mirror-epstein-docs/results/IMAGES002/DOJ-OGR-00004834.json

{
  "document_metadata": {
    "page_number": "22",
    "document_number": "310-1",
    "date": "07/02/21",
    "document_type": "court document",
    "has_handwriting": false,
    "has_stamps": false
  },
  "full_text": "Case 1:20-cr-00330-PAE Document 310-1 Filed 07/02/21 Page 22 of 80\n\nthe atmosphere or the legal conditions such that Mr. Cosby would never be allowed to assert the Fifth Amendment in the civil case.\" He testified that she did not come back to him with any objection from Ms. Constand's attorneys and that any objection from Ms. Constand's attorneys would not have mattered anyway. He later testified that he did not have any specific recollection of discussing his legal analysis with Ms. Ferman, but would be surprised if he did not.\n\nMr. Castor testified that he could not recall any other case where he made this type of binding legal analysis in Montgomery County. He testified that in a half dozen cases during his tenure in the District Attorney's office, someone would attempt to assert the Fifth Amendment in a preexisting civil case. The judge in that case would then call Mr. Castor to determine if he intended to prosecute the person asserting the privilege. He could confirm that he did not and the claim of privilege would be denied. Mr. Castor was unable to name a case in which this happened.\n\nAfter making his decision not to prosecute, Mr. Castor personally issued a second, signed press release on February 17, 2005. Mr. Castor testified that he signed the press release at the request of Ms. Constand's attorneys in order to bind the Commonwealth so it \"would be evidence that they could show to a civil judge that Cosby is not getting prosecuted.\" The press release stated, \"After reviewing the above and consulting with County and Cheltenham Detectives, the District Attorney finds insufficient, credible and admissible evidence exists upon which any charge against Mr. Cosby could be sustained beyond a reasonable doubt.\" Mr. Castor testified that this language made it absolute that [Cosby] would never be prosecuted, \"[s]o I used the present tense, [exists], . . . So I'm making it absolute. I said I found that there was no evidence—there was insufficient credible and admissible evidence in existence upon which any charge against [Cosby] could be sustained. And the use of 'exists' and 'could' I meant to be absolute.\"\n\nThe press release specifically cautioned the parties that the decision could be revisited, \"District Attorney Castor cautions all parties to this matter that he will reconsider this decision should the need arise.\" He testified that inclusion of this sentence, warning that the decision could be revisited, in the paragraph about a civil case and the use of the word \"this,\" was intended to make clear that it applied to the civil case and not to the prosecution. Mr. Castor testified that this sentence was meant to advise the parties that if they criticized his decision, he would contact the media and explain that Ms. Constand's actions damaged her credibility, which would severely hamper her civil case. He testified that once he was certain a prosecution was not viable \"I operated under the certainty that a civil suit was coming and set up the dominoes to fall in such a way that Mr. Cosby would be required to testify.\" He included the language \"much exists in this investigation that could be used by others to portray persons on both sides of the issue in a\n\n[J-100-2020]- 21\n\nDOJ-OGR-00004834",
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      "type": "printed",
      "content": "Case 1:20-cr-00330-PAE Document 310-1 Filed 07/02/21 Page 22 of 80",
      "position": "header"
    },
    {
      "type": "printed",
      "content": "the atmosphere or the legal conditions such that Mr. Cosby would never be allowed to assert the Fifth Amendment in the civil case.\" He testified that she did not come back to him with any objection from Ms. Constand's attorneys and that any objection from Ms. Constand's attorneys would not have mattered anyway. He later testified that he did not have any specific recollection of discussing his legal analysis with Ms. Ferman, but would be surprised if he did not.",
      "position": "main content"
    },
    {
      "type": "printed",
      "content": "Mr. Castor testified that he could not recall any other case where he made this type of binding legal analysis in Montgomery County. He testified that in a half dozen cases during his tenure in the District Attorney's office, someone would attempt to assert the Fifth Amendment in a preexisting civil case. The judge in that case would then call Mr. Castor to determine if he intended to prosecute the person asserting the privilege. He could confirm that he did not and the claim of privilege would be denied. Mr. Castor was unable to name a case in which this happened.",
      "position": "main content"
    },
    {
      "type": "printed",
      "content": "After making his decision not to prosecute, Mr. Castor personally issued a second, signed press release on February 17, 2005. Mr. Castor testified that he signed the press release at the request of Ms. Constand's attorneys in order to bind the Commonwealth so it \"would be evidence that they could show to a civil judge that Cosby is not getting prosecuted.\" The press release stated, \"After reviewing the above and consulting with County and Cheltenham Detectives, the District Attorney finds insufficient, credible and admissible evidence exists upon which any charge against Mr. Cosby could be sustained beyond a reasonable doubt.\" Mr. Castor testified that this language made it absolute that [Cosby] would never be prosecuted, \"[s]o I used the present tense, [exists], . . . So I'm making it absolute. I said I found that there was no evidence—there was insufficient credible and admissible evidence in existence upon which any charge against [Cosby] could be sustained. And the use of 'exists' and 'could' I meant to be absolute.\"",
      "position": "main content"
    },
    {
      "type": "printed",
      "content": "The press release specifically cautioned the parties that the decision could be revisited, \"District Attorney Castor cautions all parties to this matter that he will reconsider this decision should the need arise.\" He testified that inclusion of this sentence, warning that the decision could be revisited, in the paragraph about a civil case and the use of the word \"this,\" was intended to make clear that it applied to the civil case and not to the prosecution. Mr. Castor testified that this sentence was meant to advise the parties that if they criticized his decision, he would contact the media and explain that Ms. Constand's actions damaged her credibility, which would severely hamper her civil case. He testified that once he was certain a prosecution was not viable \"I operated under the certainty that a civil suit was coming and set up the dominoes to fall in such a way that Mr. Cosby would be required to testify.\" He included the language \"much exists in this investigation that could be used by others to portray persons on both sides of the issue in a",
      "position": "main content"
    },
    {
      "type": "printed",
      "content": "[J-100-2020]- 21",
      "position": "footer"
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    {
      "type": "printed",
      "content": "DOJ-OGR-00004834",
      "position": "footer"
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  ],
  "entities": {
    "people": [
      "Mr. Cosby",
      "Ms. Constand",
      "Mr. Castor",
      "Ms. Ferman"
    ],
    "organizations": [
      "District Attorney's office",
      "County Detectives",
      "Cheltenham Detectives"
    ],
    "locations": [
      "Montgomery County"
    ],
    "dates": [
      "February 17, 2005",
      "07/02/21"
    ],
    "reference_numbers": [
      "1:20-cr-00330-PAE",
      "310-1",
      "J-100-2020",
      "DOJ-OGR-00004834"
    ]
  },
  "additional_notes": "The document appears to be a court transcript or legal document related to the case against Mr. Cosby. The text is printed and there are no visible stamps or handwritten notes. The document is well-formatted and easy to read."
}