Still No Verdict In Trial Of Congressman Fattah
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- After the month-long racketeering conspiracy trial of Congressman Chaka Fattah went to the jury, there is only nervous milling around for participants at the federal courthouse. After day-long deliberations on Monday, the panel will return to work in the Tuesday morning.
Technically, this reconstituted jury has now completed its second full day of deliberations. It started over on Friday after an original member was dismissed and an alternate juror was brought in.
There was some speculation that the juror who was removed had a family emergency, but the official reason remains under court seal. All that is known, according to Judge Harvey Bartle, is that he was not participating in deliberations.
So far, the jury has not passed any notes to the judge in open court looking for guidance, leaving the team of prosecutors, defense counsel, and defendants wondering about any movement, or lack of it, in the jury room.
It's presumed that jurors might be tackling this case by dissecting each alleged scheme. There are five alleged by prosecutors, including the main one, described as an illegal $1-million campaign loan when Fattah ran for mayor in 2007.