NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - The Latest on jury deliberations in the bribery trial of Sen. Bob Menendez and a wealthy friend (all times local):
5:30 p.m.
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez has thanked jurors who are deliberating at his bribery trial and says he hopes a verdict is imminent.
Jurors finished Wednesday without a verdict and are to resume Thursday morning. Deliberations began Nov. 6 after a nine-week trial.
Menendez is charged with accepting gifts from a wealthy Florida eye doctor in exchange for using his influence with government officials.
Outside the courthouse in Newark on Wednesday, Menendez said he hopes the panel “comes to a verdict across the board” finding him not guilty and hopes that happens on Thursday.
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3:30 p.m.
Jurors have finished another day without a verdict in the bribery trial of Sen. Bob Menendez and a wealthy friend.
The jury finished a seventh day of deliberations Wednesday and will return Thursday to continue.
The New Jersey Democrat is charged with accepting gifts from Florida eye doctor Salomon Melgen (MEHL’-genn) in exchange for using his political influence. Both men deny the allegations.
Defense attorneys filed papers with the judge Wednesday seeking to have him give the jury an instruction that a deadlock can be an acceptable outcome.
If the jury can’t reach a verdict, the judge would declare a mistrial and the government would have the option to retry the case.
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10 a.m.
Jurors have begun a seventh day of deliberations in the bribery trial of Sen. Bob Menendez and a wealthy friend.
At the end of Monday’s session they told the judge they were deadlocked, but he instructed them to keep going. They deliberated Tuesday without a verdict.
The New Jersey Democrat is charged with accepting gifts from Florida eye doctor Salomon Melgen (MEHL’-genn) in exchange for using his political influence. Both men deny the allegations.
Defense attorneys filed papers with the judge Wednesday seeking to have him give the jury an instruction that a deadlock can be an acceptable outcome.
If the jury can’t reach a verdict, the judge would declare a mistrial and the government would have the option to retry the case.
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1 a.m.
Jurors in the bribery trial of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and a wealthy friend could hear new instructions from the judge as they resume deliberations.
The panel finished Tuesday without reaching a unanimous verdict on any of the 18 counts against the New Jersey Democrat and Florida eye doctor Salomon Melgen (MEHL’-genn). Deliberations are scheduled to resume Wednesday morning.
The trial is in its 11th week.
Menendez and Melgen are charged with running a bribery scheme between 2006 and 2013 in which Menendez lobbied government officials on Melgen’s behalf in exchange for luxury vacations and flights on Melgen’s private plane.
Both men deny the allegations.
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