Jun 3, 2008 12:09 pm US/Central
Verdict May Be Imminent In Rezko Trial
Jury Was Deadlocked On 1 Of 24 Counts Monday
CHICAGO (AP) ―
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Antoin "Tony" Rezko leaves the Dirksen Federal Building April 18, 2008.
CBS
The jury deliberating the fate for political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko is indicating that a verdict could be near.
As CBS 2's Joanie Lum reports, the jury seemed to give a hint they were close to a verdict on Monday, when they sent a note to U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve saying they were deadlocked on only one of the 24 counts against Rezko.
The former close aide and fundraiser for Gov. Rod Blagojevich is accused of shaking down businesses seeking to win contracts with the state. He is accused of fraud, attempted extortion and money laundering.
Jurors have been deliberating since May 13, and apparently considering each of the individual counts seriously considering how much time has passed.
Judge St. Eve told the jury, "You should make every reasonable effort to reach a verdict. Discuss your differences with an open mind."
Most of the 24 counts are related, but there is one single count of extortion. CBS 2 Legal Analyst Irv Miller said Judge St. Eve could accept a partial verdict on the 23 counts and leave that single count to the federal government to retry.
If Rezko is convicted of any of the charges, he might be taken into custody on the spot. But even if he is acquitted, there is a warrant for his arrest in Las Vegas, where he is charged with writing casinos $450,000 in bad checks.
The jury arrived in court around 9:15 a.m. Tuesday.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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