Reuters: Most Read Articles: Edwards jury reaches verdict on only one of six counts

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Edwards jury reaches verdict on only one of six counts May 31st 2012, 19:22 1 of 2. Former U.S. Senator John Edwards arrives for the ninth day of jury deliberations at the federal courthouse in Greensboro, North Carolina May 31, 2012. Edwards is charged with accepting excessive campaign funds to conceal his extramarital affair while he ran for president. Credit: Reuters/John Adkisson By Colleen Jenkins GREENSBORO, North Carolina | Thu May 31, 2012 4:02pm EDT GREENSBORO, North Carolina (Reuters) - A U.S. judge ordered jurors in the trial of former U.S. Senator John Edwards to keep deliberating on Thursday after they reached a unanimous verdict on only one of the six campaign finance charges against the former presidential candidate. Jurors, in the ninth day of deliberations, reported reaching a verdict, raising the expectation the guilt-innocence phase of the trial had concluded. But upon returning to the courtroom, jurors revealed they had a unanimous verdict on only one count and were in disagreement on the remaining five. The verdict was not announced as defense lawyers tried to convince the judge to end deliberations while prosecutors urged her to order the jury back to the deliberations room. "I was obviously under the impression you had reached a verdict on all six counts," U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles told jurors. Prosecutors accuse Edwards of conspiring to get more than $900,000 from the two wealthy donors to keep voters from learning he was cheating on his cancer-stricken wife, Elizabeth, who died in 2010. The defense says the supporters' money was meant as a personal gift to shield Elizabeth Edwards from her husband's indiscretions, not to influence the election. The jury had reached a verdict on Count 3, which accused Edwards of accepting illegal campaign contributions from supporter Rachel "Bunny" Mellon in 2008. But the jury remained deadlocked on a similar count of receiving illegal campaign money from Mellon in 2007. In addition there are two counts of accepting illegal campaign money from friend and supporter Fred Baron; one count of conspiring to solicit illegal campaign funds; and one count of failing to report the donor payments as campaign contributions. "Perhaps everybody should stay close by," Eagles told the courtroom after jurors left. Earlier on Thursday, Eagles told the four alternate jurors they no longer had to report to the courthouse each day. The alternates, who were not participating in deliberations, had become a cause for entertainment and speculation after they began wearing matching yellow, red or purple shirts on different days. The panel is considering whether Edwards, 58, violated election laws as he sought to cover up his affair with Rielle Hunter and her pregnancy with his child during his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination four years ago. The two-time presidential hopeful who served as the Democrats' 2004 vice presidential nominee faces possible prison time and fines if found guilty of any of six felony counts. The charges include conspiring to solicit the money, receiving more than the $2,300 allowed from any one donor, and failing to report the payments as contributions. (Editing by Daniel Trotta) Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints

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