Do you know why Cosby would have testified and given testimony damaging to himself, even if he was give immunity? Why would his lawyers have allowed it, and what was the benefit to him?
When you get immunity they can force you to testify. That part of self-incrimination is gone because they gave you immunity from prosecution. You cannot take the 5th because you cannot incriminate yourself anymore. They did that because they told Cosby they had no intention of ever charging him criminally because the evidence didn’t support it so they didn’t mind giving him immunity so he would have to ... HAVE TO ... testify in the civil cases. Then they said ‘surprise! You’re not immune after all! Thanks for all that testimony!’
The advantage to Cosby is that he wouldn’t have to spend decades in prison if he agreed to testify truthfully in the civil trial.
He would not have testified in the civil trial without immunity.
Cosby is a sleazeball, but his victims got the money they should have gotten. They got some justice. If not for the no-prosecution deal, they’d have to wait at least another 10 years to get paid, so I wouldn’t be too hard on the previous DA.
Testimony is mandatory in Civil cases. They did an end run.
The Supremes should take up the case and further castigate the very corrupt prosecution on the other issues the Pa Supremes ignored !!!