As I ponder the consequences of the Cosby verdict spoken by a unanimous verdict, I am reminded of a conversation I once had with one of my mentors in 2006.  When I asked about the minuscule number of black men in any arena of society retiring from the game with both their money and reputation in tact, he remarked that black men’s biggest weaknesses were pussy and coke. He said that these vices accounted for the inability of men black men in places of wealth and power to retire from the great game without any of the fruits of their labor to leave to posterity.

Now, Now, Now, I am not playing the part of the penis police or the pussy patrol. I am just making an observation of the role of sex in the destruction of black male power and influence. Nor am I making a Red Pill argument for the wholesale abandonment of sexual contact with women. What I am saying is that in the high echelons of power, sex appears to be much more lethal weapon than a gun with a silencer. I will also decline in this article to compare Dr. Cosby’s conduct to Harvey Weinstein, President Donald Trump, Matt Lauer, or Bill O’ Reilly. I’ll leave that for the good folks over at Your Black World. But what I will say is that in the world of intrigue that is show business, sex, power and money are as American as apple pie and as available as water.

What is interesting, but not surprising, is the same old familiar pattern of extra-ordinary occurrences from simple human actions. So please allow me to put on my Oliver Stone glasses (No shade Oliver!…lol) so you can see what i’m saying. In 2004, Andrea Constand came to Bill Cosby’s Cheltenham Residence in Montgomery County, PA for some yet undisclosed purpose. At some point the two enjoy a glass of wine. She complains about some form of discomfort. Cosby offers her a half tablet of Benadryl. Costand takes the tablet and but does not go home, she decides to chill on the couch.

From there, it is unclear what kind of encounter occurred. But it is clear that something did occur. What Cosby maintains is that the encounter was consensual and that he even walked Constand to the door afterwards. According to the 2005 deposition, she did not appear angry, nor did she indicate that she did not consent to whatever it was that he did. Constand’s account was that she woke up with her bra unfastened and her clothes were open. She stated that she tried but could not fight him off.

Constand testified that she went to Cosby’s house on several occasions prior to the night in question. She stated that one time Cosby tried to unbutton her pants but she rebuffed him. Despite this un-welcomed sexual advance, Constand returned to Cosby’s residence. This was strange due to the fact that she implied that she had an aversion to Cosby since he was “a little younger than her grandfather.” More importantly, she is purported to be a lesbian.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUvq4YZlVQ0

From there, Constand stated that she had also had an aversion to traditional medicine. Yet, she took an un-identified blue pill from Cosby which he said was, in fact, benedryl.  No one even tried to explain why someone with an aversion to traditional medicine would take an unidentified pill from a man who on a prior occasion, initiated an un-welcomed sexual advance toward her? Constand next stated that she felt dizzy and began to see double. She testified that the next thing she remembered was: ““my vagina was being penetrated quite forcefully … I felt my dress come up — and he took my hand on his penis and masturbated himself with my hand … and I was not able to do a thing. I knew something was in there and I felt his fingers inside my vagina, in and out very forcefully.”

When” jolted awake” by this discovery, Constand does not leave. She instead remained at Cosby’s residence until 4 or 5 am when she awakened to discover her bra around her neck and her pants half unzipped. Bill Cosby walked her to the door where he told her that there was a muffin and tea on the table. She exited his home. She did not go to the police. There was no rape kit or toxicology report to ascertain what was in her system that made her lose consciousness twice in a row.

According to trial testimony, Constand shared a room with Temple University’s Basketball Team, Academic Adviser Marguerite Jackson. She tells Marguerite Jackson about the incident but does not reveal the identity of the celebrity who molested her. Jackson questions Constand about whether the assault actually happened. Constand answered, “I could say it did. I could say it happened, get that money. I could quit my job and go back to school. I could open up a business.” Jackson was prohibited from recounting this conversation in the 2017 criminal trial when a judge ruled her testimony hearsay. Why a judge would do this when the witness was in court and available to rebut the statements has never been explained. Although, she filed a criminal complaint in 2005, the Police Department failed to pursue the charges for lack of evidence. Additionally, the District Attorney at that time, failed to seek an indictment for the same reason.

Constand later filed a civil suit against Cosby for the assault and settled out of Court for $3.8 million dollars. The case was closed and the deposition transcripts were sealed due to a stipulated order. In 2016, Constand and her lawyer decided to re-open the files when new allegations of Cosby’s alleged sexual misconduct came to light. None of these allegations were ever prosecuted criminally. There were settlements on at least 2 of them. But those transcripts were sealed also. Therefore, in apparent solidarity with the alleged victims who failed to prosecute, a motion was filed to unseal the deposition transcripts. A judge ruled that the transcripts could be unsealed.

Suddenly, a new prosecutor campaigns in part on a promise to prosecute Bill Cosby. He is elected. County Prosecutor Kevin Steele seeks an indictment of Cosby before the Court. The Court states that there is enough evidence to indict Cosby and the trial is on. Nearly 12 yrs later, perilously close to the statute of limitations, the Court decided to try Bill Cosby. With only the deposition transcripts and the police report, Steele launches his attack in the absence of anything other than the above stated facts. As a result, Cosby gets a mistrial when the jury is unable to come to a unanimous verdict.

Steele vows to retry Cosby and in April 2018, the trial is on again. This time however, the Court allowed Marguerite Jackson to testify as to her conversation with Constand in 2005. But the trial judge effectively nullified Jackson’s testimony by allowing five alleged victims, who had not sought criminal prosecution against Cosby, to give testimony as to alleged incidents of sexual assault. Even though this evidence maybe presented to show motive, scheme or plan, this evidence is usually admitted only where there has in fact been a prior conviction. There were no prior convictions in this case. Apparently, the law in Pennsylvania is not in tandem with the Rule of Evidence in other states, or even the Federal Rules of Evidence.

On cross-examination, the prosecutor tried to allege that Jackson’s testimony was the result of coaching by Cosby’s Defense Attorneys. The controversy over Jackson’s testimony concerned quotation marks and certain words in the statement that appeared contradictory. The alleged discrepancy was neither material nor genuine. Constand took the stand and testified that she barely knew Jackson and didn’t remember sharing a room with her. The fact that she did not know of Jackson was incredulous to be sure, since Jackson was the academic adviser for the team where Constand was the Director of Operations. Side note! This blogger is aware of such an occurrence where academic advisers travel with the athletic teams. The stereotype is largely true. Generally, athletes tend to be as intelligent as pet rocks. They need advisement. Therefore, Jackson’s testimony contains alarming ring of truth.

So with no physical evidence, no toxicology reports, and the testimony of five witnesses whose allegations range from 15 to 20 yrs old, in the absence of criminal prosecution, the jury convicted Bill Cosby. The prosecutor used allegations of cases outside of the statute of limitations from women who had not even charged Cosby criminally in an American Court of Law. This is American Justice. This is business as usual. Dr Paul Butler of Georgetown University advocated that blacks engage in an action of Civil Disobedience through the act of jury nullification in non-violent property crimes only. This blogger believes that this act should be used judiciously when things just don’t make sense; like now. (In this case).

Bill Cosby’s lawyers will undoubtedly appeal this case due to the aforementioned procedural irregularities. Cosby is presently under the threat of an enhanced sentence due to the testimony of women who have not even given him the opportunity to face his accusers. As for his legacy, it will be washed away in a sea of salacious scandal and eternal intrigue. For as my mentor once said to me, when black men are eradicated from the corridors of wealth and power, the culprit is usually pussy or coke. Unfortunately, it’s both. And this time, he is all too prophetic.

TONY MACEO is a Senior Blogger at the Negromanosphere and the chief blogger at Power and Strategy.com. Like, share and subscribe to the website mailing list or the You Tube Channel. Like us on FB. or if you are so inclined, become a patron @ powerofstrategies at Patreon. Till Next time, I’ll Holla!