A US judge declared a mistrial on Saturday in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault case after the jury announced that they remained deadlocked and unable to reach a verdict against the fallen television star.
It was a stunning development for the 79-year-old pioneering black entertainer who had risked spending the rest of his life in prison if convicted on drugging and molesting a woman at his home 13 years ago.
Around 60 women have publicly accused Cosby in recent years of being a serial sexual predator alleging that he drugged and assaulted them over a span of 40 years across the US.
But 44-year-old Andrea Constand’s alleged assault was the only criminal case brought against him as most of the alleged abuse happened too long ago to prosecute.
The seven-man, five-woman panel had spent around 53 hours deliberating in Norristown, Pennsylvania, longer than the amount of time dedicated at the trial to testimony and legal arguments.
