Posted on 01/02/2016 7:03:31 AM PST by C19fan
This week, Bill Cosby was charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault. The felony charges stemmed from an incident more than a decade ago, in which Andrea Constand says Mr. Cosby drugged and assaulted her in his home. Mr. Cosby says he intends to fight the charges, and no court has found him liable for sexual misconduct.
The timing of the criminal charges was not arbitrary. The date of the alleged assault was Jan. 15, 2004, and Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations for rape and sexual assault is 12 years: If prosecutors had delayed two and a half weeks, the limit would have tolled.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Uh oh, this could be bad news for Billy Jeff Clinton.
War on the Penis
Oh, you are hilarious! /s
Need to make the same rule for those who make false accusations - with even harsher penalties....
You can’t make it retroactive.
I think you have to make a distinction between a rapist a woman knows and one she does not
For the latter, I might support an extension, especially if there is DNA evidence.
For the former, however, even the current 12 years makes absolutely no sense. If anything, it should be radically shortened. 60 days should be enough time for a woman to decide if sex with someone she knew was rape or not. Or, more likely, to work up the courage to report it. Anything longer than that becomes a “he said, she said” type situation.
Time tends to distort memories.
You mean to say the statute of limitation is now expanded to include more than Catholic priests? With priests it extends beyond their graves.
The probem in this case isn’t going to be the statute of limitations. The problem with this case is going to be human memory over a long stretch of time and the viability of evidence. I have no idea what the prosecutor is thinking on this one. I am not saying Cosby is innocent. I am saying that, some 12 years on it’s gonna be difficult to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. We’ll see.
CC
I remember an interview with late actor Robert Culp. He was asked about having starred in a 60s show with black comedian Bill Cosby. He said Cosby wasn’t difficult to work with, but added, “He was the angriest young man I’d ever met.”
In a related bill, witnesses will no longer be required for a rape conviction, just outrage from anyone claiming to be victim. The charge can be substantiated by physical evidence, that of possession of a penis with in city limits. If possession is verified, intent is presumed.
There is a very good reason why there is a statue of limitations for most crimes (murder excepted)—the presumption of innocence and the guarantee of a fair trial. With the passage of time witnesses die, memories fade and become unreliable, and in general it becomes impossible to offer a fair trial guarantee.
Exactly!
True. But if you DNA evidence, then that is something solid to hang your hat on.
I can see a case where a serial rapist operates over years, even decades. When he is finally caught, then his victims can have justice.
Cosby’s case is a little more muddled. Apparently, women were reporting it all along. In some cases, the DA might have opted not to prosecute out of lack of evidence (including reliability of the victim) and Cosby’s celebrity status. In others, it seems like the women opted for a lawsuit vs. criminal charges.
In any case, it’s a big waste of time at this point. At 78, Cosby will never go to prison. And his career & legacy are in ruins at this point anyway.
Twelve years is not enough? Are you kidding me?
Rape is not one of those things a female should be confused about -— it either happened or it didn’t. It should be reported at once.
And the statute of limitations should be under 5 years.
And I’m a female.
Wow, what a hard-hitting poster.
“There is a very good reason why there is a statue of limitations for most crimes (murder excepted)—the presumption of innocence and the guarantee of a fair trial. With the passage of time witnesses die, memories fade and become unreliable, and in general it becomes impossible to offer a fair trial guarantee.”
A true rape is not something a woman will ever forget.
The accused is an unforgettably famous person.
A limitation on rape might apply if the alleged act is not reported to the police or hospital or a licensed medical practitioner within 14 days.
Doesn’t the FBI computer system allow rape reports to be entered into it? Didn’t at least a few of the women accusers talk to the police after their alleged incidents?
Yes! That throws far too much power into the hands of some nut job females. The accuser MUST have definitive evidence, and not some “feeling” that she was abused or raped. Even the mere accusation or mention of such an event without suit needs to be dealt with severely.
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