Michelle Madden Dempsey
Professor of Law; Harold Reuschlein Scholar Chair | Charles Widger School of Law Villanova University
- Villanova PA
Michelle Madden Dempsey, JD, PhD, is an expert in sexual assault and criminal law.
Social
Areas of Expertise
Biography
Education
University of Oxford
Ph.D.
University of Michigan
J.D.
University of Illinois
B.A.
Select Accomplishments
Alice Paul Award
National Organization for Men Against Sexism
Select Media Appearances
What Bill Cosby's overturned conviction could signal about Harvey Weinstein's case
NBC News online
2024-04-25
Michelle Madden Dempsey, a law professor at Villanova University and a former domestic violence prosecutor, dismissed the New York appeals court’s reasoning as “shocking and nonsensical.”
“The majority’s opinion reads like an attempt at gaslighting,” Madden Dempsey said. “Victims are routinely told by prosecutors that their cases cannot be prosecuted because sexual encounters are nuanced and involve blurred lines — and so, they claim, juries will not convict, even if they believe the victim’s testimony.”
Agreement not to prosecute Bill Cosby leads to his freedom, exposes prosecution's missteps
NBC News online
2021-06-30
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court's ruling Wednesday that vacated Bill Cosby's 2018 indecent assault conviction — a stunning twist in a case that was the first to test the legal bounds of the #MeToo movement — drew swift outcry from sexual assault survivors and their advocates. .... Michelle Madden Dempsey, a former prosecutor in Illinois and a law professor at Villanova University, said the decision should not be interpreted as supporting Cosby's claims of innocence. ... The ruling drew on the fact that Cosby, 83, had waived his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination by agreeing to testify in a previous civil case brought by his accuser, Andrea Constand, which the justices said was evidence that he didn't think he would be criminally charged.
The justices "thought it was a violation of his due process rights and fundamental fairness," Dempsey said. "It's such an unusual case, and I hope people don't read too much into the court's decision about what it says about the #MeToo movement. ... And in no way at all does this decision undermine the credibility of Andrea Constand and other victims who testified against" Cosby.
Cosby's appeal likely to focus on parade of accusers at his second trial
Reuters
2018-09-26
Bill Cosby's appeal of his conviction for sexual assault is expected to focus on a Pennsylvania judge's decision to allow several accusers to testify against him, but his challenge faces significant hurdles, according to legal experts. … "I don't think that they have any significant likelihood of winning this appeal," said Michelle Dempsey, a law professor at Villanova University in Philadelphia. "The evidence was solid, and the standard in Pennsylvania is clear."
Why Bill Cosby may not spend any time in prison
CNN
2018-04-30
Based on his conviction this week on three assault charges, comedian and TV star Bill Cosby could be sentenced to 30 years in prison … But Michelle Madden Dempsey, a criminal law professor at Villanova University, said she thought Cosby's attorneys had a very weak case on these questions.
Did the #MeToo Movement Sway the Cosby Jury?
The New York Times
2018-04-27
The trial of Bill Cosby provides what social scientists might call a natural experiment. In the spring of 2017, a jury could not agree on whether Mr. Cosby had drugged and sexually assaulted Andrea Constand, setting the stage for a retrial … Though the jury took very little time to find Mr. Cosby guilty, Michelle Dempsey, a law professor at Villanova University, cautioned that the verdict should not be regarded as a litmus test for #MeToo, but simply as a jury’s decision in a single case.
Why Bill Cosby's trial will be different this time
CNN
2018-04-09
Less than a year after his trial ended in a hung jury, Bill Cosby will again stand trial on three counts of aggravated indecent assault … Cultural movements can impact juries, said Michelle Madden Dempsey, a former prosecutor and a law professor at Villanova University. But it will all depend on the specific makeup of the jury.
