Exasperation and Tears as Cosby Jury Struggles

No one is certain when it will all end
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jun 15, 2017 8:38 AM CDT
Exasperation and Tears as Cosby Jury Struggles
Bill Cosby arrives at the Montgomery County Courthouse during his sexual assault trial, Thursday, June 15, 2017, in Norristown, Pa.    (Matt Slocum)

As deliberations in Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial continue into a fourth day Thursday, nerves are frayed, patience is shot, and no one is certain when it will all end. Some jurors appeared angry, the judge sounded exasperated, and accuser Andrea Constand's mother broke down in tears Wednesday. The sequestered jury has been at it for more than 27 hours since getting the case Monday, pausing a half-dozen times to revisit key evidence, including Cosby's decade-old admissions that he fondled Constand after giving her pills. The 79-year-old star arrived at the courthouse Thursday morning for the start of yet another day of jury talks. The panel has given no indication that it's deadlocked.

Judge Steven O'Neill has seemed vexed at times as the court staff struggled to answer the jury's requests, reports the AP. One batch of requested testimony hadn't even been transcribed yet. But when jurors asked to stop for the day Wednesday night, O'Neill was effusive with praise—encouraging their diligence as they weigh charges that could put the 79-year-old Cosby in prison for the rest of his life. "This is an incredible jury that has just acted with incredible dignity and fidelity," O'Neill said. "I don't have any higher praise. You have taken your task so seriously." (More Bill Cosby stories.)

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