Bill Cosby has been found to be liable by a Los Angeles jury in a civil case brought by Judy Huth, a woman who claimed that he sexually abused her when she was 16 years old in the 1970s.
The jury, which comprised eight women and four men, awarded the victim, Huth, with $500,000 in damages but no punitive compensation was awarded. The woman first filed the case against Cosby in 2014, claiming sexual battery and both intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
Bill Cosby Verdict
The original filing stated that the incident happened in 1974 when Huth was only 15 years old; however, the timeline was later revised to 1975, when she was 16 years old. Through his lawyers, the defendant, 84 years old, denied all allegations of sexual misconduct.
Huth wrote in her complaint about her, meeting Cosby at a park where he was filming a movie. After he befriended Huth and one of her friends, Cosby allegedly invited them to join him at his tennis club, as per CNN.
Huth alleged that from then on the comedian invited them to a house where he served the young women multiple alcoholic drinks and then took them to the Playboy Mansion. The victim alleged that though Cosby knew her age and that of her friends he directed the teens "that if any of the Playboy bunnies asked their age, they should say they were 19."
Huth further claimed that the comedian took her to a bedroom in the mansion where he sexually molested her. The case comes as more than 50 women since 2005 have come forward accusing Cosby of sexual assault.
According to Deadline, Cosby claimed his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and did not testify in the two-week trial, unlike Huth. During the trial, a 2015 video deposition by the actor was played to the court and jurors. With his 2018 sex crimes conviction for the 2004 rape of Andrea Constand vacated by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in June 2021, the comedian is almost certain to appeal the recent verdict.
Sexual Abuse
Unlike other cases that Cosby is facing, he will not be given jail time if he loses against Huth's complaint. Huth's lawyer, Nathan Goldberg, said that the jury had to hold Cosby wholly and completely accountable for the harm that he did to his client.
At first, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Craig Karlan first indicated that he would accept a partial verdict in the case, but then he changed his mind when the bailiff informed him the building was closing and the Sheriff's Department could not incur overtime expenses.
Nine out of the 12 jurors, one was an alternate who stepped in on Monday, had to agree to reach a verdict on each issue with a "yes" or "no." The defendant's representative, Andrew Wyatt, said that the verdict was still a victory for Cosby, arguing that the defense was looking for millions of dollars. He added the amount awarded will not cover the legal bills and they will be appealing the case immediately, Fox News reported.
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