Live from the Ted Stevens Trial, Day 22
Washington, D.C.--
There are three jury notes announced by the judge around noon on Thursday. The first is basic and remedied without dispute—the jury has noted that Page 20 of the indictment is missing, and the judge will send in that page.
The second is a question about the definition of liabilities that have to be reported on the Senate disclosure forms. The judge offers suggested language that the prosecution likes, but the defense requests and gets more time to come up with a different version.
It’s the third note, though, that begets the buzz. The judge didn’t read it aloud, but allowed the lawyers to read it up at the bench. Chief prosecutor Brenda Morris talks in court about a “counseling session” with the judge and the possibility of bringing back an alternate to deliberate with the jury, so the note presumably deals with the question of some juror continuing on the jury.
Update: As I type, court personnel announce in the media room that the judge will put the note on the record in 15 minutes what the third note says.
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Interesting that the jury is focusing on the definition of liabilities. From what has been reported, all of the evidence and argument has been focused on the charge that Stevens received gifts.
What did counsel argue to the jury regarding the charge that Stevens failed to report liablities? Was there evidence put on that specifically addressed what constitutes a reportable liability?
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