There have been some significant legal cases throughout American history that show the flaws of its' justice system. From the O.J. Simpson case to the Casey Anthony case, there are some trials that just infuriate the American public. The Bill Cosby trial is one of those cases where the American justice system should be called into question.
Ever since Cosby was accused of sexual assault from sixty (!) women in 2014, the comedian soon turned into a criminal. However, accusations were being made well before that, and no one glanced an eye at Cosby. As his rape trial began this year, many were thinking that finally after all these years, Cosby would be brought to justice.
However, after deliberations, Cosby's rape case ended in mistrial. The jurors of the case failed to reach a unanimous decision on charges that Cosby drugged and raped plaintiff Andrea Constand in 2004. According to Buzzfeed, "The sequestered jury of five women and seven men spent more than 50 hours over six days reviewing testimony as they tried to reach a verdict, often working late into the night. All jurors agreed there was "hopeless deadlock that cannot be resolved on further deliberations."
This doesn't necessarily mean Cosby is off the hook. The prosecution is immediately going to re-try the case, in order to find a unanimous decision. However, this shows how skewed the American justice system is. The reason being is that on the same weekend, another high-profile case was resolved, but with very different implications.
The Philando Castile verdict was delivered the same week as Cosby's verdict, yet it shows how the justice system functions in the United States. Castile, who was shot by a Minnesota police officer, which was also filmed on a dashboard camera. This should be enough evidence for the officer to be guilty on all counts and give the Castile family justice. But that was not the case. Instead, the officer was acquitted, and the decision led to protest within the Twin Cities.
These two cases show a massive divide. Castile, who loved his city and people around him, was killed by a police officer (and the crime was recorded on a dashboard camera). Cosby was a once acclaimed comedian, who used his power and influence to assault women. The difference is the celebrity status of Cosby. Like O.J. Simpson, Cosby was beloved for generations before the crimes were made public. Both were given advantages throughout their cases (with Simpson's verdict being "not guilty").
The Bill Cosby scandal just shows how the American justice system is flawed. Justice is supposed to be blind- but is it really when it comes to high-profiled celebrity cases?
