#MeToo impact: Bill Cosby due sentencing, accusers want jail-time
What's the story
Bill Cosby's downfall remains one of the biggest achievements of the #MeToo movement. As the disgraced actor-comedian faces a sentencing hearing this week, two of his accusers expressed hope that he spends some time in jail. Cosby, accused of sexually assaulting and drugging several women, is now bearing the consequences of his actions in court. He is facing both civil and criminal charges.
Sentencing
Don't commit crimes, if you can't do the time
Bill Cosby is facing a sentencing hearing in three felony counts for aggravated indecent assault. Cosby was charged with drugging and molesting a woman, in 2004, in his Philadelphia home. Two other accusers, Chelan Lasha and Lise-Lotte Lublin, expressed the desire to read victim impact statements at his hearing. Lasha and Lublin were assaulted by Cosby in 1986 and 1989, respectively.
#MeToo and Justice
The effect of #MeToo on the justice process
This spring, fresh after the #MeToo movement gained global popularity, Cosby faced a retrial against Andrea Constand, the woman he had assaulted in Philadelphia. With the multitude of allegations facing Cosby, he could be looking at decades of jail time. As of now, more than 60 women have accused him of incidents that go back late 1960s. Hopefully, Cosby gets appropriate punishment this time.
Opinion
What this means for the #MeToo movement
Bill Cosby's legal woes are one of the most positive outcomes of the #MeToo movement. A social movement, instigating a legal reaction to take down a powerful man, who had formerly misused the patriarchal justice system, is exactly what #MeToo was meant to be about. Luckily, in this situation, the social upheaval led to a retrial and hopefully, justice will finally be served.