The jury in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault trial ended a fifth day of deliberations late Friday night as they began — asking more questions and for a replay of testimony from the case.
The 12-person panel is expected to reconvene on Saturday with no indication of how soon — or whether — they might be able to reach a unanimous verdict on the three felony counts of aggravated sexual assault against the 79-year-old comedian.
On Friday, Montgomery County Judge Steven O’Neill rejected motions from Cosby defense attorney Brian McMonagle to declare a mistrial in the case, in which Cosby is accused of drugging and molesting former Temple University employee Andrea Constand in 2004.
“If you have evidence that says they’re not deliberating, they’re not working back there, please give it to me,” O’Neill said. “I have no ability to do anything but what I’ve done in this case.”
The jury started Friday by asking Montgomery County Judge Steven O’Neill to redefine the term “reasonable doubt” and to rehear testimony from a 2005 civil suit in which the comedian admitted he had given Quaaludes to women in the past he wanted to have sex with and that he never took Quaaludes himself. He also said he never gave any women the drug without their knowledge.
Constand testified that after she took the pills from Cosby her vision began to blur, she slurred her words and she “wasn’t able to fight in any way” as Cosby groped her breasts and touched her genitals. Prosecutors suggested Cosby might have given Constand something stronger than Benadryl as he had told police.
“Quaaludes have nothing to do with this case,” Cosby defense attorney Brian McMonagle said in his closing arguments.
In mid-afternoon, the jurors reheard the testimony of Gianna Constand, the mother of Andrea Constand, who claimed that Cosby admitted in a phone call to her that he gave Andrea pills and had sex with her. The jury also listened again to Andrea Constand’s testimony about the numerous phone calls she made to Cosby in the month after the alleged sexual assault.
Just before 9 p.m. ET, listened again to the testimony of Toronto Police Detective Constable Stuart Parsons, who said he had told Constand — who is also his sister-in-law — to report the 2004 incident to the police and for Gianna Constand to record future phone calls with Cosby; the mother’s first conversation with Cosby had not been taped.
The panel of seven men and five women began deliberations Monday evening following six days of testimony in Norristown, Penn., just outside Philadelphia.
On Thursday, the jury told the court they were deadlocked on each of the three counts against Cosby, but O’Neill urged them to continue deliberations.