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Edwards jury sent to try again | |
(40 minutes later) | |
The jury in ex-presidential candidate John Edwards' trial has been sent to resume deliberations after reaching a verdict on only one of six charges. | |
The panel in Greensboro, North Carolina appears deadlocked on most counts, after about nine days of deliberations. | |
Mr Edwards, 58, denies using donor funds to hide his mistress' pregnancy during his 2008 run for the presidency. | |
The former senator faces up to 30 years in prison and $1.5m (£945,000) in fines if convicted of all charges. | |
To prove him guilty, prosecutors must show he knew about the money used in the cover-up, and also that he knew he was violating the law. | |
The jury has reached a verdict on count three of the indictment against Mr Edwards. | |
The charge is said to relate to illegal campaign funds from a wealthy donor, heiress Rachel "Bunny" Mellon. It is not known what verdict the jury reached on that count. | |
The judge told the jury she had understood the panel had reached a verdict on all counts, and the jury foreman said no. | |
She called a five-minute recess and sent the jury back for further deliberation. | |
Journalists scrambled to and from the courthouse amid all the confusion. | |
Mr Edwards' defence team indicated they would like to hear the verdict on the third count and declare a mistrial on all other counts. | |
Two years ago, the former senator admitted he had fathered a child with then-mistress Rielle Hunter in 2007. | Two years ago, the former senator admitted he had fathered a child with then-mistress Rielle Hunter in 2007. |
An Edwards aide, Andrew Young, claimed paternity of the child to help his boss. | |
At the time, Mr Edwards' wife, Elizabeth, was fighting breast cancer. She died in December 2010, having separated from her husband after he acknowledged paternity of Ms Hunter's child. | At the time, Mr Edwards' wife, Elizabeth, was fighting breast cancer. She died in December 2010, having separated from her husband after he acknowledged paternity of Ms Hunter's child. |
Mr Edwards denied knowledge of the money, which paid for private jets, hotels and medical care for Ms Hunter, a videographer. |