on Cosby’s more serious pending sexual assault cases and his upcoming trial.
