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Posted on 08/17/2018 12:26:39 PM PDT by jazusamo
The jury in the criminal tax and bank fraud trial against one-time Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort signaled in a note to the judge Friday afternoon they are unlikely to reach a verdict before the weekend.
In a note to Judge T.S. Ellis III, the jury said they would like to finish at 5 p.m. because one of the jurors has an event they would like to attend. Ellis said he will bring the jury back in the courtroom at ten minutes to 5 p.m. to ask what time they would like to reconvene on Monday.
The jury deliberations now in their second day started around 9:40 a.m. Friday.
Kevin Downing, an attorney for Manafort, told The Hill that he sees the note as a signal the jury will not reach a verdict on Friday.
Manafort has been charged with 18 counts of tax and bank fraud, charges that include failing to report overseas accounts.
The jury on Thursday asked Ellis to redefine reasonable doubt and answer additional questions about reporting foreign bank accounts, filing requirements related income, shelf companies and what evidence relates to each charge.
Once a jury starts deliberating, time is on the side of defendant.
Hung Jury? I think that would be considered a loss for Mueller and crew since the media had been beating the drum so loudly that it would be an “easy conviction”....
Di your job and then you can go.
Wait ‘till they find out what CNN has been up to.
CNN has two more days to convince the jurors or their families of the “correct” verdict. They didn’t get permission to release the names so they will use “freedom of the press” to release information from an anonymous source.
*Do
Two things are on the side of the defense...Mueller gave so much dry evidence and it was so poorly presented and Gates was guilty of the same crimes as Manafort and he was given a slap on the hand to turn on Manafort.
That would lead me to believe at least some the jurors have doubts and are looking to acquit....
I thought a jury had to be sequestered till they were done?
Not that I am saying this could be a security leak but this could be a security leak on the progress of the deliberation efforts. This person will be hounded by everyone to speak of how it is going in there.
I am a trial lawyer. I don’t handle criminal cases but my colleagues tell me this means there is one or more jurors hanging tough-especially if it means coming back on Monday. Unlike civil, Feds need unanimous verdict. Looks promising for Manafort but jurors do relent to peer pressure.
Is this jury sequestered?
Donald Trump is the real defendant here. Paul Manafort is only the pawn, and this case should never have been prosecuted by the Justice Department, as it relates to a problem with taxes, and properly should have been acted upon by the IRS.
If just one member is a trump fan, has balls and understands jury nullification, and the rest want to convict, it will be hung.
On the other hand, if just one member hates trump, has balls and understands jury nullification, and the rest want to acquit, it will be hung.
I think, based on what I’ve followed regarding this trial, we may be looking at a hung jury.
I don’t think CNN and WaPo did anyone any favors by pushing for names and the judge having to tell about threats against him, I’d bet some if not all jurors will hear about it over the weekend.
Just speculating that jury votes are being leaked and CNN was asked to try and scare the hold out juror(s). You can be sure any juror who hangs the jury will be vilified.
Looking better and better for Manafort.
Don’t think so if one of them has an event to go to this evening.
It ought to be. And our fedgov needs to bring charges against CNN for trying to destroy the jury system— that is a big deal. And do it... NOW.
CNN is jury tampering by inference. They will hound the jury members, follow them, find the hotel. Harrass them. And if it is one holdout for not guilty, thus not unanimous, that would be the main target for threats. This is mob style crapola.
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