Why Couldn’t the Cosby Jury Reach a Verdict? Legal Experts Assess
Video by the Associated Press
As the jury’s deliberations extended into this weekend, the possibility of a verdict in Bill Cosby’s s*xual assault trial seemed to dim, though legal experts cautioned against drawing any conclusions. But when the judge in the case, Steven T. O’Neill, declared a mistrial on Saturday morning after the jury said it was hopelessly deadlocked, some criminal law experts who had been closely following the proceedings suggested that the conclusion was hardly unexpected.
Several pointed to inconsistencies in statements made by the woman at the center of the case, Andrea Constand, who said Mr. Cosby had disabled her with a powerful drug and then s*xually assaulted her at his home outside Philadelphia in 2004. Others pointed to the strength of Mr. Cosby’s defense lawyer, Brian J. McMonagle, whose team argued that the s*xual interaction between Mr. Cosby and Ms. Constand had been consensual. In his closing argument, Mr. McMonagle acknowledged that Mr. Cosby might not have been a faithful husband, but said that this was not a crime.
READ MORE: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/why-co...
As the jury’s deliberations extended into this weekend, the possibility of a verdict in Bill Cosby’s s*xual assault trial seemed to dim, though legal experts cautioned against drawing any conclusions. But when the judge in the case, Steven T. O’Neill, declared a mistrial on Saturday morning after the jury said it was hopelessly deadlocked, some criminal law experts who had been closely following the proceedings suggested that the conclusion was hardly unexpected.
Several pointed to inconsistencies in statements made by the woman at the center of the case, Andrea Constand, who said Mr. Cosby had disabled her with a powerful drug and then s*xually assaulted her at his home outside Philadelphia in 2004. Others pointed to the strength of Mr. Cosby’s defense lawyer, Brian J. McMonagle, whose team argued that the s*xual interaction between Mr. Cosby and Ms. Constand had been consensual. In his closing argument, Mr. McMonagle acknowledged that Mr. Cosby might not have been a faithful husband, but said that this was not a crime.
READ MORE: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/why-co...
