Cosby, 79, was accused of drugging and molesting Andrea Constand, 44, at his home in suburban Philadelphia in 2004, according to NBC News. It was the only criminal case stemming from dozens of accusations of sexual misconduct — all of which Cosby denies.
After the mistrial was declared, some of the women who have accused Cosby of sexual assault in past decades were crying as they gathered around Constand to console her.
Cosby sat at the defense table, appearing still and solemn.
When Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele announced that he plans to retry the case, there was a small gasp in the gallery. O’Neill ordered that Cosby must remain out on bail.
During six days of testimony, jurors heard from Constand and just one other accuser, Kelly Johnson, who worked for Cosby’s late agent and said he also drugged and assaulted her in 1996. They also were read large sections of a deposition Cosby gave in a 2005 civil lawsuit filed by Constand.
Nearly a dozen times during their deliberations, they sent questions about the the evidence or the charges to the judge, struggling to come to a consensus.
O’Neill told the jury that if they decide to talk about the case, they should remember that their deliberations are confidential and should not discuss any votes they took or anything other jurors said.
“I assume when you became jurors you were not looking for celebrity or financial gain,” O’Neill told them.
Gloria Allred, the lawyer representing 33 women who have accused Cosby of sexual misconduct, said outside of the court that “round two may be just around the corner, and this time, justice may prevail.”
She commended Johnson and others for testifying, and thank all the accusers who have spoken out.
“I want other persons who believe that (they) are assault victims of anyone to report it and stay strong,” Allred added.
NORRISTOWN, Pa. — Bill Cosby’s sexual assault trial ended Saturday with a jury that was deadlocked on all counts, punctuating an epic scandal with a giant question mark.
After more than 50 hours of deliberation over six days, the jury of seven men and five women was unable to reach a verdict, and Montgomery County Judge Steven O’Neill declared a mistrial.
“Do not in any way feel you have let the justice system down,” O’Neill told the jury.
Cosby, 79, was accused of drugging and molesting Andrea Constand, 44, at his home in suburban Philadelphia in 2004. It was the only criminal case stemming from dozens of accusations of sexual misconduct — all of which Cosby denies.
After the mistrial was declared, some of the women who have accused Cosby of sexual assault in past decades were crying as they gathered around Constand to console her.
Cosby sat at the defense table, appearing still and solemn.
When Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele announced that he plans to retry the case, there was a small gasp in the gallery. O’Neill ordered that Cosby must remain out on bail.
During six days of testimony, jurors heard from Constand and just one other accuser, Kelly Johnson, who worked for Cosby’s late agent and said he also drugged and assaulted her in 1996. They also were read large sections of a deposition Cosby gave in a 2005 civil lawsuit filed by Constand.
Nearly a dozen times during their deliberations, they sent questions about the the evidence or the charges to the judge, struggling to come to a consensus.
O’Neill told the jury that if they decide to talk about the case, they should remember that their deliberations are confidential and should not discuss any votes they took or anything other jurors said.
“I assume when you became jurors you were not looking for celebrity or financial gain,” O’Neill told them.
Gloria Allred, the lawyer representing 33 women who have accused Cosby of sexual misconduct, said outside of the court that “round two may be just around the corner, and this time, justice may prevail.”
She commended Johnson and others for testifying, and thank all the accusers who have spoken out.
“I want other persons who believe that (they) are assault victims of anyone to report it and stay strong,” Allred added.
The initial sign of a divide among the jury came Thursday morning, when they sent a note saying they were deadlocked for the first time. The judge gave them new instructions reminding them of their duty to try to reach a unanimous decision and sent them back to the deliberation room.
The group worked until 9 p.m. that night, and returned Friday with requests to rehear more evidence and by the end of the day still had not reached a verdict. When they told the judge Saturday morning they were still deadlocked, he declared a hung jury and a mistrial.
The amount of time the jury spent deliberating eclipsed the amount of time witnesses had spent on the stand testifying. They had much of the key testimony from the first six days of the trial read back to them.
Cosby, who didn’t testify, was charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault, a charge that carries a maximum of 10 years in prison.
