Bill
Cosby’s Mistrial – Justice or Mercy?
Husband was shocked when I announced this week that I
support Bill Cosby’s sexual assault case ending in a mistrial. He knows
how passionately I feel that sex offenders must be brought to justice.
He also knows why I have followed this particular case with focused
attention.
So why would I be pleased with a mistrial rather than
a guilty verdict?
Bill Cosby is one of the world’s best-known and
beloved entertainers. After the nationally divisive Viet Nam War he
taught us how to laugh again. During the racially tense 60’s and 70’s he
crossed ethnic boundaries. Bill Cosby used good, clean humor to give
white Americans a reason to like black Americans. Those bridges continue
to strengthen today.
It’s very hard not to like someone who made you laugh
so hard your face hurt. Everyone loved Bill Cosby.
Sexual assault allegations started in the 1980’s.
Dozens of women accused him of drugging and forcing them. Some were just
teenagers. They were not believed. Why? Because it would require that
people change their opinion of Bill Cosby. The detectives, attorneys,
prosecutors, and the public in general would have to quit laughing long
enough to see a darker side of the entertainer they loved.
I became personally interested in this case a few
years ago when I was marketing my book, “Laura and Me – An Offender and
Victim Search Together to Understand, Forgive, and Heal.” A radio
station in Illinois put me on a panel with one of the Cosby victims. Her
name didn’t mean much to me at the time. Andrea Constand. The topic was
recovery from sexual abuse.
Based on my own experience and the women I’ve
listened to and prayed with over the years, I believe Andrea Constand.
She filed her first lawsuit against Cosby in 2004, almost 20 years after
the incidents. The moderator asked why she waited so long.
“Two reasons. First, I was only 17-years old. I
wasn’t even sure that what he did to me was illegal back then. And
second, when I tried to file charges, no one believed me. He was Bill
Cosby: American Dad Cliff Huxtable and the Jell-O spokesman. Eventually
I had to move on with my life.”
Recently more women have come forward with the same
story.
Finally, Andrea Constand has had her day in court.
After six days of intense deliberations— longer than the combined time
the defense and prosecution spent presenting their cases—the judge
declared a mistrial Saturday. They could not reach a unanimous verdict
on the charges.
So why am I content with that result?
Andrea Constand courageously stood up and told the
truth, a huge step for an assault survivor. When our paths briefly
intersected, she had learned (1) we are not defined by the bad things
people do to us, (2) healing is the product of forgiveness, not the
other way around, (3) and our personal value is defined in our
relationship with God, not by other people. Andrea chose to move on and
excel.
Now, as for Bill Cosby... I’ve watched the news,
tabloids, talk shows, and sitcoms. He is a broken man. Cosby has aged at
an accelerated rate during the legal process. Everything he valued has
been stripped away: employability and national respect. No one is
laughing anymore. He is almost 80 years old and for the remainder of his
life Cosby will pay for his crimes in the public’s shaming derision.
Prison wouldn’t take away anything meaningful that
Bill Cosby hasn’t already lost.
“Godliness helps people all through life, while the
evil are destroyed by their wickedness.” (Proverbs 13:6)
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