Our live coverage of Bill Cosby’s sentencing has concluded. For more, see our report.
On Tuesday afternoon, Bill Cosby was processed at the Montgomery Correctional Facility in Eagleville, Pennsylvania after being sentenced to 3-10 years in a state prison. He was also fined $25,000 plus the costs of prosecution.
Not long after, Cosby was then moved to State Correctional Institution at Phoenix, a state prison, for diagnostic and intake. There, his needs and health issues will be evaluated as officials decide which prison best suits him overall.
This process, which every inmate in the state prison system goes through, could take anywhere from weeks to months, Amy Worden of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections told CNN last week. Several factors go into this overall evaluation, including the prisoner’s age and Sexually Violent Predator assessment.
“The department of corrections has had high profile inmates before, and I’m sure we’ll have them again, so it’s not that much out of the ordinary,” Worden said.
“He’ll be treated like other inmates.”
See video of Cosby’s arrival at the Eagleville facility:
This post was updated.
Cosby accuser Lili Bernard, an actress who said Cosby drugged and raped her, told CNN that today’s verdict was a “hallelujah moment” for her despite feeling “mixed emotions” over its length.
“This is a momentous decision in the me-too era,” Bernard said. She added:
“It does indicate there is now a shift in the legal system that is now going to reflect modern culture and that now women’s voices are being believed and women’s lives are being valued.”
Watch more:
Bill Cosby’s PR representatives read out statements following the sentencing, decrying a “sex war” and referencing Jesus.
“I believe and think it is important to point out that this has been the most racist and sexist trial in the history of the United States,” said Andrew Wyatt, Cosby’s publicist. He claimed that some of those who testified against Cosby were “white women who make money off of accusing black men of being sexual predators.”
Wyatt also tied Cosby’s verdict to the accusations leveled against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, claiming both were victims in a “sex war.” He did not elaborate.
Wyatt later referenced the persecution of Jesus, saying, Cosby “knows that these are lies. They persecuted Jesus and look what happened. Not saying Mr. Cosby’s Jesus, but we know what this country has done to black men for centuries.”
Ebonee Benson, another PR representative, read a statement on behalf of Cosby’s wife, Camille Cosby. Camille was not in court for the sentencing.
Camille’s statement decried “falsified evidence,” claiming that Cosby had not been granted his right to a fair trial.
Bill Cosby was able to hide his crimes for decades behind his fame and fortune, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said at a press conference following the sentencing.
The comedian once known as America’s Dad was especially able to hide behind wholesome character on “The Cosby Show,” Dr. Cliff Huxtable, Steele said.
“It was a seminal character on TV, and so was the family, but it was fiction,” Steele said.
He continued:
Steele said the “real” Bill Cosby has finally been revealed.
“Finally, Bill Cosby has been unmasked, and we saw the real man as he is headed off to prison,” he said.
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Gloria Allred, an attorney who represented some of Cosby’s accusers, applauded the “just outcome” in a statement after the sentencing.
“This has been a long journey to justice for all of the accusers, particularly for Andrea Constand and for her family. And we respect the fact that they have undergone and endured this journey to justice,” Allred said, speaking to reporters.
“This is a very important day. Judgment day has come.”
“Mr. Cosby has shown no remorse, and there has been no justice for many of the accusers who were barred from a court by the arbitrary time limits imposed by the statute of limitations,” she added, praising the accusers who were “brave enough to speak to law enforcement.”
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Bill Cosby was just escorted out of the courtroom after being sentenced. He was seen leaving in handcuffs after Judge Steven O’Neill denied him bail.
“This is a serious crime he was convicted for. This is a sexual assault crime,” the judge said. The courtroom has been cleared.
Watch the moment:
Andrea Constand, the woman Bill Cosby was convicted of sexually assaulting, smiled as she left the courtroom today.
She stopped to hug another woman on her way out.
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Judge O’Neill has denied bail to Bill Cosby, according to a tweet from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s office.
In handing down his ruling to Bill Cosby today, Judge O’Neill said no one is above the law. He also referenced how brave Andrea Constand, who Cosby was convicted to sexually assaulting, was through this whole process.
Cosby would be sentenced regardless of “who he is or who he was,” O’Neill said.
“I have given great weight to the victim impact testimony in this case, and it was powerful,” he added.
Kathy McKee, a former actress who has accused Cosby of raping her, told CNN that listening to the news about Bill Cosby’s sentencing stirs up some “very difficult and deep emotions.”
Still, she said she is happy Judge Steven O’Neill sentenced Cosby accordingly and is grateful to Andrea Constand “for standing strong.”
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Judge Steven O’Neill handed down Bill Cosby’s sentence in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania court Tuesday afternoon at 2:10 pm.
Cosby, who is now 81, was convicted of assaulting Constand in his Pennsylvania home 14 years ago.
The defense earlier indicated it will appeal the conviction.
Bill Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 years in state prison on Tuesday for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand.
Cosby, 81, faced a maximum of 10 years in prison after prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed to merge the three counts of his conviction into one for sentencing purposes.
The DA tweeted:
Prosecutors asked for a sentence of five to 10 years in prison. However, Cosby’s defense attorney asked for a sentence of house arrest, citing Cosby’s advanced age and blindness.
Once a groundbreaking actor known as “America’s Dad,” Cosby was accused by dozens of women of drugging and sexually assaulting them over his decades as a powerful media figure.
Cosby was convicted in April of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and assaulting Constand at his home in 2004, in the first high-profile celebrity criminal trial of the #MeToo era.
Watch:
Bill Cosby faces a maximum of 10 years after prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed to merge the three counts of his conviction into one for sentencing purposes. (Judge O’Neill announced that the charges had been merged into one because they all stem from the same event.)
The state sentencing guidelines indicate 22 to 36 months in prison, plus or minus 12 months because of aggravating or mitigating circumstances.
An important note: The judge does not have to stick to the guidelines — he can issue a smaller or larger sentence, depending on various factors, with the maximum set at 10 years.
Prosecutors have asked for a sentence of five to 10 years in prison. However, Cosby’s defense attorney asked for a sentence of house arrest, citing Cosby’s advanced age and blindness.
Bill Cosby will be sentenced at 1:30 when court resumes.
Cosby did not address the court in his sentencing hearing. His attorney Joseph Green told the court Cosby did not want to speak.
Judge Steven O’Neill questioned to make sure he understood that decision. Cosby answered in a loud, clear “Yes”
Later he said he didn’t need to talk to his lawyer any more about that issue. “I do not need any more discussion on that,” Cosby said.
Commonwealth attorney Stewart Ryan proceeded to ask a series of questions to Cosby to confirm he understood that he had been convicted of the crime, and some of the requirements like mandatory registration and reporting to the police.
“If I went from a city to another city, do I have to - even if it’s just overnight - I have to get in touch with the state police,” Cosby asked Ryan. Ryan directed him to talk to his lawyers, but after a brief explanation Cosby said he understood.
Later, Cosby asked for more clarification on another question, which Ryan provided. Cosby then said he understood.
On one question about victim notification, Cosby asked Ryan if he had to notify Constand. Ryan corrected him and said it would happen through the program. “Good. Good. Yes,” Cosby responded.
If Cosby changes residences he will have to register.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania submitted the attached Sentencing Memorandum to the court regarding Bill Cosby’s sentence. They are asking for 5-10 years imprisonment, $25,000 fine, and funds to pay for the costs of prosecution.
“A sober view of this case and this defendant, without any regard to emotion or sympathy, can mean only one just sentence, and that is the maximum allowed by law. The Commonwealth respectfully requests that this Court impose a sentence of 5 to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $25,000 fine, and costs of prosecution,” the document states.
Here are some other key lines:
Judge Steven O’Neill has ruled Bill Cosby will be classified as a “sexually violent predator.”
The “Sexually violent predator” status – sometimes written as SVP – requires lifetime registration, lifetime mandatory sex offender counseling with a treatment provider and notification of the community that a “sexually violent predator” lives in the area.
It does not impact the length of the actual sentence. The sentencing hearing continues in Montgomery County Pennsylvania.
Andrea Constand submitted the attached victim impact statement to the court for Bill Cosby’s sentencing, which was not read aloud in court.
She took the stand Monday afternoon during the first day of Cosby’s sentencing proceedings, speaking briefly: “I have testified, I have given you my victim impact statement. You heard me, the jury heard me and Mr. Cosby heard me. All I’m asking for is justice as the court sees fit.”
Here are a few powerful lines:
It’s the second day of Bill Cosby’s sentencing hearing. We’re not exactly sure how the day will play out — there’s no formal schedule set — but here are four things we expect to happen today:
Several of Bill Cosby’s accusers are at the courthouse — including some who testified against him.
Andrea Constand, the woman Cosby was found guilty of drugging and sexually assaulting, is among them.
Several jurors from the trial are in the overflow room to watch the sentencing.
