Bill Cosby was freed from prison and returned home on Wednesday, less than two hours after Pennsylvania’s highest court overturned his sexual assault conviction, saying he never should have faced charges after striking a non-prosecution deal with a previous district attorney more than 15 years ago.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued its split decision after Cosby had served more than two years of a three- to 10-year sentence following his 2018 conviction.
Cosby, 83, was released from a state prison in Shippack, Pennsylvania, just before 2:30 p.m. (1830 GMT), a corrections department spokesperson said.
Around an hour later, he arrived at his stately stone mansion in Elkins Park, a Philadelphia suburb. Wearing a short-sleeved shirt, he climbed out of a white SUV and flashed a peace sign before walking into the house with the assistance of another man.
The comedian and actor is best known for his role as the husband and father in the 1980s television comedy series The Cosby Show, earning him the nickname ‘America’s Dad.’
Victoria Valentino, one of the alleged victims of Cosby, said the court’s decision has “stunned” her.
“For this to come out of left field is — it’s a gut punch,” Valentino told CNN. “There’s no other way to describe it.”
Cosby is expected to hold a press conference soon.
More to come…
