Jury Awards $19 Million to Woman in Civil Sexual Assault Case Against Bill Cosby

A California jury has awarded $19 million in damages to a woman who accused Bill Cosby of sexually assaulting her more than 50 years ago.

The verdict was handed down in Los Angeles, where Donna Motsinger filed a civil lawsuit alleging Cosby drugged and assaulted her in 1972. According to testimony, Motsinger said the incident occurred after she attended one of Cosby’s comedy shows, where he allegedly gave her wine and a pill that left her incapacitated.

Cosby, now 88, did not testify during the trial. His attorney says he plans to appeal the jury’s decision.

The case marks another legal development in the long-running series of allegations against the comedian and actor. Cosby was previously convicted of sexual assault in Pennsylvania in 2018 and served about three years of a sentence before that conviction was overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court due to issues with how prosecutors handled the case.

Cosby has consistently denied all allegations made against him.

The civil ruling in California does not involve criminal charges but reflects the jury’s finding of liability in the decades-old accusation.

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