Cosby Thanked Black Press for Fair Coverage During Sex Trial.
This past Saturday morning, Montgomery County Judge Steven T. O’Neill finally bent to the will of the jury and declared a mistrial in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault case.
“The legacy remains intact,” said Andrew Wyatt, the longtime spokesman for the legendary entertainer. “For Gloria Allred and all those other lawyers, tell them to go back to law school and take another class.”
Wyatt continued: “The legacy hasn’t gone anywhere, it’s intact, [Bill Cosby] feels vindicated.”
The panel, which consisted of seven men and five women—including one African American male and one African American female—told Judge Steven O’Neill that they were deadlocked, but the judge ordered them to continue deliberating.
Jurors deliberated for more than 53 hours, several times asking to have testimony re-read, before declaring a second time that they were hopelessly deadlocked. The judge, who seven times previously denied mistrial requests made by the defense, and had even angrily lashed out at Cosby’s lawyer in front of media members, finally gave in and declared the mistrial.
Cosby, 79, had maintained his innocence and said he channeled Nelson Mandela when prosecutors offered him a deal just before the trial began on June 5, for aggravated indecent assault, the NNPA Newswire learned exclusively.
The iconic comedian said he recalled visiting Mandela, years ago, after the late civil rights champion had been released from his Robbins Island cell. Cosby said he met Mandela at the cell, sat there and thought about what he had went through.
“I’m innocent. I’m not going to plea to something I did not do,” Cosby said, during the exclusive interview with the NNPA Newswire. As he walked out of the courtroom on Saturday, still a free man, he again thanked the Black Press for being fair. “Thank you for everything. Thank you for your fairness. I’m going home.”
While a prosecution spokesman denied a deal had been offered, Cosby’s spokesman, Andrew Wyatt, said prosecutors approached Cosby with a deal but the “I Spy” legend promptly declined it. A source connected with the defense said that the plea arrangement that the prosecution offered to the superstar included probation, registering as a sex offender and wearing a tracking device on his ankle while being forced on house arrest.
Cosby’s wife, Camille, released a statement blasting the judge and prosecutors.
“How do I describe the District Attorney? Heinously and exploitive ambitious. How do I describe the judge? Overtly and arrogantly collaborating with the District Attorney,” said Camille Cosby. “How do I describe the counsels for the accusers? Totally unethical.”
Camille Cosby described mainstream media as, “blatantly vicious entities that continually disseminated intentional omissions of truths for the primary purpose of greedily selling sensationalism at the expense of a human life.”
Camille, like her husband, went on to thank their lawyers, their staff and Wyatt.
The judge has asked that prosecutors file a new case within 120 days; District Attorney Kevin Steele said he would.
Camille Cosby also said in the statement that she was grateful for the jurors, “who tenaciously fought to review the evidence; which is the rightful way to make a sound decision.”
The statement continued: “Ultimately, that is a manifestation of justice, based on facts, not lies. As a very special friend once stated, ‘truth can be subdued, but not destroyed.’”
Neither Cosby nor his team would address the district attorney’s statement that he would seek another trial in this case.
Brian McMonagle, Cosby’s lead defense attorney who proved his reputation as one of the best in the business, thanked the jury and judge in court.
After a brief statement that was read by Wyatt, Cosby and his team hopped into a waiting SUV and drove away from the Montgomery County Courthouse, certainly hoping to never see it again.
“Mr. Cosby’s power is back,” said Wyatt. “He has been restored.”