Comedian Bill Cosby, once something of a societal paragon and role model, found that reputation irreversibly ruined by accusations that he had in the past years drugged several young women and sexually assaulted them, most prominently in the case involving former Temple University staffer Andrea Constand way back in 2004. Hers is not the only accusation, although Cosby has denied the dozens of similar charges against him. This case finally went to trial on June 5, but after some heavy deliberation over four days the jury announced that they had been deadlocked.
After the second round of deliberation, the jury sounded another deadlock last Saturday and gotten the presiding judge to grant a mistrial.
Drugging and assault
Back in 2015, Bill Cosby was charged with multiple counts of aggravated indecent assault with regards to Andrea Constand. Although he insists that the event was consensual between them, this flies in the face of Constand, 44, being publicly gay. Cosby’s June 5 trial saw the prosecution present its case against him over a period of four and a half days. In contrast, his defense only took five minutes the following Monday, June 12.
During the defense, Cosby’s counsel Brian McMonagle called only one witness, the police detective who investigated the original case about what happened between the actor and Constand.
Cosby himself decided not to offer his own testimony. McMonagle’s closing statement targeted Constand’s seemingly contradictory statements about the course of events, while Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele of the prosecution pointed out that Cosby himself admitted to the deed.
When it came time for the Montgomery County, Pennsylvania jury to deliberate, they found themselves repeatedly returning to the judge with questions and requests about the case.
Despite multiple days to force a consensus, by June 17 they have announced being “hopelessly deadlocked” after two attempts at a unanimous verdict, resulting in a granted mistrial.
The past returns
The case was first floated in 2005 when Andrea Constand accused Bill Cosby of assaulting her while drugged. Her case was thrown out, prompting an attempt at a civil suit instead, settled in 2006.
But as more and more women came forward claiming to have been victims of Cosby as well, the case was reopened, leading to the June 5 trial.
Constand was on the witness stand for eight hours during the trial, detailing her view of how she was involved with Cosby and the events of the night when she was allegedly drugged and raped by the actor. Other witnesses for the prosecution included Constand’s mother Gianna and Kelly Johnson, another woman who accused Cosby of assault. All other women with grievances against the accused were barred from testifying by Montgomery County Judge Steven O’Neill.
The Constand case savaged Cosby's reputation. His classic “Cosby Show” sitcom was pulled off reruns, and plans for both a Netflix special and NBC project were canceled.
