Is it possible for Bill Cosby to be prosecuted in other states?
Bill Cosby is expected to be released from prison after his assault conviction was overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Wednesday, and experts say the chances of his being tried in another state are slim. The idea of prosecuting in a separate state, according to Vanderbilt law professor Nancy King, hinges on a few factors: Whether there was a crime that occurred in another state, and that depends on how the state defines what we call venue, she said. You have to figure out where the crimes happened so you can prosecute them. If a crime occurs in numerous states, nothing prevents two states from prosecuting a defendant for the same offense.  The issue, she explained, would be to determine whether the offense occurred in another state. Unless it happened in another state, I dont think they could retry him, said Cynthia Godsoe, a law professor at Brooklyn Law School. According to Godsoe, the chances of being tried elsewhere are limited due to both the statute of limitations (the time between the actual crime and the conviction) and the dual sovereignty clause. She expressed her disappointment by saying, Its really, very unfortunate. Godsoe also revealed that the Wednesday trial was fair and that the conviction was overturned because the previous prosecutor struck a very unethical agreement.  She went on to say, Prosecutors have much too much power and far too little transparency.  Cosby was sentenced to three to ten years in jail 14 years ago for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand at his Pennsylvania home. He was in the army for just over two years. More than 60 more women accused Cosby of sexual misbehavior or rape, but no charges were brought against him. Cosby has vehemently disputed all allegations and convictions, refusing to accept responsibility or sorrow. In a written statement, Gloria Allred, a womens rights advocate, said of the overturning:  The Pennsylvania Supreme Courts decision today to reverse Bill Cosbys conviction must be terrible for Bill Cosbys accusers. My heart goes out to the brave witnesses who testified in both of his criminal cases. A majority of the previous bad act accusers who testified were represented by me. Regardless of. This is a condensed version of the information.