California jury orders Bill Cosby to pay $19.25m in assault case
The woman, Donna Motsinger, told the court that Cosby picked her up in a limousine, gave her wine and a pill, and that she later lost consciousness.
A California civil jury has ordered Bill Cosby to pay $19.25 million to a woman who said he drugged and sexually assaulted her in 1972, in one of the latest legal setbacks for the former entertainer.
The woman, Donna Motsinger, told the court that Cosby picked her up in a limousine, gave her wine and a pill, and that she later lost consciousness. She said she woke up at home partly unclothed and believed she had been raped. The case was heard in Santa Monica, where jurors found Cosby liable after a trial lasting nearly two weeks.
The award announced so far consists of $17.5 million for past suffering and $1.75 million for future suffering. Jurors also found that Cosby acted with the level of misconduct that could justify punitive damages, meaning the total could still rise. Some reports published later said the full award was subsequently increased to $59.25 million after punitive damages were added.
Cosby, now 88, denied the allegations. His lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, said he intends to appeal the verdict.
The case adds to decades of allegations against Cosby by dozens of women. His 2018 criminal conviction in Pennsylvania was overturned in 2021 on procedural grounds, leading to his release from prison.
