Editing Bill Cosby (section)

== Criminal Conviction and Aftermath ==

Allegations of sexual assault, which had circulated for years, became public prosecution in 2015 when Pennsylvania charges revived accusations that many had previously dismissed. His 2018 conviction on three counts of aggravated indecent assault resulted in imprisonment that symbolized the reversal his career had undergone. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court's 2021 overturn of his conviction on procedural grounds—a non-prosecution agreement's violation—released him from prison without addressing the underlying accusations that dozens of women had made.<ref name="leitch"/>

His legacy now encompasses both the achievements that made him beloved and the crimes that made him reviled. The institutions that had honored him—Temple University, which removed his honorary degrees; networks that removed his programming; entities that stripped his awards—reflected judgment that his conduct had voided his contributions. His Philadelphia identity, once proudly claimed, became complicated by the disgrace that concluded his public career. Cosby represents both what Philadelphia-born talent can achieve and how completely achievement can be undone.<ref name="whitaker"/>