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Update

Judge Declares Mistrial In Bill Cosby Trial

Prosecutors promise to retry sexual assault case in four months.

Bill Cosby

Credit: BACKGRID

On Saturday after six days of deliberation, the jury in the sexual assault case against Bill Cosby announced it was hopelessly deadlocked. Judge Steven O’Neill granted lead defense attorney Brian McMonagle’s motion for mistrial. Almost immediately afterward, district attorney Kevin Steele vowed the prosecution would retry the case in four months.

Accuser Andrea Constand, 44, was present in the Montgomery County, Pennsylvania courthouse and showed little emotion in response to the judge’s decision. The mistrial was not unexpected as the jury, comprised of seven men and five women, had previously announced on Thursday that they were deadlocked on all three counts of aggravated indecent sexual assault, charges stemming solely from the 2004 alleged incident that took place at Cosby’s Elkins Park, Pennsylvania home between the comedian and the former director of operations for Temple University’s women’s basketball team. Constand testified at the trial that 13 years prior the 79-year-old had drugged her and molested her.

Cosby, who did not take the stand, contends that he gave Constand over-the-counter antihistamine, all sexual interaction was consensual, and that they were lovers. Constand on the other hand, says she is a lesbian, and had no romantic interest in Bill Cosby whatsoever. According to her, he had invited her to his home to discuss business matters and then given her three oval shaped blue pills, allegedly to calm her, and once she was incapacitated, he fondled her breasts, digitally penetrated her, and put her hand on his penis.

A year after the alleged assault, Constand filed a suit against Cosby in civil court. The case was settled in 2006 for an undisclosed amount of money. Details of the case were sealed including a deposition given by Cosby. In 2015 the Associated Press petitioned to have that deposition unsealed. Incriminating testimony given by Cosby revealed that he had obtained Quaaludes and given them to women he wanted to have sex with, and that he had had numerous affairs with young women he met due to his position as a Hollywood icon.

The 10-day trial concluded Saturday with an unsatisfying ending for both sides. Judge O’Neill released Cosby with the same conditions of the $1 million bond the man formerly considered “America’s Dad” posted in 2015. The judge praised the jury for their 52 hours of deliberations stating that their effort was “probably one of the more courageous acts, selfless acts, that I’ve seen in justice.” He went on to say, “We have been at this for over 18 months. To everybody here who has done it on this county system, I think you. With that I bid you a farewell for this case, and a happy Father’s Day for all the fathers who are out there.”

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