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Judge Grants Mistrial In Bill Cosby Case, Supporters Celebrate Outside Courthouse [Video]

By Chris Featherstone
Published on: 03:25 PST, Jun 17, 2017

After multiple attempts for the jury to come to a verdict, the judge has decided to consider the Bill Cosby case a mistrial. The jury has been deadlocked and are unable to reach a verdict. The seven men and five women selected for the jury were unable to reach a unanimous decision regarding Cosby’s charges of felony indecent assault. If convicted, Cosby, who turns 80 in three weeks, could face up to 30 years in prison. However, as a result of the mistrial, Cosby was able to walk out of the court and resume his civilian life.

Cosby’s charges stemmed from a 2004 incident involving then 30-year-old Andrea Constand, who was the operations director of Temple University’s women basketball team. Meeting Cosby two years prior, Constand alleged that their professional relationship led to him drugging and sexually assaulting her inside his mansion in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. Cosby states that he invited her over to discuss business matters, but Constand states that Cosby had a romantic interest in her from the start, according to People.

Now 44, Constand looks to bring justice to what allegedly happened to her while filling her role on the Temple women’s basketball team. This stemmed from a ruling in May of 2016 that there was sufficient evidence to pursue a trial, according to The Sun.

The jury was conflicted over strong remarks from both the District Attorney representing Constand, as well as the attorney representing Cosby.

According to ABC News, the DA, Kevin Steele, described Cosby as a “calculating sexual predator, who not only drugged and assaulted Constand in 2004, but also recast the attack as consensual and romantic.” However, Cosby’s attorney, Brian McMonagle, highlighted some major inconsistencies in both Constand’s testimony, as well as the words of another accuser, Kelly Johnson.

Since Philadelphia laws give the DA an opportunity to retry if a mistrial occurs, as well as the ability for conduct that is uncharged to be permitted during testimony, Steele took no time to take the courts up on their offer, according to the Montgomery County DA Twitter account.

NewsWorks correspondent Dana DiFillipo revealed that the retrial will occur in 120 days. That means for the next four months, Cosby will be a free man, as he was released on bail.

As a result of the default victory of the defense, rabid supporters of Cosby were quick to voice their celebration outside of the courthouse.

[Featured Image by Matt Slocum/AP Images]

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