In what we like to believe is a direct reference to the list of victim-blaming talking points recited by the defense in its closing arguments, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele says “fancy lawyering” can’t obscure the fact that Bill Cosby has admitted to giving women drugs in order to have sex with them. Cosby is on trial for the alleged 2004 assault of Andrea Constand, a former Temple University employee who says that Cosby drugged and molested her at his home in suburban Philadelphia after gaining her trust. That story parallels those of more than 60 women who accuse Cosby of doing the same thing to them; thanks to statutes of limitations, however, Constand’s case is the only one eligible for criminal prosecution.
In his closing argument, Steele argued that, although his team called witnesses to corroborate her story, Constand’s testimony alone should be enough to convict Cosby. “I would suggest to you that Andrea Constand is a victim,” he said. “A victim that has come before you and bared something very personal and very hard for us all to see.” Reminding the jury that Cosby admits to drugging women and called himself a “sick man” in a phone conversation with Constand’s mother, he added, “This is a very straightforward case. If you have sexual relations with someone when they’re out, when they’re asleep, when they’re unconscious, that’s a crime.”
The Cosby trial was expected to last at least two weeks, but wrapped up in just one. The case is now in the hands of the jury, which is composed of seven men and five women.