Bill Cosby Found Guilty of Aggravated Indecent Assault.
CAMEROTA: A jury found Bill Cosby guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004. Constand reacting this morning, saying, quote: A very profound and heartfelt thank you to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Montgomery County, for their service and sacrifices. Congratulations. Truth prevails. Five other women testified during the trial that Cosby had drugged and sexual assaulted them. Two of his accusers, Lise-Lotte Lublin and Victoria Valentino join us now, as well as their lawyer, Gloria Allred. Ladies, what a morning. Great to have you here. Lise, tell us what it was like in the courtroom when the verdict was announced.</s>LISE-LOTTE LUBLIN, COSBY ACCUSER WHO TESTIFIED AT RETRIAL: I was in my classroom when the verdict was announced. And my husband Benjamin gave me a call and he just said, he's guilty, Lise, he's guilty. I said, I couldn't believe it. Are you messing with me? He said he's guilty on all three counts. When he said guilty on all three counts, that's when I knew -- I knew that he was not messing with me and this was real. Very exciting.</s>CAMEROTA: Oh my god. Victoria, what was it like for you?</s>VICTORIA VALENTINO, COSBY ACCUSER: It was the most exciting thing I've heard in a long, long time. I was so thrilled.</s>CAMEROTA: I mean, it's been a long journey, Victoria. You know have -- I've interviewed you so many times. And it just seemed impossible this day would ever come because the statute of limitations passed for so many of the women who were his accusers. It seemed like justice could never be reached for you all. So, in that moment when you heard guilty, guilty, guilty, what happened in the courtroom?</s>VALENTINO: Well, I was outside. I took that ridiculous moment to go get a breath of fresh air and I came back in and there was, like, a crowd of people across the street. And I went inside and the sheriff wouldn't let me up the stairs. I was going, oh, no, I can't believe after 3 1/2 years, I'm missing the moment. And so, I stood there. However, when they did the perp walk and he went out and they were pushing us back into the hallway, I stood right in the front and listened to my mother in my head, and I said, shoulders back and chin up, and stare him down. And I did.</s>CAMEROTA: Good for you. Gloria, what a day. Let's remind everyone less than a year ago, nine months ago, he had been tried for the same thing and it was a mistrial. What happened during those nine months? Was there a change in the strategy of the prosecutors that allowed for there to be a guilty verdict yesterday when there wasn't one nine months earlier?</s>GLORIA ALLRED, VICTIMS' RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Well, I would say there was a change in the decision of the court. After the first mistrial, I called on the prosecutor to renew his motion to allow more prior bad act witnesses, in other words, more accuses to be permitted to testify. In the first trial, the prosecution asked that 13 be permitted to testify. The defense wanted zero. And the court only allowed one, Kelly Johnson, also my client. That, I think, was not enough. Second trial, the prosecutor renewed his emotion, asked for 19 accusers to be able to testify. Again, defense said, no, zero, but the court said this time, five. And I represent the majority of the accusers who were permitted to testify. Lise-Lotte Lublin was one of them. Chelan Lasha, Janis Baker-Kinney. I want to give them such commendation because they endured scorching cross-examination, trying to discredit them, attacking them, you know, attacking their character and their motives. So unfair, but they were sifted, they endured. This is courage displayed by these women, all my 33 of my accusers I represent. I'm proud of them and proud of you, Victoria, as well.</s>VALENTINO: Thank you.</s>CAMEROTA: And, Lise, what was it like to testify against Cosby there in the courtroom?</s>LUBLIN: It was great to get into that courtroom and know that I was going to be able to tell my truth, that people were going to hear the truth, and I really put a lot of faith in the jury, that they would understand where we were coming from, and they would see the pattern that he so clearly executed in so many of his situations, his assaults that he did. It was clear to them. I'm so grateful that they could see that. He was -- he was looking very sad, very pitiful, and loss of control. And that's something that we've gained back with doing what we've been doing all this time for the last three years. So, we've got that control back. That feels good.</s>CAMEROTA: I bet. You know, that brings us to the -- Victoria, Mr. Cosby had an outburst after the guilty verdict was read. There was a question about whether or not he was a flight risk. What was that moment like?</s>VALENTINO: I wasn't there. I heard it secondhand.</s>ALLRED: I was there.</s>VALENTINO: But I was thrilled.</s>CAMEROTA: What did he say? You know, obviously, it's morning TV, but what happened?</s>ALLRED: Well, it was about whether or not he had a private jet and might flee, and he used words that I don't use.</s>CAMEROTA: Yes, but could you basically --</s>ALLRED: It was the A-hole for the prosecutor who was organizing that his bail should be revoked because Mr. Cosby might flee. He only has $1 million bail. And that, according to the prosecutor, would not be sufficient.</s>CAMEROTA: Why was he allowed to go home after this?</s>ALLRED: The court cited his age and that he didn't feel he was a flight risk because he had come to all the hearings so far. The prosecutor, of course, argued, these are different circumstances. Before, it was just a trial, but now, he's actually convicted of three felonies that could send him to prison, potentially for 30 years.</s>CAMEROTA: Let's talk about that, Victoria. He's 80 years old, OK?</s>VALENTINO: Yes.</s>CAMEROTA: So, he's looking at 30 years in prison. How do you feel about that?</s>VALENTINO: Well, think it's a death sentence, if he is actually going to be in prison and serve that time. But I don't think he's going to. I think he might be given a little lenience just because of his age, but, you know, I also have to laugh about that because he's only five years older than I am.</s>ALLRED: Yes, he's only four years older than I am. I think he should spend time in custody. He has hurt so many women. And it's time for him to pay the price. I don't care if he's 80 or 90 or 50, he has to be accountable, and that's what I think --</s>VALENTINO: Absolutely.</s>CAMEROTA: Lise, one of the things that has changed since the trial is the Me Too movement, OK? So, two or three months after the mistrial of Bill Cosby, the news broke about Harvey Weinstein. There was a tidal wave of stories that came forward about sexual harassment, about sexual assault. Do you think that played a factor in the outcome yesterday?</s>LUBLIN: I believe the Me Too movement has definitely played its role. I think that the women of Cosby have led the charge. They've taken the brunt of the abuse and the racism that's gone along with this. But I think the Me Too movement has helped just tip the needle over so that we can feel a little more comfortable when we're talking about our information. That people are actually going to hear what we have to say and take it literally for what is said, what we've done and that we're good people. These are beautiful women who have come out and told their stories --</s>CAMEROTA: Yes.</s>LUBLIN: -- to everyone, you know?</s>ALLRED: And that women are now being believed in a way that they have never been believed before. This is the age of empowerment of women. They're not going to be bullied. They're not going to be silenced. They're not going to be intimidated. They're going to speak out and speak their truth.</s>CAMEROTA: Lili Bernard joins us now. We often said Cosby survivors come out of the woodwork. You've just come into the studio to join us. And we welcome you. I want to play the moment, OK, I think this was the moment that the guilty verdict was read and you came out of the courtroom for the first time. Let's listen to this. Lily, what was happening? Here comes Victoria hugging another woman. Tell us about that moment.</s>LILI BERNARD, COSBY ACCUSER: I was totally overwhelmed with emotion when the guilty verdict came out guilty, guilty, guilty, I had this explosion of emotion. I was trying so hard to contain my shock, that I put my head down and had banged my forehead on the bench in front of me. I actually had a bruise and a headache. But we were very graciously asked to leave. The judge banged on his gavel, bang, bang, bang, order in the court, because we were crying. The other Cosby survivors and I, my friend Caroline Heldman (ph). We were weeping and wailing. And so, we were asked to leave and the --</s>CAMEROTA: You didn't expect it to be guilty?</s>BERNARD: No, not at all. I was expecting another hung verdict, absolutely. I was -- we were shocked.</s>CAMEROTA: Oh my gosh. Victoria, what were you expecting?</s>VALENTINO: Well, I think I was really steeling myself for another mistrial and I was going to focus on what the next step was going to be. And so, when it came back guilty, guilty, guilty and I was standing out in this hallway with this wonderful, blond, tattooed woman cop keeping me back, I just, you know, I wanted to bust through and go run up -- which they finally allowed me to do. I was just absolutely elated, jumping up and down, wanted to do the Zorba dance, you know?</s>ALLRED: I will say, guilty, guilty, guilty, three of the most beautiful words I ever heard and he earned them by hurting women --</s>CAMEROTA: Absolutely.</s>ALLRED: -- damaging, changing their lives. So, this is something that has been long overdue.</s>CAMEROTA: Well, we have followed these stories for years. Yesterday was a truly remarkable day in court. Gloria, thank you. Victoria, thank you so much. Lili, Lise, thank you so much for sharing your personal story with us on NEW DAY. Great to talk to all of you. Chris?</s>CUOMO: Important conversation, Alisyn. Thank you for having it. There was an important development yesterday we have to discuss. Embattled EPA administrator Scott Pruitt in the hot seat facing tough questions, kind of, about lavish spending and ethical concerns. How is his job doing? We'll give you the state of play, next.