Prosecutors in Los Angeles announced their decision today to not file criminal charges against Bill Cosby.

Cosby has been accused of various rape and sexual assault offenses in different jurisdictions across the country. Last week, prosecutors in Pennsylvania filed the first formal charges against Cosby. 

According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, a combination of reasons led them to decline to prosecute Cosby.

Some of the accusations, the D.A.’s office stated, were barred by the applicable statute of limitations. In other instances, there was simply not enough evidence for the prosecutors to meet their legal requirement and ethical obligation to file charges only when there is probable cause and no reasonable doubt for each offense.

The accusations against Cosby were based on events that allegedly occurred as long ago as 1965 and more recently in 2008. Despite the L.A. District Attorney’s Office decision to criminally prosecute Cosby, Cosby is still subject to liability in a civil lawsuit.

Prosecutors hold a position of extraordinary power in our criminal justice system and wield tremendous discretion in deciding whether to charge someone with a crime and what to charge them with.

It is important to have a knowledgeable criminal defense lawyer who can negotiate with prosecutors if you know you are being investigated and have not been charged with a crime. If you have already been charged with a crime, it is imperative that you have an attorney who can protect your rights. 

Ronald G. Brower is a criminal defense attorney in Orange County, California with over three decades of experience. Attorney Brower has handled criminal cases from murder and rape to trespass.

Contact the Law Office of Ronald G. Brower to speak with a criminal defense lawyer today.