Jury Takes Up Stevens Corruption Trial

No Verdict Reached As Jurors End First Day Of "Stressful" Deliberations

(CBS/ AP)  Jurors in Sen. Ted Stevens' corruption trial knocked off a little early after sending a note to the judge saying deliberations have become "kind of stressful."

Jurors sent the note after about four hours of deliberation on the fate of the powerful senator, who is accused of lying on Senate financial disclosure forms about home renovations and gifts from a wealthy Alaska businessman.

The note asked the judge if the jurors could go home early for some "clarity." They left without reaching a verdict.

The trial went to the jury earlier Wednesday and may affect one of the tightest and most closely watched Senate races in the nation.

"The case is yours," U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan told the eight women and four men shortly before noon Wednesday.

Stevens, 84, is charged with lying on Senate financial disclosure forms about $250,000 in home renovations and other gifts he received from his friend, millionaire oil contractor Bill Allen.

The longest-serving Senate Republican, Stevens is counting on a speedy verdict that will send him back to Alaska vindicated in time for Election Day. He is locked in a tight race with Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, a Democrat.

Democrats, who are hoping to capture a filibuster-proof Senate majority, have jumped at the chance to seize a seat that Stevens has held for 40 years. They have invested heavily in the race, running television advertisements starring fictional FBI agents and featuring excerpts from wiretaps.

The monthlong trial revealed that employees of oil services company VECO Corp. transformed the senator's house from a small mountain A-frame into a handsome, two-story house with wraparound porches.

Stevens says he paid every bill he received and had no idea he was getting anything for free.

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View Justice Deptartment documents in the Ted Stevens corruption trial

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Stevens has continued his campaign throughout the trial, though he's been tethered to a courtroom while Begich has had Alaska to himself. Stevens has said he intends to be acquitted and win re-election and has given no indication that he has a contingency plan in case he's convicted.

Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said the outcomes of the election and the trial are linked.

"If the trial comes to a conclusion and, as he believes, that he is found innocent, I think that he will win that election up there," Ensign said Tuesday. "If it goes the other way, obviously it really won't matter what happens in the election."

[Gary Kempf]

Stevens says he paid every bill he received and had no idea he was getting anything for free.

Yea right, Gov. Sarah Palin didn''t know charging Alaska for the expense of travel,lodging, and food for her rug-rats was illegal either.... Seems to be a serious mental affliction with Republicans....

[martin9p2]

Sarah and Ted will have a "post-mortem analysis" of their campaigns. They will come to similar conclusions (except tht Sarah will have even more garbage on her list than old Ted).

[jjp735i]

"(Stevens)had no idea he was getting anything for free. ROFLMAO...........get out of here!!!

[tigerrram9]

Wow I wonder who paid for Sarah Palins home by the lake in Alaska? Did she do business with Senator Steven''s contractor? Do they live in the same neighborhood. Did the contractor contribute to her campaign? Did you hear on the news how much Sarah Palin and her family''s wardrobe cost? It was from 40 to 70 thousand dollars all designer clothes wow. How did the republicans pay for the designer clothes for the Palin family? With your donations? Or did the tax payers foot the bill? I would like to know how they paid and justify such amount? The media needs to investigate and let the donors or tax payers know? I am on a stick budget because of the economy and they are buying designer clothes. How selfish and egotistic can that be....Shame on you Palins and you republicans.

[antoniof123]

Seems to be a serious mental affliction with Republicans....
Posted by navpro at 01:39 PM : Oct 22, 2008

The Republicans have become comedians thinking that they can just make us laugh at all the money they waste.

Hey Senator you should plea bargin resign and they will drop charges against you.

[brianbwb-2009]

Since i wasn''t privy to all the evidence presented, I will not pronounce him guilty, but I will say that the explanations quoted in the press, his attempts to re-name gifts as "permanent loans" is a blatant insult to the collective intelligence of the jurors, judges, and to the public following the story.

If I had been a juror, I would have been angered at the pathetic attempt to hide behind such weak redefinitions of the English language, which has become typical of the fake neocons caught in their own corruption.

[aldon61]

Mr. "pork barrel" has finally had his chickens come home to roost. I don''t know if Stevens is guilty of the charges being leveled in this trial, but his open form of corruption has long been known. If he''s not guilty of these allegations, they re-file. This guy is dirty!

[neonink]

I hope the jury isn''t expecting any KICK-BACKS...

[o_the_potus]

Impalement!