Two years and six months in jail was the sentence handed down in D.C. Superior Court Tuesday in the case against former GW basketball player Attila Cosby. Convicted in July of seven misdemeanor offenses including sexual assault and weapons charges as a result of an incident that occurred in his Guthridge Hall room in May 2000, Cosby received a just and fair sentence for his crimes. The story of Attila Cosby should remind students that in the eyes of the law, they are adults, and just a few mistakes can seriously affect someone’s life.

Cosby picked up a 47-year-old crack-cocaine addict, sexually assaulted her with a broomstick and forced her at gunpoint to perform oral sex on him. Cosby apparently lied to police and prosecutors when he denied ever owning or possessing a gun. He later admitted to owning two guns, and police found a trigger lock and padlock used to store a gun in Cosby’s room. This and other inconsistencies in his story led the judge to consider the drug addict a more credible witness and convict Cosby.

Making poor choices apparently came easily to Cosby. He was expelled from high school for disciplinary reasons, and he left the University of Pittsburgh after choking a coach, transferring to the University of New Mexico. He finally came to GW in January 2000 hoping to be more successful closer to home. Five months later, he was arrested on sexual assault charges.

Cosby has a 16-month-old son with his girlfriend whom he plans to marry. But now he will be behind bars for 900 days. And the chances he will receive a GW degree are nearly non-existent. Choosing to pick up an alleged prostitute, assault her at gunpoint and lie about it to police has derailed his life. And it all could have been avoided.

Students often see themselves as something more than children but less than adults, inhabiting a special place in society where normal rules do not apply. For athletes, this erroneous perception can be even more believable. But the reality is that we are adults, and our choices have serious, life-altering consequences.

Billy Martin, Cosby’s attorney, said of his client at the sentencing hearing, “He’s never had a chance at supervision. He’s always been the superstar. He’s never had someone to say, `Here’s what you need to do.'” Sadly, in sending Cosby to jail, D.C. Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz finally gave the “superstar” the reality check he never received from coaches, parents or friends.