A deadlocked Pennsylvania jury battling to reach a verdict in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault trial was to deliberate a fifth day Friday as to whether or not he drugged and molested a woman more than 13 years ago.
The 79-year-old pioneering black actor could face the rest of his life in prison if convicted on three counts of aggravated indecent assault against 44-year-old Andrea Constand at his Philadelphia mansion in January 2004.
The 12-member jury informed the court that after nearly 30 hours of deliberations, they had been unable to reach a unanimous decision. Judge Steve O’Neill ordered them back into their chamber to continue.
“Each of you has a duty to consult with one another and to deliberate with a view to reaching an agreement if it can be done without violence to your individual judgment,” he read from Pennsylvania law.
O’Neill gave jurors no deadline. Shortly after 9 pm, after 39 hours of deliberations over four days, he dismissed them for the evening and ordered them to return in the morning.
Although the trial concerns only Constand’s allegations, 60 women have publicly accused the legendary entertainer of being a serial sexual predator in remarkably similar accusations that span four decades.
Earlier Thursday, a handful of Cosby supporters called for the man once adored by millions as “America’s Dad” to walk free, holding up posters with slogans such as “Free Mr Cosby Now” outside the court.
As tensions rose, one of Cosby’s accusers Lili Bernard, burst into tears after getting into an argument with one member of the group.
