Cosby facing mountain of legal trouble
Prosecutors have vowed to retry the comedian after hung jury and mistrial
Prosecutors have vowed to retry comedian Bill Cosby on sexual assault charges after a jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict despite 52 hours of deliberations in a case that echoed accusations made by dozens of women against him.
Judge Steven O’Neill, of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, declared a mistrial following a note from jurors saying that they were hopelessly deadlocked on three counts of aggravated sexual assault.
The result was a victory for Cosby, 79, who had faced years in prison for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting college administrator Andrea Constand at his home near Philadelphia in 2004. But prosecutors immediately said they would seek a second trial, which O’Neill suggested could start within four months.
“She’s entitled to a verdict in this case,” Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said.
Cosby’s spokesman, Andrew Wyatt, told reporters that the trial’s outcome had “restored” his client’s legacy.
But Cosby’s reputation remains in tatters, following a slew of sexual assault allegations from about 60 women that have destroyed the “America’s dad” image he built as star of the long-running 1980s TV comedy The Cosby Show.
Cosby still faces a mountain of legal trouble in the coming years.
First and most importantly, the possibility of retrial. Under Pennsylvania’s speedy trial law, the new trial should be set within 365 days, and Steele has promised to move as fast as possible.
Both sides will have a chance to adjust their strategies for the next trial. They may also be able to query jurors about the deliberations in hopes of learning something that may make their arguments more convincing. The prosecution could also seek to appeal O’Neill’s ruling that excluded testimony from a dozen women who claim Cosby sexually assaulted them.
“If the court allows more accusers next time to testify, it might make a difference,” said lawyer Gloria Allred outside court.
Cosby remains free on bail. But in the meantime, he is also facing 10 civil suits, many of them for defamation. Those cases continue to go forward, though they could be delayed as Cosby may not be required to give depositions in several of them until after the retrial.
In Massachusetts, Cosby is facing a federal defamation suit from seven accusers. Both sides continue to file motions and take discovery, but the court has issued a ruling preventing the plaintiffs’ lawyers from taking discovery from Cosby until the conclusion of the criminal trial.