An Arrest Warrant Has Just Been Issued For Bill Cosby

Well, things seem to be escalating regarding Bill Cosby’s sexual assault allegations. After hearing multiple women speak to Cosby’s apparent assault, it appears that one survivor has accrued enough evidence to warrant his arrest. That survivor, Andrea Costand, will likely serve as the first of many who will successfully be taking Bill Cosby to court for his charges. The District Attorney-elect who will be handling the case, Kevin Steele, made a statement about the proceedings moving forward:

Bill Cosby’s arrest is due to an alleged sexual assault on Andrea Costand from 2004. The incident began with Cosby allegedly making two separate advances toward Costand, both of which were rejected. The situation then escalated with Cosby allegedly pressuring her to drink more wine and possibly consume pills as well. The cumulation of the drugs and wine made Costand no longer legally able to give consent to relations with Cosby, as per her account. From a legal standpoint, intoxicated people are never able to consent to sexual relations, as they are impaired.

Andrea Costand’s case was reopened after Billy Cosby made a deposition regarding Costand. In this deposition, Cosby admits to giving women Quaaludes when he wanted to have sex with them. While Cosby didn’t admit to drugging the women against their knowledge, his deposition still highlights that the individuals were most likely too intoxicated to legally give consent.

This survivor’s case is further strengthened by what was happening in her personal life at the time of the attack. Reportedly, Andrea Costand identifies as a lesbian, and was in a relationship with another woman at the moment of assault. She describes Bill Cosby as a narcissist who was unable to understand that she was in fact a queer person. The proof of her self-identification further calls into question whether she would ever consent to relations with Cosby, even if she weren’t intoxicated.

At this point more than 50 women have blown the whistle on Bill Cosby’s apparent sexual assault and drugging past. That’s a small army. While Cosby has denied all of the claims, and has even gone so far as to sue the women for defamation of character, the sheer mass of survivors breaking their silence makes it seem like at least some of these claims may be legitimate.

Bill Cosby is perhaps best known for his time on the 80’s sitcom The Cosby Show. After its successful eight season run, the show was also aired on syndication for years. In fact, those reruns were only recently pulled from the air after the allegations were made against Cosby.

This is certainly a major step forward in the cases against Bill Cosby. With Andrea Costand apparently having a strong case agains the comedian, it is sure to be a media frenzy when Cosby is taken to court and the public sees if justice has been served.