Mistrial Declared In Bill Cosby’s Trial As Jury Deadlocks

Bill Cosby‘s sexual assault trial was ruled a mistrial by the judge on Saturday morning, after the jury could not reach a verdict.

The jurors — five women and seven men — were unable to come to a unanimous decision. The trial was over the alleged 2004 drugging and sexual assault of Andrea Constand, a former employee Temple University, at Cosby’s Philadelphia home. Numerous other women have also come out with accusations against Cosby. His trial quickly became a public affair, being followed by the media.

Judge Steven O’Neill said on Saturday morning that the note from jury “indicates that we the jury are deadlocked on all counts.” Cosby said nothing as he emerged from the courtroom, but raised an arm as if in victory.

After the announcement, the Montgomery County District Attorney, Kevin R. Steele, announced he would retry the case.

“Our plan is to move this case forward as soon as possible,” Steele 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.”

Cosby’s attorneys maintained throughout the trial that the actor’s relationship with Constand was consensual. Amid the deluge of accusations that were unearthed over the past several years, Cosby admitted to giving numerous women drugs and having sexual relationships with them, which, he says, were consensual.