Cosby confined to his home as team decries ‘public lynching’

Defense allegations of a biased juror and the admission of Cosby’s explosive testimony about drugs and sex are among other possible avenues of appeal as he tries to avoid a sentence that could keep him in prison for the rest of his days.

Cosby remains free on $1 million bail while he awaits sentencing, probably within three months.

Judge Steven O’Neill said Cosby would be confined to his suburban Philadelphia home in the meantime. The judge’s order, issued Friday afternoon, said the comic may leave his house to meet with his lawyers or to get medical treatment, but must get permission first.

Cosby kept out of sight and was spending time with his wife of 54 years, Camille, in the wake of his conviction Thursday on charges he drugged and molested Temple University women’s basketball administrator Andrea Constand at his home outside Philadelphia in 2004.

Constand, meanwhile, took to Twitter to thank prosecutors in her first comment on the verdict.

“Truth prevails,” she wrote.

Cosby’s publicists likened the “Cosby Show” star to Emmett Till, the black teenager who was kidnapped and murdered after witnesses said he whistled at a white woman in a Mississippi grocery store in 1955. Constand is white.

“He maintains his innocence, and he is going to walk around as a man who’s innocent because he didn’t do anything wrong,” Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

The conviction triggered more fallout for Cosby, whose career and reputation were already wrecked by a barrage of accusations from more than 60 women who said he drugged and molested them over a span of 50 years.

Temple University, the Philadelphia school that counted Cosby as its most famous alum, revoked his honorary degree.

Cosby maintained close ties with Temple, serving as its public face and often turning out to support its basketball teams — an interest that connected him with Constand.

The defense is likely to focus its appeal on the judge’s decision to allow five additional accusers to testify. That ruling was a victory for prosecutors eager to move the case beyond a he-said, she-said.

One of those women called Cosby a “serial rapist.” Another choked back tears as she asked, “You remember, don’t you, Mr. Cosby?” A third declared: “I was raped.”

The women’s testimony introduced a “huge amount of prejudice and bias,” Cosby spokeswoman Ebonee Benson said on ABC.

Lawyers not connected with the case said the defense has a strong argument.

“I think that his lawyers have a very real chance at overturning the verdict,” said Christopher Adams, a defense attorney whose clients have included former NBA star Jayson Williams.

He said the judge’s decision to allow the “prior bad acts” testimony could have tainted the jury.

“It’s one thing if they looked at one or two, but five? He wasn’t charged with being a serial assaulter,” Adams said.

Former federal prosecutor David Axelrod, now in private practice in Philadelphia, also said Cosby’s team has a shot at convincing an appeals court that the judge went too far.

Generally, testimony about a defendant’s past misconduct is admissible only under certain circumstances — for example, if it shows motive or intent.

Only one other accuser was permitted to testify at Cosby’s first trial, which ended in a hung jury last year.

The Cosby camp also complained about a juror who allegedly said before the trial that he thought the comedian was guilty. Cosby’s lawyers tried unsuccessfully to have the man removed.

The defense is also expected to raise on appeal O’Neill’s ruling that allowed jurors to hear portions of a deposition Cosby gave over a decade ago as part of Constand’s lawsuit against him. In the deposition, the TV star acknowledged obtaining quaaludes in the 1970s to give to women he wanted to have sex with.

How the jury arrived at its verdict remained a mystery. The judge did not immediately make public the names of the seven men and five women, prompting The Associated Press and other news organizations to go to court FridAP Photo NY901, OAS122, OAS123, OAS120

Eds: Adds new photo link. With AP Photos.

By JANIE McCAULEY

AP Sports Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Steve Kerr refers to Pelicans star Anthony Davis “one of the very best players on earth.”

That means the Golden State Warriors’ defense will face a far different test than what San Antonio presented in the first round of the NBA playoffs when New Orleans arrives for Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals Saturday night on the defending champions’ home floor.

The pace. The playmakers. And, of course, the load that is Davis.

Davis’ daunting playoff averages: 33 points, 12 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game.

New Orleans got here even after losing All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins three months ago to a season-ending torn Achilles tendon. That’s when Davis said the Pelicans became “great.”

“It was tough. We were still learning when he was here,” Davis said.

“We were still in that early stage of trying to figure out how to close games, how to play for each other, defensive assignments. And we started to figure it out before he got hurt. ... Then when he went down, we had to change everything again.”

Golden State gets it. There was a stretch last month the four All-Stars were out and the Warriors lost seven of 10.

Now, they might get back a big reinforcement: Stephen Curry. The two-time MVP was listed as questionable for Saturday’s series opener as he works back from a sprained left knee he hurt March 23.

“Totally different series from what we just faced,” Kerr said of a five-game first round with San Antonio. “Very much about pace. They like to get out and run, where the Spurs are more of a half-court team, so it’s an adjustment, a big adjustment. And obviously, Davis is one of the very best players on earth.”

Here are some things to watch for as the best-of-seven series begins at Oracle Arena, where the Warriors have won a franchise-record 12 straight postseason games:

HEALTHY CURRY

The Warriors dominated the Spurs without Steph. Now, he’s likely coming back and adds another dimension to a team already clicking as it chases a repeat championship.

Curry resumed full practice with contact Thursday and his status was still unclear, though it certainly appears he will play soon.

Full strength immediately or not, New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry realizes the tall task.

“I just think it’s a great opportunity for us to play the world champs and see where you are as a franchise and see what it takes to win a championship,” he said.

GENTRY’S ASSIST

Kerr knew he wanted Gentry on Golden State’s staff when hired to coach the Warriors before the 2014-15 season — and it’s among the first calls he made. Gentry served only one season as the team’s top assistant but was instrumental in developing the offense used today.

“I would say Alvin was critical for my growth as a head coach,” Kerr said.

He meant plenty to the players, too. Ask All-Star Klay Thompson.

“He was a great guy to be around. He was a huge part of why our offense opened up and was a huge part of our pace of play and our ball movement,” Thompson said. “And I think he’s done the same thing in New Orleans. They play with great pace now. They play similar to us as far as spreading the court and you’ve got playmakers everywhere. So Alvin was instrumental in what we built here.”

PELICANS REST

New Orleans swept Portland in the first round, so the Pelicans got to watch the Warriors finish off the Spurs on Tuesday night.

“I do think we’ve had an advantage in that way just having time off and everybody locking in and watching them play,” Jrue Holiday said.

The Warriors know how much the addition of Nikola Mirotic meant to New Orleans since he was acquired to help fill the void left by Cousins’ absence.

“We pretty much threw out all three game tapes prior to Mirotic’s arrival,” Kerr said. “Those don’t mean anything to us. Once he arrived, the whole team looked different.”

THOMPSON’S TOUCH

Thompson is feeling it.

After some ups and downs during the regular season, he shot 52.9 percent — 46 for 87 — in the first round including 16 of 31 on 3s for 51.6 percent.

“It always feels right, at least in my mind it does,” Thompson said of his shooting touch. “It has to. Hopefully, I can continue that (consistent) trend. But it’s something that I will never doubt myself when it comes to shooting. I put too much effort into it.”

ON A ROLL

Golden State has won 24 of the last 26 games including playoffs against the Pelicans, 12 of 13 at home dating to the 2012-13 season.

“Our guys know that to beat the defending champs is going to be extremely hard,” New Orleans guard Rajon Rondo said.

———

AP Sports Writer Brett Martel in New Orleans contributed to this report.

———

More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball