Cosby’s Lawyer is Confident in Future Acquittal: Celebrities React to Mistrial
The nonverdict in last weekend's mistrial of actor/comedian Bill Cosby has led many to openly speculate about the future of the case. After six days of deliberation, the jury was deadlocked in its ability to reach a unanimous decision.
Prosecutors in the sexual assault case against Mr. Cosby say they will pursue the proper legal steps towards retrying him. Cosby's criminal defense lawyer, Brian McMonagle, however, is confident in his client's chances of beating the charges.
Addressing the allegations against Mr. Cosby stemming from other possible victims, his defense attorney said "None of these accusations have ever been vetted. None of them have ever been cross-examined, and the one time that is has happened, fair-minded people couldn't come to a conclusion."
Mr. Cosby was alleged to have drugged and sexually assaulted the accuser, Andrea Constand, in a January 2004 incident. Alluding to a consensual sexual encounter, Cosby stated in a 2005 deposition that he administered Benadryl to help "relax" Constand.
Hoping to retry the Cosby case, Kevin R. Steele, the district attorney for Pennsylvania's Montgomery County, says the prosecution has a window of 365 days to officially do so. In that time, the district attorney will attempt to bring in some of the 50 other women accusing Mr. Cosby of sexual assault to publicly testify in open court.
Celebrities criticized the result of the case on social media. See their reactions in the tweets embedded below.