Stevens jury deliberations suspended

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- Jury deliberations in the trial of Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, were suspended Friday after a juror left Washington to tend to the death of her father.

Attorneys for the Alaska Republican asked U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan that the jury take off Friday and that deliberations resume with 11 jurors, if the juror in question cannot continue to serve, CNN reported.

Stevens, 84, is awaiting a verdict on a seven-count indictment accusing him of failing to include $250,000 in gifts and home renovations on annual Senate financial disclosure forms from 2000-2007. He pleaded innocent to the charges in a federal indictment handed down in July.

The longest-serving Republican in the U.S. Senate said he sought an expedited trial in hopes of being exonerated in time for his re-election bid in the Nov. 4 election.

The situation, prosecutors said, favors "the juror being excused, the court empaneling an alternate juror, and the jury resuming deliberations."

If the missing juror is available by Monday, Sullivan could continue the trial, CNN said. If not, he could seat an alternate or proceed with 11 jurors.

The judge indicated he may be willing to delay deliberations until next Wednesday to accommodate the juror, The Hill reported.