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Bill Cosby Found Liable for 1972 Assault, Ordered to Pay $19.25 Million

The ruling underscores how California’s expanded window for civil sexual‑assault claims is reviving long‑dormant cases.

Overview

  • A Los Angeles civil jury ordered Cosby to pay $19.25 million to Donna Motsinger, allocating $17.5 million for past trauma and $1.75 million for future psychological suffering, with potential additional damages to be set later.
  • Jurors found Motsinger credible in alleging Cosby drugged and raped her after inviting her to a show in Sausalito in 1972.
  • Cosby did not take the stand during the two‑week trial, and his attorney Jennifer Bonjean said the defense will appeal the verdict.
  • Motsinger’s suit moved forward under recent California laws that reopen a limited period for civil claims over older sexual assaults that would otherwise be time‑barred.
  • The verdict arrives after decades of accusations by more than sixty women and after Cosby’s 2018 Pennsylvania criminal conviction was overturned in 2021 because of a prior deal with prosecutors.