A spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections has announced that any rumors that Bill Cosby will be sent home because of the coronavirus is false. According to state laws, sex offenders do not meet the criteria for early prison release.
Billy Cosby, 82, has been sentenced to 3 ~ 10 years of imprisonment for sexual assault. He has been serving his sentence since September 2018. He is imprisoned at SCI Phoenix in Montgomery County.
Cosby’s representatives have expressed their discontent and shock with the decision.
According to Andrew Wyatt, Cosby’s representative, Cosby is in no physical condition to endure the life in prison. In particular, Wyatt emphasized Cosby’s age and blindness as two of the biggest reasons Cosby should be released.
Wyatt further explained that Cosby has to be escorted around by Certified Peer Specialists because of his blindness. His argument is that should any one of those specialists be infected with the coronavirus, his client will be in great risk of getting the virus.
Wyatt’s argument is that the nature of his client’s crime is irrelevant as a global pandemic rages on. He argues that standard procedures have been abandoned to mitigate the damage caused by the virus.
He even went as far as to say that it seems politically charged and biased that Cosby is not getting released, especially since the elderly have been shown to be much more vulnerable to the virus. Wyatt said that it is “very upsetting and disappointing”.
Wyatt stated that it is to his understanding that at least 3 staff members have died because of Covid-19 at the facility where Cosby is imprisoned at. This allegation has not been corroborated with any official records.
The sudden controversy over Cosby’s release was stirred as Pennsylvania’s governor ordered the relocation of some prisoners to either their homes or other correctional facilities. As aforementioned, sexual offenders were not included in this measure from the very beginning.
Bill Cosby was one of the most famous celebrity whose fame and reputation were destroyed in the MeToo movement. From forced drug usage to child sexual abuse, the nature of his crimes have shocked many as it was in such dramatic contrast with his warm media personality.
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Replaced!