PHILADELPHIA, PA (CelebrityAccess) — After four days of deliberation, the jury in Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial reported to the judge that they were hopelessly deadlocked and unable to reach a verdict.
“We cannot reach unanimous consensus on any of the counts,” the note to Judge O’Neill said, according to the New York Times. The note did not reveal what points of contention for the jury were and the judge requested that they resume deliberation to try to break the deadlock.
“Each of you has a duty to consult with one another and to deliberate with a view to reaching an agreement,” Judge Steven T. O’Neill said in a new charge to the jury.
“While you should not hesitate to re-examine your own views and change your opinion if you are convinced that your opinion is erroneous, do not feel compelled to surrender your honest belief as to the weight or effect of the evidence solely because of the opinion of your fellow jurors, or for the mere purpose of returning a verdict,” Judge O’Neill added.
Cosby is on trial for three counts of aggravated indecent assault against Andrea Constand — penetration without consent; penetration while unconscious; and penetration after administering an intoxicant without the subject’s knowledge. Each count carries a sentence of up to 10 years.
The charges are the only criminal counts that Cosby has faced amid dozens of allegations of sexual assault. If the jury is unable to form a consensus, O’Neill may declare a mistrial, leaving the prosecution the option to retry Cosby on the charges with a new jury, or declining to prosecute the case again. – staff Writers
