EXPLAINER: Why Bill Cosby's conviction was overturned

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.

Bill Cosby conviction vacated

JoAnn Pileggi reports from the state prison where Bill Cosby was released after his conviction was vacated by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court

Bill Cosby's legal team speaks after sex assault conviction overturned by court

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.

Legal advocates line up on both sides of Bill Cosby's appeal

Prosecutors, in a brief filed late Monday, offered several legal justifications for the accusers' testimony, hoping at least one of them will stick. They said it's needed to show Cosby’s pattern of behavior, to show the encounter wasn’t a one-time mistake, and to show the complaint wasn’t filed on a whim.