Mistrial declared in Cosby sexual assault case

UPDATE: The judge declared a mistrial in the Bill Cosby sexual assault case after the jury declared Saturday that they were hopelessly deadlocked.

Jurors deliberated more than 52 hours over six days, but couldn’t reach a unanimous decision on whether “The Cosby Show” star drugged and molested Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004, The Associated Press reported. 
Cosby was charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault.

Cosby maintained that he and Constand shared a consensual sexual encounter. Dozens of women have made high-profile accusations that Cosby had drugged and assaulted them, but Constand’s case is the only case to result in criminal charges against Cosby.

Prosecutors said just after the mistrial announcement that they plan to retry Cosby.

Read the original report below.

Jurors deliberating the case against comedian Bill Cosby did not reach a verdict Friday evening, and the judge told them to return Saturday to continue deliberations.

Jurors were ordered to continue deliberating the case against comedian Bill Cosby on Thursday after they told a Pennsylvania judge that they were unable to reach a unanimous decision on the charges against him, according to multiple reports.

Cosby, 79, was charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault, accused of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, then 30, at his home in 2004. Each charge carries a possible 10-year sentence.

After six days of testimony, the sequestered jury began deliberations in the case Monday afternoon. However, after 30 hours of deliberations, jurors said in a statement to the court that they were unable to agree on a verdict.

Cosby’s lawyers contend he had a consensual relationship with Constand, who is now 44. Her attorneys have said she viewed Cosby as a mentor when she worked as a staffer on the Temple University basketball team more than ten years ago.

In a 2005 deposition, Cosby described giving Constand pills before engaging in sexual contact with her.

He did not take the stand in his sexual assault trial.

Some 60 women have come forward over the past couple years, accusing Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting them, according to news outlets. Some of the allegation date back to the 1970s.

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