Bill Cosby Found Liable for 1972 Sexual Assault, Jury Awards $19 Million
A California jury has found Bill Cosby liable for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 1972, awarding her $19 million in damages after a civil trial in Santa Monica.
The verdict, delivered Monday after a nearly two-week trial, found that the 88-year-old entertainer committed sexual battery and assault against Donna Motsinger. Jurors awarded $17.5 million for past harm and $1.75 million for future losses, including emotional distress, anxiety, and loss of enjoyment of life. A separate phase of the trial will determine whether additional punitive damages should be imposed.
Motsinger filed her lawsuit in 2023. According to the complaint, Cosby invited her to a stand-up performance in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1972 and gave her wine and pills she believed were aspirin. She said she drifted in and out of consciousness and later woke up at home partially unclothed, leading her to believe she had been drugged and assaulted.
Cosby’s lawyers disputed the claims in court filings, arguing the allegations rely on speculation and that Motsinger cannot say with certainty what occurred. Cosby has denied the allegations. He did not testify at trial.
The case is one of several brought against Cosby in recent years involving allegations from decades earlier. In 2022, a jury in Santa Monica awarded $500,000 to a woman who said Cosby assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion in 1975.
Civil cases use a lower standard of proof than criminal cases. Instead of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, jurors decide whether a claim is more likely than not to be true. That standard often plays a role in cases involving older allegations where direct evidence may be limited. A person can be found liable in civil court even if there is no criminal conviction.
Cosby’s legal history has included both criminal and civil proceedings. In 2018, he was convicted in Pennsylvania on criminal charges involving Andrea Constand, who also testified in this trial. The state’s Supreme Court later overturned the conviction, finding that his due process rights were violated after he gave incriminating testimony under the belief he would not be prosecuted. He was released from prison in 2021 after serving nearly three years.
Some states, including California, have passed laws allowing older sexual assault claims to be filed years later, even after standard legal deadlines have passed. These laws created limited time windows for people to bring claims that would otherwise have been barred.
In some civil cases, testimony from other accusers may be introduced to show a pattern of behavior, though each claim must still be evaluated on its own facts. The jury deliberated for just over a day before reaching its decision.
Unlike compensatory damages, which address harm suffered by an individual, punitive damages are meant to punish conduct considered especially harmful and discourage similar behavior. Jurors typically consider whether the conduct was intentional or showed a disregard for safety when deciding whether to award them.
The trial will now move into a punitive damages phase, where jurors will decide whether additional financial penalties should be imposed. Cosby’s attorney said they plan to appeal the verdict.
