4 Elbert County News
July 29, 2021
CHANGE FROM PAGE 1
In a 6-1 ruling, the Pennsylvania high court ruled that Cosby should not have faced charges after an agreement with a former prosecutor was made in 2005. In 2015, charges were filed by District Attorney Kevin Steele, charging Cosby with the sexual assault. During the trial, Steele used statements made by Cosby in a civil deposition the actor made under the assumption he was immune from criminal charges. Thomas said that in her opinion, Steele was trying to “right a wrong” made by former prosecutors not taking any action. Now, she fears what she sees as the precedent the ruling could set in future cases involving people accused of rape and sexual assault. According to court records, during the 2018 trial, Thomas was the first to testify against Cosby. With more than 50 women accusing the actor of sexual assault and misconduct, five women were allowed to testify during his trial as “prior bad acts witnesses.” In her trial testimony, Thomas accused Cosby of assaulting her in 1984 at
Evidence of how Heidi Thomas has used music to heal can be seen throughout her music room at her Castle Rock home.
Heidi Thomas, of Castle Rock, was the first alleged victim to testify in the 2018 Bill Cosby trial. PHOTOS BY THELMA GRIMES
his ranch when she was 24 years old and an aspriring actress. Thomas testified that she had gone to Cosby’s Pennsylvania home for acting lessons. She testified that after taking a drink of wine, she blacked out and only remembered the
next four days in “snapshots,” suspecting the actor drugged her. Now, Thomas said she does not want to focus on the incident, or on Cosby. Rather, she said it is time to change laws to make sure victims do not face what
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she, Constand and dozens of others have dealt with in what she called the Cosby “fiasco.” “I feel strongly that the storyline should no longer be about Mr. C,” she said. “He has been given this spotlight and we need to
shut it down. We need to talk about where we go from here.” Thomas said Colorado makes her proud as changes continue to be made to help victims of sexual assault and rape. Thomas, who describes herself as a victims’ advocate, said police departments are getting more training to be more sensitive in taking statements from women and men when they first come to report a sex crime. “The big battle right now is getting victims to summon up the courage to come forward and report it,” Thomas said. “It takes a lot just to come forward. Law SEE CHANGE, P5
