As a court weighs Bill Cosby’s appeal of his conviction, RAINN and its pro bono legal team at Hogan Lovells, LLP, have filed a joint amicus brief arguing to uphold the verdict. The brief makes the case that the testimony of five additional victims who testified against Cosby established a pattern of behavior, and that the experiences of the witnesses were strikingly similar to the experience of Andrea Constand.

"The court made the correct decision in allowing testimony that demonstrated a long pattern of terrible crimes committed by Cosby," said Scott Berkowitz, president of RAINN. “There is no mistaking it—Cosby is a criminal with a clear and repeated pattern of behavior.”

At Cosby’s first trial, which ended in a mistrial, only one additional victim was allowed to testify along with Andrea Constand. However, at his re-trial, five additional victims were permitted to testify to the way in which Cosby targeted them, and gained their trust, only to drug and sexually assault them. The re-trial ended in a guilty verdict.

"Bill Cosby’s conviction was a victory for survivors, and his long history of sexual assaults would never have come to light if not for the courageous decision of survivors to step forward and tell their story," said Berkowitz.

Joining RAINN on the brief are End Violence Against Women International, the National Center for Victims of Crime, the National Crime Victim Law Institute, and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape.

“It’s an honor to band together with other organizations and our partners at Hogan Lovells,” said Camille Cooper, vice president of public policy at RAINN. “It’s up the utmost importance that we bring justice to survivors and ensure that Cosby’s pattern of abuse will never happen again.”