Safavian Jury Yet to Reach Verdict

June 15, 2006; 6:22 PM

WASHINGTON -- A jury deliberated for a second day Thursday without reaching a verdict in the first trial arising from the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.

They are to resume on Friday trying to decide whether former Bush administration official David Safavian covered up his assistance to Republican influence-peddler Jack Abramoff.

The General Services Administration's chief of staff in 2002, Safavian allegedly concealed from GSA ethics officials, the GSA inspector general and Senate investigators his assistance to the now-convicted lobbyist. Abramoff wanted to buy, lease or redevelop two government properties including the Old Post Office in downtown Washington.

The jury of 10 women and two men is considering whether Safavian is guilty on two counts of engaging in obstruction and three counts of making false statements.

U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman dismissed a juror Wednesday morning, seated the only remaining alternate juror, a woman, and told the revised jury to begin deliberations anew. The jury originally started deliberating Tuesday.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/15/AR2006061500172.html

I would have thought it would be open and shut, but apparently not. Please don't let this guy skate!

the more likely they are to come back with a conviction?

and convicted Lay on all counts and Skilling on most of the counts against him. Sometimes it depends on how complicated the case is.

Either way, hopefully we'll know something within the next day or so.

the alternate just started deliberating with them yesterday.

that would cause a significant set back.