Judge in Bill Cosby sex assault trial orders the names of the jurors to be released

BYLINE: Nick Cardona

The judge in the Bill Cosby trial ordered the names of the jurors involved in the controversial deadlocked case to be released.

A dozen media organizations wanted the names to be made public and Judge Steven O'Neil agreed.

He said the jurors would be contacted first and prepped on what they can and cannot say if they talk to reporters.

Lawyers for the media companies said the names should be released for transparency.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys said they should be kept secret, arguing that the release would make choosing a jury for the second Cosby trial harder.

Judge O'Neil said that trial should be held in the next four months.

Cosby's trial ended with a deadlocked jury and a mistrial—jurors deliberated for 52 hours without a verdict.

Prosecutors are planning to retry the comedian on charges that he drugged and molested a woman back in 2004.

Cosby and his team have said that encounter was consensual.