A judge in the state of Pennsylvania has just declared a mistrial in the high profile, Bill Cosby sexual assault case. After a ten day trial and six days of deliberation, the seven men and five women of the jury were unable to come to a unanimous decision. During this trail, the comedian was charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault stemming from a 2004 incident involving former Temple University basketball staffer Andrea Constand.
Constand took the stand and testified that she was drugged by Cosby during the incident, and therefore she was unable to consent. Though the 79-year old did not take the stand during his trial, his defense claimed that the encounter was consensual. If Cosby had been found guilty of the assault, he would have faced a maximum of ten years in prison for each count of assault for a total of thirty years.
Though the case has ended in a mistrial, prosecutors have stated that they will be retrying the case immediately. Judge Steve T. O’Neill said he would be scheduling a new trial in the next four months.
The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Attorney Gloria Allred who is representing a number of Cosby’s many accusers told the press that, “We can never overestimate the blinding power of celebrity. But justice will come.” Meanwhile, Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt said, ”Johnnie Cochrane is looking down smiling. The legacy didn’t go anywhere. It has been restored.”
A new trial date has not yet been set in this case, and as far as other allegations, Cosby has continually denied any wrongdoing.
