DETROIT, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- The judge in the extortion trial of a Detroit political consultant sent the jury home for a long weekend after it reported itself deadlocked, officials said.
The jury considering extortion and bribery charges against Sam Riddle will not meet Friday because some said they had personal commitments, and the U.S. District Court will be closed Monday for Presidents Day, the Detroit Free Press reported Thursday.
Riddle is facing seven felony charges, as prosecutors contend he worked with Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers to solicit bribes in return for her influence on the council and a city pension board, the Free Press said.
Conyers has pleaded guilty to bribery and faces sentencing next month.
The jury told U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn Wednesday afternoon they were deadlocked and he sent them home at 12:30 p.m. Thursday.
Cohn scheduled deliberation to resume Tuesday morning.
"I want to remind you of your duty as jurors to consult with one another," Cohn told the jury of eight women and four men, "and to deliberate with a view to reaching agreement if you can do so without surrendering your honest belief."
