No verdict yet for former Newark mayor

NEWARK, N.J., April 10 (UPI) -- Jurors in the federal corruption trial of former Newark, N.J., Mayor Sharpe James spent a full day in deliberations Thursday without reaching a verdict.

The jury asked one technical question during the day on a tax evasion charge against James' former mistress, Tamika Riley, The Star-Ledger of Newark reported. Jurors also requested a large chart of the land deals involved in the case.

James allegedly helped Riley buy city land at fire-sale prices. She then resold the property to developers, making $600,000 on a series of deals.

Deliberations began Wednesday after weeks of testimony.

James, 72, served five terms as mayor of New Jersey's largest city. He decided against running for a sixth when polls showed he would lose to Cory Booker, a young Rhodes Scholar and Yale-educated lawyer who had almost defeated him in 2002.

Whatever the verdict in this trial James faces another one on charges that he used city credit cards for personal expenses.