All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[AnakinFlair]

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has overturned Bill Coby's conviction, and he will soon be released from Prison. Apparently, they say because of a verbal agreement with a former DA who said that he wouldn't prosecute him, the trial should never have taken place.

[Zauriel]

Bill Cosby walks away as a free man...

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...vania-n1272748

[JackDaw]

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has overturned Bill Coby's conviction, and he will soon be released from Prison. Apparently, they say because of a verbal agreement with a former DA who said that he wouldn't prosecute him, the trial should never have taken place.

A verbal agreement??

I know verbal agreements can be as binding as written ones…but allowing verbal agreements to operate in such an important area (as promising immunity from future prosecutions) seems self evidently profoundly dangerous.

And I can see granting immunity might be justified in very rare cases…when for example it facilitates catching a more serious criminal…but what on Earth justified it in this case?

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Isn't Cosby in ill health anyhow and near blind ? This almost seems like a mercy release. Its terrible to see and a shame justice didn't come sooner for Cosby. Just a terrible deal all around.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Well, infamous? Or incompetent? Those would have pretty different meanings.

James K. Polk and Andrew Jackson were both competent enough to be close to supervillains, but not bumbles. On the other hand, there pre-Civil War presidents are mostly painfully inadequate non-entities who didn’t do anything.

Well, there was Trump with all the grifting, abuse of office, fomenting hate and racism, his inaction regarding the COVID crisis that led to half a million deaths and his actions that led to the 1/6 riot at the Capitol, easily making him perhaps the most infamous. Then there's Dubya on who's watch the most devastating terrorist attack on U.S. soil took place, followed by launching needless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that resulted in lost and damaged lives of scores of servicemen and servicewomen.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has overturned Bill Coby's conviction, and he will soon be released from Prison. Apparently, they say because of a verbal agreement with a former DA who said that he wouldn't prosecute him, the trial should never have taken place.

Just heard about that. Cosby might be free, but he doesn't have much in the way of a future. At 82 and feeble (legally blind), he'll spend the rest of his days as a pariah, long since judged and convicted in the court of public opinion of being a rapist.

[Scott Taylor]

No more pudding commercials for Bill, or anything else.

Sad. I grew up on records like Wonderfulness.

[JCAll]

Reagan is problematic here, especially in the Pursued Equal Justice for All category. And hie Economic record is pretty bad.

Don't forgetting Crisis Leadership, his handling of the AIDS crisis was unspeakable.
Looking at the chart his major category seems to be "Vision/Agenda Setting". Which makes sense.
Sure, he may have set us on the path to destruction, but he did set us on the path.

[JCAll]

Cosby getting to walk because of Freddy Krueger technicality makes too much sense.

[The Cool Thatguy]

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has overturned Bill Coby's conviction, and he will soon be released from Prison. Apparently, they say because of a verbal agreement with a former DA who said that he wouldn't prosecute him, the trial should never have taken place.

The verbal agreement seems like it was only given so that Cosby wouldn't perjure himself under oath in a civil trial.

So, WTF? Pleading the 5th doesn't work in civil

[The Cool Thatguy]

Cosby getting to walk because of Freddy Krueger technicality makes too much sense.

Wonder how many people are gonna claim that racism is over because Cosby bought his way out of jail.

[Ragged Maw]

Wonder how many people are gonna claim that racism is over because Cosby bought his way out of jail.

At the very least, it shows which kind of “privilege” greases the system more. Why else do you think “generational wealth” comes up often in “social justice” discourse?

[AnakinFlair]

The verbal agreement seems like it was only given so that Cosby wouldn't perjure himself under oath in a civil trial.

So, WTF? Pleading the 5th doesn't work in civil

Listening to the analysis, it really did sound like they wanted an excuse to release him from prison, so they pulled this.

It's also important to note that the Pen. Supreme Court didn't say Cosby was innocent. They said the trial should have never taken place.

[JackDaw]

The verbal agreement seems like it was only given so that Cosby wouldn't perjure himself under oath in a civil trial.

So, WTF? Pleading the 5th doesn't work in civil

???

On the surface that seems totally insane. “I’ll give you immunity from prosecution so you don’t lie in a future trial”

Can the ex-DA be sued for gross incompetence?

[JackDaw]

Listening to the analysis, it really did sound like they wanted an excuse to release him from prison, so they pulled this.

Why would anybody be looking for an “excuse” to release him?

Given his age and frailty I could easily see the case for a mercy release IF he had showed any signs of true remorse. (Not sure if his victims would agree!)

[AnakinFlair]

Why would anybody be looking for an “excuse” to release him?

Given his age and frailty I could easily see the case for a mercy release IF he had showed any signs of true remorse. (Not sure if his victims would agree!)

Money?

I don't know. But the reason they used seems to be full of holes big enough for Fat Albert to walk through.

Meanwhile, Allison Mack has been sentenced to 3 years for the sex cult thing.