Fordham Law Professor James Cohen was quoted by People on whether a jury might find the disgraced comedian guilty of aggravated indecent assault, charges that carry up to 10 years in prison.
“The accuser has already won this case. She settled her civil suit against him and got significant monetary damages. On that level, she’s already won,” says James A. Cohen, a professor at New York City’s Fordham Law School.
The battle inside the courtroom could be heightened if other accusers are allowed to testify. Cohen says a handful could be allowed to testify to show “similar act conduct,” which would show a pattern of behavior.
“No way in the world is any judge in the country going to let 50 supposed victims testify at trial when only one person is alleged to be the victim of the defendant,” Cohen says. “That’s not to say the court would not permit three, four, five victims to testify … The impact is very, very powerful.”
On the flip side, Cohen says Cosby has the passage of time on his side. It has been more than 11 years since the alleged assault of Constand, a former Temple University employee, at his Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, mansion.