Pennsylvania, U.S. Supreme Court Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction was overturned on Wednesday because he reached an agreement with a former prosecutor that prevented him from being charged in the case.

The court ordered him to be released from prison.

Cosby has been serving for more than two years Three to ten years in prison In a state prison near Philadelphia. He vowed to serve for a full 10 years, rather than admitting any remorse for the 2004 meeting with the plaintiff Andre Constant.

Cosby, 83, was once known as “American Dad”. He was convicted of taking drugs and molesting Temple University employees in a suburban estate.

He was charged at the end of 2015, when a prosecutor armed with newly opened evidence-Cosby’s destructive testimony in the lawsuit-arrested him a few days before the 12-year statute of limitations expired.

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby left Montgomery County Courthouse in handcuffs after being sentenced in a sexual assault trial in Norristown, Pennsylvania on September 25, 2018 [File: Brendan McDermid/Reuters]

When the jury reached a deadlock, the trial judge only allowed the other plaintiff to testify in Cosby’s first trial. However, he subsequently allowed the other five accusers to testify about their experience with Cosby in the 1980s during the retrial.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court stated that the testimony tainted the trial, despite Lower appellate court It has been found appropriate to demonstrate the iconic patterns of drug use and harassment of women.

Cosby was the first celebrity to be tried and convicted in the #MeToo era, so this reversal may make prosecutors cautious about calling other accusers in similar cases. However, the law regarding previous bad behavior testimony varies from state to state, and the ruling is only valid in Pennsylvania.

Prosecutors did not immediately state whether they would appeal or seek a third trial of Cosby.

The judges not only expressed their concerns about sexual assault cases, but also believed that the judiciary is increasingly inclined to allow cross-border testimony to become a character attack. The law only allows testimony to be given in limited circumstances, including showing that the crime pattern is so specific to identify the perpetrator.

Harvey Weinstein leaves New York City Criminal Court after the bail hearing on December 6, 2019 [File: Scott Heins/Getty Images via AFP]

In New York, the judge who tried film mogul Harvey Weinstein last year asked four other accusers to testify, and his case sparked the outbreak of the #MeToo movement in 2017.Weinstein Sentenced Imprisonment to 23 years.

Weinstein now Face separate charges In California.

In Cosby’s case, one of his appeal lawyers stated that the prosecutor provided vague evidence for unaccused behavior, including Cosby’s testimony recalling in his testimony of drinking or having sex with women before sexual contact.

“For him, the presumption of innocence simply does not exist,” lawyer Jennifer Bonjean argued to the court in December.

In May, Cosby refused to participate in the sex offender program during nearly three years in a state prison, and was therefore refused parole. He has long stated that he will boycott the treatment plan and refuse to admit wrongdoing, even if it means serving up to 10 years in prison.

This is the first year he is eligible for parole after the 3-10 year sentence he was sentenced after his conviction in 2018.

Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt called the parole board’s decision “shocking.”

Cosby is a pioneering black actor who grew up in public housing in Philadelphia and has made an estimated $400 million in his 50-year entertainment industry career. His iconic clean comedy and simple wisdom have fueled popular TV shows, books and talk shows.

He fell out of favor while giving lectures in his later years Underworld Regarding family values, but when he was arrested, he was trying to make a comeback.

Assistant District Attorney Adrienne Jappe in the suburbs of Montgomery County argued to the judges: “Because of his position in the entertainment industry, and he claims to be a public moralist, he has built an inherent trust. degree.”

Cosby invited Constant to a manor he owned in Pennsylvania. That night, she said that Constant had drugged her and sexually assaulted her.

Constance, a former professional basketball player who worked at his alma mater, reported to the police a year later. The other accusers knew Cosby through the entertainment industry and did not report to the police.

The Associated Press usually does not identify victims of sexual assault without their permission, and Constand has agreed to this.