The judge in the Bill Cosby sexual assault trial has ordered the release of the names of the jurors who were deadlocked over the case.
Judge Steven O’Neill, who presided over the Cosby trial, ruled today that the names of the jurors will be released publicly with the condition that they “not disclose anything that was said or done in the jury room.
”In his court order, the judge wrote, “Jurors shall not disclose arguments or comments made, or votes cast, by fellow jurors during deliberations.
The jurors will be contacted by the court and given the judge’s directives before their names are released.
Philadelphia Media Network, which owns the newspapers The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News, originally filed a motion to release the names of the jurors. They were soon joined by other media outlets, including The Associated Press, CNN and The New York Times.
Pennsylvania law allows jurors’ names to be released publicly, but judges have the discretion to keep them a secret under certain conditions.
Prosecutor Kevin Steele opposed the motion, arguing in documents filed Monday that releasing them would result in a “publicity onslaught” that would have a “chilling effect” on finding jurors for a second trial.
Philadelphia Media Network had urged the judge to release the names to “confirm the impartiality of the jury.”
But Steele argued that it could have the opposite effect and “may make the parties’ abilities to select a fair and impartial jury more difficult.”
A mistrial was declared Saturday after the jury deliberated for 52…
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