A civil trial jury found Tuesday that Bill Cosby abused a 16 year-old girl at the Playboy Mansion in 1976.
Judy Huth (now 64) was convicted by the Los Angeles County jury and she was awarded $500,000.
Jurors determined that Cosby had intentionally made harmful sexual contact to Huth. They also found that he believed Huth was under 18 and that his behavior was motivated by an abnormal or unnatural sexual interest in a minor.
The 84-year old entertainer was once America’s father and the jurors’ verdict is a significant legal defeat.
This comes almost a year after his Pennsylvania conviction for sexual assault was overturned and he was released from prison. After his insurer had settled many other legal claims against him, Huth’s lawsuit was the only remaining legal claim against him.
Cosby was unable to attend the trial and testify in person. However, jurors were shown clips from his 2015 video deposition in which he denied having sexual contact with Huth. Through his attorney and publicist, he continues to deny the allegation.
After two days of deliberations, jurors reached a consensus on almost every question on the verdict form. This included whether Cosby had abused Huth or whether she deserved damages. The jury foreperson was unable to serve any further due to a personal commitment. Therefore, the panel had no choice but to begin deliberations with an alternate juror Monday.
Cosby’s lawyers agreed that Cosby met Huth, her high school friend, on a Southern California film set April 1975. They then took them to Playboy Mansion a few weeks later.
Donna Samuelson, Huth’s friend and key witness, took photographs at the Cosby mansion, which was prominent at the trial.
Huth testified that Cosby tried to pull his pants down on Huth’s bed in the bedroom next to the game room, and then forced Huth to do sex.
Huth filed her suit in 2014. She claimed that her son turned 15 years old, the age she first remembers when she visited the mansion. A wave of women accusing Cosby with similar acts brought on new trauma from what she had experienced as a teenager.
Nathan Goldberg, Huth’s lawyer, told the jury of nine women (and three men) Wednesday during closing arguments that “my client deserves Mr. Cosby to be held accountable for the things he did.”
Goldberg stated, “Everyone knows inside their hearts that Mr. Cosby sexually assaulted Miss Huth.”
Huth won the case, which took Huth eight years to complete and faced many obstacles to reach trial.
Jennifer Bonjean, a Cosby attorney, repeatedly challenged Huth, Samuelson, over details in their stories and similarities in the accounts, which the lawyer claimed represented coordination between the women.
These included women claiming in pre-trial interviews and depositions that Samuelson played Donkey Kong on that day. This game was not released until six decades later.
Bonjean was very vocal about this in the “Donkey Kong defense” that both sides called.
Goldberg asked jurors not to dwell on small details that he claimed were common in stories older than 45 years and instead focus on the main issues. Goldberg reminded jurors that Samuelson had said “games similar to Donkey Kong” in her first deposition.
The Cosby lawyer opened her closing arguments with the words, “It’s on as Donkey Kong,” and ended by declaring, “game over.”
Huth’s lawyer reacted furiously to his rebuttal.
“This is about justice!” He shouted, pounding the podium. “We don’t need game over! We need justice!”
Unless they are willing to come forward, the Associated Press will not usually name anyone who claims they were sexually abused.
