Thursday, March 28, 2024

Mistrial Declared In Bill Cosby’s Sexual Assault Case, D.A. ‘Will Retry’

Bill Cosby arrived Monday for his sexual assault trial with his wife, Camille, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. Credit Matt Rourke/Associated Press
Bill Cosby arrived Monday for his sexual assault trial with his wife, Camille, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa.

*The judge in the Bill Cosby sexual assault case declared a mistrial Saturday morning after the jury failed to reach a verdict.

The legendary comedian was charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault on a woman (Andrea Constand) at his home outside Philadelphia in early 2004. Back then, she was manager of the women’s basketball team at Temple University – where Cosby was a major booster and member of the board of trustees. Constand, 44, is now a massage therapist in Canada.

The criminal complaint was filed in December 2015, just days before Pennsylvania’s 12-year statute of limitations was due to expire. Cosby faced three charges of aggravated indecent assault.

The jury deliberated for 6 days but as CNN reports, the jurors — five women and seven men — were unable to come to a unanimous decision in a courtroom battle closely watched by dozens of women who have accused Cosby of similar misconduct in the past.

Prosecutors announced they will retry the case.

A spokeswoman for Cosby read a statement from his wife, Camille Cosby, who criticized prosecutors, the judge and the media. (see video below)

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Bill Cosby Jury Deadlocked After 30 Hours of Deliberations; Judge Orders Them to Try Again

Camille’s  statement read: “How do I describe the District Attorney? Heinously and exploitively ambitious. How do I describe the judge? Overtly and arrogantly collaborating with the District Attorney. How do I describe the counsels for the accusers? Totally unethical. How do I describe many, but not all, general media? Blatantly vicious entities that continually disseminated intentional omissions of truths for the primary purpose of greedily selling sensationalism at the expense of a human life.”

Attorney Gloria Allred, who represents many of Cosby’s accusers, said she hopes the court will allow other “prior bad act witnesses” to testify at the next trial.

“If the court allows more accusers to testify … it might make a difference. In other words, it’s too early to celebrate Mr. Cosby,” she said.

Angela Agrusa, a member of Cosby’s legal team, said outside court: “This is what happens. Juries are stuck when a prosecutor seeks to put someone in prison for things that are simply not presented in the courtroom. And the jury stuck to what they were asked to do and that is to review the evidence before them and there simply wasn’t enough.”

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said prosecutors will “evaluate and review our case” and retry Cosby.

“Our plan is to move this case forward as soon as possible,” he said. He expressed disappointment over the mistrial, praised the “extraordinary sacrifices’ of the jury and said a “good outcome” of the trial was that two Cosby accusers “got to face the defendant in court.”

During his criminal case, Cosby — who is reportedly legally blind — has been supported by longtime friends and a few actors, including Keisha Knight Pulliam, who played his TV daughter, Rudy, on “The Cosby Show.”

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