Jefferson jury breaks for weekend

ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 31 (UPI) -- Jurors weighing the fate of former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., broke for the weekend Friday after a short second day of deliberations.

Jurors began deliberations Thursday afternoon after receiving instructions from U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III. Ellis allowed the jury to break at 2:30 p.m. Friday, three hours early, saying some jurors had requested it, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune reported.

The jury sent the judge one note during the day, saying the quality of an audiotape of his instructions was satisfactory and a written transcript would not be needed.

Jefferson, 62, who represented a New Orleans district for nine terms, lost a close race in 2008 to Republican Anh "Joseph" Cao. Jefferson was indicted in 2007 on charges of taking bribes from business owners seeking to do business with African countries.

Harry Rosenberg, a former federal prosecutor in New Orleans, predicted long deliberations. He told the newspaper jurors are being asked to deal with some of the most complex federal criminal laws, including the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Deliberations are scheduled to resume Monday.