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Will Bill Cosby Be Found Guilty Or Not Guilty? Long Deliberation Could Be A Sign Of Deadlock, Experts Say

By Nathan Francis
Published on: 14:23 PST, Jun 14, 2017

Will Bill Cosby be found guilty or not guilty, and what does the long deliberation mean for his chances of either going free or going to prison?

The jury in the actor and comedian’s sexual assault trial just passed the second day of deliberations after the defense and prosecution made their closing arguments, and there are no clear indications of just when a verdict could be returned. While many legal experts noted that a quick verdict would have likely been a very bad sign for Bill Cosby, there is disagreement over what the long delay might mean and many believe that the possibility of a deadlocked jury increases with every hour.

The jury had returned to ask a judge four questions during the deliberations so far, seeking clarification on legal readings and asking for a re-reading of excerpts of Cosby’s statement regarding the 2004 encounter with Andrea Constand, the USA Today noted.

That has both good and bad signs for Bill Cosby, experts note.

“The jurors are grappling with getting it right,” A. Scott Bolden, defense attorney and former federal prosecutor, told USA Today. “That takes time. They are looking at the facts and evidence regarding ‘consent.’ and they were reviewing the deposition section regarding the manner in which the defendant Cosby used drugs to deal with women. The consent issue is good for Cosby — the deposition is not.”

Late on Wednesday evening, the Bill Cosby jury retired for the third consecutive day without reaching a verdict. As the Los Angeles Times noted, the chances of a deadlocked jury increase with every hour, meaning Cosby may not be found guilty — or not guilty, for that matter.

Bradford Cohen, a criminal defense attorney from Florida who last year represented Donald Trump’s campaign manager Corey Lewandowski in a battery case, told USA Today that he suspects at least one or two jurors are hung. Cohen noted that in a “he-said she-said” case like Cosby’s sexual assault trial, jurors can often take days to come to a final decision — if they do at all.

Those who want to find out if Bill Cosby is found guilty or not guilty can check back in on Thursday morning at 9 a.m. ET, when the jury is expected to continue deliberations. But the longer the process stretches on, the greater the sign it could be that no verdict is returned.

[Featured Image by Mark Makela/Getty Images]

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