Cosby extortion jury resumes deliberations Thursday

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Jurors deciding the fate of Autumn Jackson, accused of trying to extort $40 million from entertainer Bill Cosby, will resume their deliberations Thursday morning.

After four hours of deliberation Wednesday, the seven-man, five-woman federal jury recessed at 4:30 p.m. EDT without reaching a verdict.

Jackson and two co-defendants are accused of demanding $40 million from Cosby. Jackson says Cosby is her father, a claim he denies.

Jurors got the case after receiving instructions from U.S. District Judge Barbara Jones. She ruled earlier that Cosby's paternity was irrelevant to the case and that the issue was whether the defendants committed extortion.

Jackson, 22, Jose Medina, 51, and Boris Sabas, 42, could be sentenced to 12 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy, extortion and violating the Interstate Travel Act.

Jackson's boyfriend, Antonay Williams, 26, earlier pleaded guilty to conspiracy and aiding and abetting in extortion.

Cosby testified to having a sexual relationship with Jackson's mother, Shawn Thompson Upshaw, in the 1970s and has acknowledged paying Jackson's education expenses -- as he has for many other students. But he insisted he is not her father.

During closing arguments on Tuesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Engelmayer said Jackson had threatened to ruin Cosby's reputation by taking her story to the news media.

Engelmayer described Jackson as an "extortionist driven by greed who wanted an express ride to easy money."

Even if Cosby is Jackson's father, she broke the law by demanding cash to spare him embarrassment, prosecutors charged.

But Rob Baum, Jackson's attorney, claimed his client was the real victim.

He said Jackson "lived in a box for 22 years" and was "kept hidden from love and affection required of a parent."

Baum claims Jackson was only trying to get the financial settlement that was rightly hers after Cosby cut her off.

Correspondent Cynthia Tornquist contributed to this report.

Related stories:

• Both sides rest in Cosby extortion trial - July 22, 1997
• Closing arguments begin in Cosby extortion trial - July 22, 1997
• Cosby says he bought silence after affair - July 15, 1997
• Cosby takes stand in extortion trial - July 15, 1997
• Jurors hear tape in Cosby extortion case - July 14, 1997
• Potential jurors familiar with Cosby extortion case - July 7, 1997
• Bail set for Cosby extortion suspects - January 24, 1997
• Police jail two after attempt to extort grieving Cosbys - January 21, 1997

Related site:

• Full text of the federal criminal complaint filed in New York against Autumn Jackson and Jose Medina - from The Smoking Gun Web site

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