Jurors begin deliberations in Vanderbilt rape re-trial

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jurors have begun deliberating in the retrial a former Vanderbilt football player accused of encouraging his teammates to rape an unconscious woman he was dating.

The jury began deliberating Saturday afternoon in the trial of Brandon Vandenburg.

Defense attorneys have maintained that Vandenburg was drunk and should not be held responsible for what his teammates did. Prosecutors have argued that the 23-year-old former player encouraged the rape and passed out condoms to players. They told jurors that he even videotaped the crime and sent footage of the June 2013 dorm room rape to friends.

Vandenburg and Cory Batey were convicted last year of multiple counts of aggravated rape and aggravated sexual battery. The verdicts were thrown out after it was revealed that a juror was a victim of statutory rape.