Cosby is still guilty

While Bill Cosby's accusers are understandably upset, to put it mildly, by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturning his conviction for sexual assault, it's crucial to remember that the court didn't find that the evidence against him was false. The court didn't find that he didn't do the things he was accused of doing.

No, the court vacated his conviction because a prior prosecutor gave Cosby what I've heard described as a "handshake" promise that the disgraced comedian's testimony in a civil matter wouldn't result in criminal charges. The state high court ruled that Cosby should never have faced the trial that ended in his conviction and imprisonment.

If ever one were justified in saying somebody got off on a technicality, this would be the time.

Now, I can frankly agree with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's vacating of the conviction. Cosby relied on the prosecutor's word, it seems. If you're pissed that he got off, blame the original prosecutor, one Bruce L. Castor, Jr. I don't know if he should have entered into the agreement with Cosby in the first place, but having done so, he should have made that fact clear to his office. Sloppy, Mr. Castor.

(It's of some interest that after leaving his prosecutor job, Castor went on to cover himself with glory — or something — defending the domestic Dear Leader during the latter's second impeachment trial. If Senate Republicans hadn't had the fix in from the beginning, Castor would very likely have cemented his place in history for a shambolic "defense" that led to the first presidential impeachment conviction. Castor is not my idea of a fine legal mind, nor does he seem to be detail-oriented.)

However, let me repeat that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court didn't find what was revealed at trial to be untrue. And what was revealed at trial convinced a jury to convict Cosby.

Cosby did the things of which he was accused.

He no longer has this criminal conviction on his record — but he is in no way innocent.