Cosby jury deliberates 3rd day with no verdict
NORRISTOWN, Pa. — Jurors in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault trial reviewed portions of his accuser’s testimony yesterday as they deliberated for a third day over whether the 79-yearold star drugged and molested her at his suburban Philadelphia estate.
Jurors made the request to have portions of Andrea Constand’s testimony read back to them after deliberating about 21 hours without reaching a verdict in a case that has already helped demolish Cosby’s nice-guy reputation.
Constand, 44, who spent seven hours on the stand last week, was in the gallery as the jury scrutinized her story.
She testified that Cosby gave her pills that left her woozy, helped her to a couch and then violated her while she was passed out, unable to say no or fight his advances.
The jury had previously reviewed Cosby’s version of events, contained in a deposition he gave in 2005 and 2006 as part of Constand’s lawsuit against him and introduced by prosecutors at the criminal trial.
Cosby said he gave Constand three half-tablets of Benadryl, an over-the-counter cold and allergy medicine, to help her relax. His lawyers maintain Constand was a willing sexual partner.
Constand denied there was any romance between them and told jurors she had rebuffed his advances before the assault. She believes he gave her something stronger than Benadryl on the night she says he molested her.
Cosby is charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault. Each carries a maximum 10-year prison term, though the counts could be merged at sentencing if he is convicted.