As Cosby Jury Passes 50-Hour Mark, Judge's Patience Tested

The jury in Bill Cosby's sexual assault case ended a fifth day of deliberations Friday without reaching a verdict, testing the patience of defense lawyers and even the judge as it struggled to break a deadlock by making repeated runs through testimony given by the TV star, his accuser, and others. With deliberations passing the 50-hour mark, longer than the testimony of all the witnesses combined, the 79-year-old TV star's lawyer complained that jurors were seeking a replay of the entire trial. Lawyer Brian McMonagle also worried that some jurors might compromise "their views and their values" for the sake of reaching a unanimous decision. "I believe this jury is tired, is weary," McMonagle said late Friday, as the jury wrapped up yet another marathon round of deliberations.

Judge Steven O'Neill pushed back on repeated defense requests for a mistrial, declaring that jurors could talk as long as they wanted over allegations that Cosby drugged and molested a woman at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in 2004. The judge had instructed the panel to keep deliberating after it reported Thursday it was deadlocked on the charges against the comedian. "I'm sorry it's causing everyone frustration, but the law requires that I allow a deliberating jury to continue to deliberate," the judge said. Yet even he had his limits, putting his foot down Friday when the jurors asked to hear a sliver of testimony they'd just had read back to them, reports the AP. He told them they had to rely on their collective memory. Jurors will get back to work Saturday morning. (More Bill Cosby stories.)