iStock/Thinkstock(NORRISTOWN, Penn.) — A fourth day of jury deliberations in the Bill Cosby sexual assault trial ended Thursday with no verdict yet reached.
Early yesterday, the jury in the Norristown, Pennsylvania courtroom informed the court that they were unable to reach a unanimous agreement on any of the three charges the comedian faces. But the judge sent the jury back to continue deliberating.
Each jury deadlock announcement is met with a defense motion for a mistrial. Thursday morning’s motion was denied by the judge. But Cosby’s attorneys can pressure the judge to declare a mistrial.
Deliberations, which have now reached nearly 40 hours, are set to resume at 9 a.m. Friday.
The comedian is accused of sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004.
Cosby has been charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, with no minimum, and a $25,000 fine. The charges stem from a 2004 sexual encounter with Constand.
She claims that he drugged and molested her, but the former television star said in a decade-old deposition that their relations were consensual and that he gave her a Benadryl only to help her relax.
Cosby pleaded not guilty and has repeatedly denied allegations of wrongdoing.
If the trial ends in a hung jury, the district attorney could choose to retry the case, but prosecutors would not likely move for an immediate retrial, according to a spokeswoman for the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.
Dan Abrams, chief legal correspondent for ABC News, said the decision to retry the case could come down to two critical factors.
“If [the vote was] 11-1 to convict, the DA would be under pressure to retry the case. Also, what does Andrea Constand think? She becomes a critical player in that decision. If she insists, that could hold some weight,” he said.
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