The fifth day of jury deliberations ended Friday night, but jurors have yet to return a verdict in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault trial. Jurors have deliberated for more than 50 hours this week.
Jurors asked a total of five questions Friday, ending the night with a request to rehear testimony from Andrea Constand’s brother-in-law late that evening, Carl Hessler Jr, Digital First Media reporter, tweeted Friday night.
Cosby has been charged with three counts of aggravated sexual assault, which could land the 79-year-old comedian in prison for up to 30 years if he is convicted on all three counts.
The defense filed a motion for a mistrial because of the lengthy deliberations, however O’Neill said he would not stop jurors if they were actively deliberating, Shari Botwin told The Temple News. Botwin, a trauma therapist, was inside the courtroom during the jurors’ questions.
Friday morning, jurors asked for Judge Steven O’Neill to define “reasonable doubt” and to rehear a portion of Cosby’s 2005 testimony deposition where he talks about giving quaaludes to women he wanted to have sex with.
Botwin, who was inside the courtroom, said, moments after their first question, Jurors asked to rehear testimonies about phone records from Andrea Constand, central accuser in the case against Cosby. Phone records showed that Constand was in contact with Cosby after the alleged assault.
Jurors heard testimony from Constand’s mother, Gianna, again. The testimony described the phone call she exchanged with Cosby about her daughter’s alleged assault in 2004.
Friday afternoon, jurors requested to rehear a portion of Constand’s testimony, which had already been read to them earlier that day. O’Neill denied their request, Botwin said.
While jurors deliberated, Cosby was active on Twitter. He tweeted thanks and appreciation to his supporters outside the courthouse.
Supporters wore matching shirts that read, “We love Bill Cosby,” as they chanted “Free Bill.”
Supporters of the comedian have been vocal throughout the week-long deliberations, causing clashes with other alleged Cosby sexual assault survivors on Thursday.
Thursday morning, jurors announced they were deadlocked, but O’Neill urged them to continue deliberations.
He allegedly drugged and molested Constand in 2004 when she was the director of operations for the Temple women’s basketball team. Cosby was a university trustee at the time.
O’Neill sent jurors home Friday evening around 9. Deliberations will continue Saturday morning at the Montgomery County Courthouse.
Kelly Brennan can be reached at kelly.brennan@temple.edu or on Twitter @_kellybrennan. Follow The Temple News on Twitter @thetemplenews.
Be the first to comment