PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bill Cosby has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reject a bid by Pennsylvania prosecutors to revive his criminal sex assault case.

The 84-year-old Cosby has been free since June.

That's when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his conviction and released him from prison.

The state's highest court found that Cosby believed he had a nonprosecution agreement with a former district attorney when he gave damaging testimony that later led to his arrest.

Prosecutors say there's no evidence of a binding immunity agreement.

"This decision as it stands will have far-reaching negative consequences beyond Montgomery County and Pennsylvania," said Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele.

Cosby lawyer Jennifer Bonjean in Monday's brief says the case rests on a narrow set of facts that should not interest the Supreme Court.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A prominent Bill Cosby accuser has filed suit Thursday against the actor over a 1990 hotel room encounter in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Lili Bernard's lawsuit comes just before the state's two-year window to file older sexual assault claims expires.

Bernard tells The Associated Press she was prompted in part by Cosby's recent release from prison.

Since June, the 84-year-old Cosby has been free when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his 2018 conviction in another case.

Bernard says Cosby drugged and raped her when she was 26.

Bernard told the news outlet that she was raped in a hotel room after Cosby promised to mentor her on his top-ranked TV show.

A Cosby spokesperson says that so-called "look-back" windows violate a person's due process rights.

The case was filed in New Jersey, a state that allows victims of sexual assault to file lawsuits within a two-year window that otherwise might be considered too old.

According to the AP, that window to file lawsuits closes next month.

PHILADELPHIA —

A prominent Bill Cosby accuser filed suit Thursday against the actor over a 1990 hotel room encounter in Atlantic City, New Jersey, before the state's two-year window to file older sexual assault claims expires.

Related video above: Concern for survivors after Cosby conviction overturned

Los Angeles artist Lili Bernard told The Associated Press she was prompted in part by Cosby's recent release from prison. The 84-year-old Cosby has been free since June, when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his 2018 sexual assault conviction in another case on procedural grounds.

He had served more than two years of a potential 10-year sentence.

The 57-year-old Bernard says Cosby drugged and raped her in a hotel room after promising to mentor her on his top-ranked TV show. She was 26 at the time.

New Jersey's two-year window to file sexual assault lawsuits that would otherwise be considered too old to pursue closes next month.

"When Bill Cosby was released, it retraumatized me, it terrified me. I was really horrified for any woman or girl that would come into contact with him," Bernard told the AP. "The Pennsylvania Supreme Court let a predator back on the streets."

The Pennsylvania trial judge had classified Cosby as a sexually violent predator subject to lifetime supervision, but that finding became moot when the conviction was overturned, leaving Cosby free of any reporting requirements.

Cosby's spokesperson said that so-called "look-back" windows like the one passed in New Jersey violate a person's due process rights.

"This is just another attempt to abuse the legal process, by opening up the flood gates for people who never presented an ounce of evidence," spokesperson Andrew Wyatt said, noting that Cosby maintains his innocence and would fight allegations to "the highest court in these United States of America."

Prosecutors in suburban Philadelphia must decide soon whether to appeal the reversal of his conviction in their case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

A jury had convicted Cosby of sexually assaulting Temple University sports administrator Andrea Constand at his home in January 2004 after incapacitating her with three blue pills. Cosby was arrested in 2015, days before the 12-year statute of limitations expired.

The state Supreme Court said the case should not have gone to trial because Cosby believed he had a binding promise from an earlier prosecutor that he would never be charged.

Cosby settled a civil lawsuit with Constand for $3.4 million. His insurer, after the conviction, settled a defamation lawsuit filed by seven accusers in Massachusetts for an undisclosed amount.

The AP typically does not identify people who say they are sexual assault victims without their permission, which both Constand and Bernard have granted.

Here's a look at some of theeaction to Wednesday's Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling overturning Bill Cosby's sexual assault conviction, allowing him to be released from from prison:

"Mr. Cosby should never have been prosecuted for these offenses. District attorneys can't change it up simply because of their political motivation." — Cosby appellate lawyer Jennifer Bonjean, in an interview.

"When you look at what happened, the fact that a jury reached a conclusion after a trial where they heard evidence, there was nothing about the opinion today that detracted from that. I think that's important for people like Andrea and other women who came forward." Stewart Ryan, a lead prosecutor in the case now in private practice, said in an interview.

"FINALLY!!!! A terrible wrong is being righted - a miscarriage of justice is corrected!" — Phylicia Rashad, who starred as Cosby's wife on "The Cosby Show," on Instagram.

"I am furious to hear this news. I personally know women who this man drugged and raped while unconscious. Shame on the court and this decision." — actor and activist Amber Tamblyn, on Twitter.

"Certainly the optics of this are terrible. But the message has to be very clear and simple — that this was a mistake by prosecutors, a very unusual one and a technicality that is unlikely to happen again." #MeToo attorney Lisa Banks, in an interview.

"I know many young women and men who are so afraid to press charges against their rapist and [retraumatize] themselves I am heartbroken today to hear of the news of Cosby's release .this is sickening. My heart is with my sister survivors. We have work to do." — actor Rosanna Arquette on Twitter.

"WHEN will things get better for women and girls regarding sexual assault, sexism, misogyny and ageism? What will it take? So discouraged." — Kathy Griffin on Twitter.

"Told you so on #BillCosby. He was convicted by a court so tainted by public opinion and social pressure that it allowed obviously prejudicial evidence and improper witnesses. He may be a bad guy, but in this case he was railroaded by the mob." — Geraldo Rivera on Twitter.

"To every woman who was sexual assaulted by #BillCosby my heart hurts for you today and I am full fury. It's horrifying." — actor Debra Messing on Twitter.

"All the smoke should be pointed squarely at the prosecutor's office in the #Cosby case for making that colossal error." — former NFL player Damien Woody on Twitter.

PHILADELPHIA —

Pennsylvania's highest court threw out Bill Cosby's sexual assault conviction and released him from prison Wednesday in a stunning reversal of fortune for the comedian once known as "America's Dad," ruling that the prosecutor who brought the case was bound by his predecessor's agreement not to charge Cosby.

Cosby, 83, flashed the V-for-victory sign to a helicopter overhead as he trudged into his suburban Philadelphia home after serving nearly three years of a three- to 10-year sentence for drugging and violating Temple University sports administrator Andrea Constand in 2004.

The former "Cosby Show" star — the first celebrity tried and convicted in the #MeToo era — had no comment as he arrived, and just smiled and nodded later at a news conference outside, where his lawyer Jennifer Bonjean said: "We are thrilled to have Mr. Cosby home."

"He served three years of an unjust sentence and he did it with dignity and principle," she added.

In a statement, Constand and her lawyers called the ruling disappointing, and they, like many other advocates, expressed fear that it could discourage sexual assault victims from coming forward. "We urge all victims to have their voices heard," they added.

READ THE COURT'S OPINION HERE

Cosby was arrested in 2015, when a district attorney armed with newly unsealed evidence — the comic's damaging deposition in a lawsuit brought by Constand — filed charges against him just days before the 12-year statute of limitations was about to run out.

But the Pennsylvania Supreme Court said Wednesday that District Attorney Kevin Steele, who made the decision to arrest Cosby, was obligated to stand by his predecessor's promise not to charge Cosby, though there was no evidence that agreement was ever put in writing.

Justice David Wecht, writing for a split court, said Cosby had relied on the previous district attorney's decision not to charge him when the comedian gave his potentially incriminating testimony in Constand's civil case.

The court called Cosby's subsequent arrest "an affront to fundamental fairness, particularly when it results in a criminal prosecution that was forgone for more than a decade." It said justice and "fair play and decency" require that the district attorney's office stand by the decision of the previous DA.

The justices said that overturning the conviction and barring any further prosecution "is the only remedy that comports with society's reasonable expectations of its elected prosecutors and our criminal justice system."

Cosby was promptly set free from the state prison in suburban Montgomery County and driven home.

"What we saw today was justice, justice for all Americans," said another Cosby attorney, Andrew Wyatt. "Mr. Cosby's conviction being overturned is for the world and all Americans who are being treated unfairly by the judicial system and some bad officers."

Bonjean said Cosby was "extremely happy to be home" and "looks forward to reuniting with his wife and children." Several supporters outside yelled, "Hey, hey, hey!" — the catchphrase of Cosby's animated Fat Albert character — which brought a smile from him.

He later tweeted an old photo of himself with his fist raised and eyes closed, with the caption: "I have never changed my stance nor my story. I have always maintained my innocence. Thank you to all my fans, supporters and friends who stood by me through this ordeal. Special thanks to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for upholding the rules of law."

In a statement, Steele, the district attorney, said Cosby went free "on a procedural issue that is irrelevant to the facts of the crime." He commended Constand for coming forward and added: "My hope is that this decision will not dampen the reporting of sexual assaults by victims."

"I am furious to hear this news," actor Amber Tamblyn, a founder of Time's Up, an advocacy group for sex-crime victims, said on Twitter. "I personally know women who this man drugged and raped while unconscious. Shame on the court and this decision."

But "Cosby Show" co-star Phylicia Rashad tweeted: "FINALLY!!!! A terrible wrong is being righted — a miscarriage of justice is corrected!"

Four Supreme Court justices formed the majority that ruled in Cosby's favor, while three others dissented in whole or in part.

Peter Goldberger, a suburban Philadelphia lawyer with an expertise in criminal appeals, said prosecutors could ask the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for reargument or reconsideration, but it would be a very long shot.

"I can't imagine that with such a lengthy opinion, with a thoughtful concurring opinion and a thoughtful dissenting opinion, that you could honestly say they made a simple mistake that would change their minds if they point it out to them," Goldberger said.

Even though Cosby was charged only with the assault on Constand, the judge at his trial allowed five other accusers to testify that they, too, were similarly victimized by Cosby in the 1980s. Prosecutors called them as witnesses to establish what they said was a pattern of behavior on Cosby's part.

Cosby's lawyers had argued on appeal that the use of the five additional accusers was improper. But the Pennsylvania high court did not weigh in on the question, saying it was moot, given the finding that Cosby should not have been prosecuted in the first place.

In sentencing Cosby, the trial judge had declared him a sexually violent predator who could not be safely allowed out in public and needed to report to authorities for the rest of his life.

In May, Cosby was denied parole after refusing to participate in sex offender programs behind bars. He said he would resist the treatment programs and refuse to acknowledge wrongdoing even if it meant serving the full 10 years.

The groundbreaking Black actor grew up in public housing in Philadelphia and made a fortune estimated at $400 million during his 50 years in the entertainment industry that included the TV shows "I Spy," "The Cosby Show" and "Fat Albert," along with comedy albums and a multitude of television commercials.

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The suburban Philadelphia prosecutor who originally looked into Constand's allegations, Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce Castor, considered the case flawed because Constand waited a year to come forward and stayed in contact with Cosby afterward. Castor declined to prosecute and instead encouraged Constand to sue for damages.

Questioned under oath as part of that lawsuit, Cosby said he used to offer quaaludes to women he wanted to have sex with. He eventually settled with Constand for $3.4 million.

Portions of the deposition later became public at the request of The Associated Press and spelled Cosby's downfall, opening the floodgates on accusations from other women and destroying the comic's good-guy reputation and career. More than 60 women came forward to say Cosby violated them.

The AP does not typically identify sexual assault victims without their permission, which Constand has granted.

Cosby, in the deposition, acknowledged giving quaaludes to a 19-year-old woman before having sex with her at a Las Vegas hotel in 1976. Cosby called the encounter consensual.

On Wednesday, the woman, Therese Serignese, now 64, said the court ruling "takes my breath away."

"I just think it's a miscarriage of justice. This is about procedure. It's not about the truth of the women," she said. Serignese said she took solace in the fact Cosby served nearly three years behind bars: "That's as good as it gets in America" for sex crime victims.

PHILADELPHIA —

Bill Cosby's sexual assault conviction was thrown out Wednesday by Pennsylvania's highest court in a ruling that swiftly freed the actor from prison more than three years after he was found guilty of drugging and molesting Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia mansion.

Cosby, 83, was the first celebrity tried and convicted in the #MeToo era, and his conviction was seen as a turning point in the movement to hold powerful men accountable for sexual misconduct.

Here's a look at the case against Cosby and the court's decision:

WHY DID THE COURT TOSS HIS CONVICTION?

The split court found that Cosby was unfairly prosecuted because the previous district attorney had promised the comedian once known as "America's Dad" that he wouldn't be charged over Constand's accusations. Cosby was charged by another prosecutor who claimed he wasn't bound by that agreement.

The court said that's not the case. The justices found that Cosby relied on that promise when he agreed to testify without invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in a lawsuit brought against him by Constand.

The court concluded that prosecutor who later brought the charges was obligated to stick to the nonprosecution agreement, so the conviction cannot stand. The justices wrote that "denying the defendant the benefit of that decision is an affront to fundamental fairness, particularly when it results in a criminal prosecution that was foregone for more than a decade."

WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH THE NONPROSECUTION AGREEMENT?

The promise not to prosecute Cosby was made in 2005 by Bruce Castor, who was then the top prosecutor for Montgomery County. Castor was also on the legal team that defended former President Donald Trump during his historic second impeachment trial over the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by his supporters.

During a court hearing weeks after Cosby's 2015 arrest, Castor testified that he promised Cosby he wouldn't be prosecuted in the hopes that it would persuade the actor to testify in a civil case brought by Constand and allow her to win damages. Castor acknowledged the only place the matter was put in writing was in the 2005 press release announcing his decision not to prosecute, but said his decision was meant to shield Cosby from prosecution "for all time."

His successor noted, during the appeal arguments, that Castor went on to say in the press release that he could revisit the decision in the future.

Castor had said that Constand's case would be difficult to prove in court because she waited a year to come forward and stayed in contact with Cosby.

The first jurors who heard the case may have agreed with him, as they could not reach a verdict in 2017. But a second jury empaneled after the #MeToo movement exploded found him guilty at his 2018 retrial. Constand settled her civil case against Cosby for more than $3 million.

Castor's successor, District Attorney Kevin Steele, charged Cosby in 2015 after a federal judge, acting on a request from The Associated Press, unsealed documents from her 2005 lawsuit against Cosby, revealing his damaging testimony about sexual encounters with Constand and others. Castor has said Cosby "would've had to have been nuts to say those things if there was any chance he could've been prosecuted."

HOW RARE IS THIS?

Extremely rare.

Wesley Oliver, a Pennsylvania law professor who has followed Cosby's case closely over the years, said he has never heard of a high court in Pennsylvania or anywhere else grappling with a prosecutor's informal promise not to prosecute.

"It breaks new ground entirely," said Oliver, who teaches at Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburgh. "It sets precedent not just for Pennsylvania but probably other states."

He said the ruling should drive home to prosecutors the risks of suggesting at news conferences, in press releases or verbally in private that they will not prosecute.

"They should at least add three words — 'at this time,'" he said. "If you add that qualifier, which wasn't done in Cosby's case, you should be good to go," Oliver said.

CAN COSBY BE TRIED AGAIN?

It's highly unlikely. The decision on Wednesday bars Cosby from being tried again over Constand's complaint, finding it to be the "only remedy that comports with society's reasonable expectations of its elected prosecutors and our criminal justice system."

And the accusations raised by dozens of other women, including the five who testified at his 2018 trial, often go back decades and are most likely too remote to prosecute.

Cosby turns 84 next month. However, his lawyer said he remains in good health, except for vision problems that render him legally blind.

The trial judge deemed him a sexually violent predator who could still pose a danger to women given his wealth, power and fame, and ordered that he be on a lifetime sex offender registry and check in monthly with authorities. However, the decision negates that finding.

___

Richer reported from Boston. Associated Press reporter Michael Tarm contributed to this report from Chicago.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Actor Bill Cosby has been denied parole after refusing to participate in sex offender programs during his nearly three years in state prison in Pennsylvania.

The 83-year-old Cosby has long said he would serve the full 10-year sentence rather than acknowledge wrongdoing and take part in the programs.

Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt told the Associated Press that the decision was “appalling” and added that Cosby “vehemently proclaims his innocence.”

This is the first year he was eligible for parole under the three- to 10-year sentence handed down in 2018.

Cosby meanwhile hopes the state Supreme Court will reverse his conviction.

His lawyers say the judge erred in letting five other accusers testify and letting the jury hear his damaging testimony from a related lawsuit.

Cosby was currently serving time at SCI-Phoenix in Montgomery County, which a state prison near Collegeville, Pennsylvania.

He was found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault in April 2018 for drugging and sexually assaulting former Temple University women's basketball employee Andrea Constand at his home in 2004.