Cosby mistrial – not over yet

Norristown – A US judge declared a mistrial on Saturday in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault case, with the jury deadlocked on whether the disgraced star drugged and molested a woman in 2004. Prosecutors have vowed to seek a retrial.

It was a momentary victory for the 79-year-old, who risked spending the rest of his life in prison if convicted of assaulting former university employee Andrea Constand at his Philadelphia home 13 years ago.

Prosecutors pledged to pursue a conviction, raising the prospect that the now frail and isolated comedian, once adored by millions as “America’s Dad”, would be forced to return to court in a matter of months.

The trial has irrevocably damaged the legacy of Cosby, once a towering figure in US popular culture best known for his seminal role as a lovable father and obstetrician on hit 1984-92 TV series The Cosby Show.

Free on a $1 million bail, Cosby hung his head and made no comment before leaving the court in the Philadelphia suburb of Norristown, escorted by his representatives.

About 60 women have publicly accused the Emmy-winning actor of being a serial sexual predator, alleging that he drugged and assaulted them over a span of 40 years across the US.

But Constand’s allegations were the only criminal case brought against him as most of the alleged abuse happened too long ago to prosecute. Her case was initially settled by a civil suit but reopened in 2015, when Pennsylvania prosecutors claimed that new evidence had come to light.

Cosby maintained in a 2005 deposition that he gave Constand the antihistamine Benadryl to relieve stress and had consensual relations, and admitted obtaining sedatives with a view to having sex. –