Bill Cosby sexual assault lawsuit reached a major legal milestone on Monday when a jury awarded $19.25 million to Donna Motsinger, a woman who says Cosby assaulted her in 1972. The verdict marks another chapter in decades of legal battles surrounding Cosby’s alleged sexual misconduct.
Motsinger, who was working as a waitress at the Trident restaurant in Sausalito, California, claimed that Bill Cosby picked her up in a limousine and brought her to his comedy show in San Carlos. According to her lawsuit, he offered her a glass of wine during the ride, and she began to feel sick once inside his dressing room. She said she went in and out of consciousness and later woke up in her own home, partially undressed.
The trial began in early March and concluded with the jury finding Cosby liable for both compensatory and punitive damages. The jury decided that Motsinger was entitled to $19.25 million in compensatory damages, while a separate proceeding will determine the final amount for punitive damages meant to punish Cosby for his actions.
Cosby’s legal team immediately announced plans to appeal. Attorney Jennifer Bonjean said, “We are disappointed but will be appealing.” Cosby has consistently denied Motsinger’s claims, and his lawyers described the allegation as speculative, arguing that Motsinger could not remember the details of the incident clearly.
The lawsuit was filed in 2023, after California temporarily suspended the statute of limitations for certain sexual assault claims under a law signed by Governor Gavin Newsom. This change allowed survivors like Motsinger to pursue legal action decades after the alleged incidents occurred.
Cosby, now 88, has faced multiple legal actions over sexual assault allegations. In 2018, he was convicted in Pennsylvania but later released after an appeals court overturned the conviction because prosecutors violated a prior agreement. In a separate case, he was ordered to pay $500,000 to Judy Huth, who alleged that Cosby assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion in 1975 when she was 16. Cosby withdrew his appeal of that verdict earlier this year.
The latest ruling adds to Cosby’s history of civil liability for sexual misconduct claims and reinforces the growing trend of courts reconsidering decades-old allegations. Legal experts note that these decisions send a broader message about accountability and the long-term implications of sexual assault cases, even when the incidents occurred decades ago.
