Bill Cosby jury begins deliberations for sexual assault trial
It appears this tragic chapter of Bill Cosby’s legacy may come to a close even more suddenly than it started. Jurors spent four hours deliberating before taking a break until the next morning, according to the Washington Post.
The prosecution took five days to lay down its side of the case with 12 witnesses. The defense only used one witness, with six minutes of testimony, and ended their arguments. This ended any speculation that Cosby may testify.
In closing arguments, the opposing sides painted very different pictures of Cosby: One of an adulterous, though consensual, lover and another as a sexual predator.
Jurors were shown portions of Cosby’s testimony from a 2005 civil suit over the same sexual assault. This same testimony played a role in Cosby being charged for the assault of Andrea Constand, a former Temple University women’s basketball staffer. During his decade-old deposition, Cosby confessed to planning on giving women quaaludes before attempting to engage in non-consensual sex with them.
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Prosecutor Kevin Steele used this as a part of his argument that Cosby has already come close to confessing to the very crime he’s being accused of.
In documents from the civil suit, Cosby testified that he gave Constand “three friends to help you relax,” which he claims was a dose of Benadryl. Constand stated that she soon became disoriented before Cosby began to grope her and she lost consciousness. Cosby then left her alone on the couch, undressed, and went to his bedroom.
“You do what you do to her, and then you leave?” Steele asked the jury. “You leave her there? No blanket? No nothing? Clothes up around her? C’mon. Come on!”
Cosby’s wife, Camille, caused a stir as she appeared in the courtroom for the very first time throughout the trial. It appears she showed up to support the defense of her husband of more than 50 years because she left when the prosecution began closing arguments.
There’s no telling how long jurors will deliberate, but given the brevity of the trial thus far, a quick turnaround wouldn’t be all that surprising. The jury is comprised of seven men and five women, two Black, from the Pittsburgh area to prevent as much bias as possible.