PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The jury in the federal bribery re-trial of Philadelphia City Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson, his wife and two executives of the Universal Companies ended its fourth day of deliberations on Tuesday without a verdict. They are not ready to declare an impasse yet.
The scene feels familiar to those who sat through the first trial. The jury meets, asks to review some evidence and clarify the judge’s instructions. Lawyers shuffle in and out of the judge’s chambers, neither side looking particularly happy. Sometimes a juror goes in to see the judge. But the day ends without a decision.
In the original version, last April, the judge declared a mistrial on the fourth day, after the jury was unable to agree on a verdict after 25 hours of deliberations. This reboot has jurors coming back for a fifth day.
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The jurors must be unanimous, either to convict or acquit on charges that Johnson took a bribe from Universal, disguised as a contract to his wife’s consulting company.
It appears to be a difficult case because, as the government acknowledges, it is purely circumstantial. After a six-year investigation involving thousands of documents and dozens of witnesses, the government was unable to find any direct evidence of a crime. Prosecutors asked jurors to “bring the glue” to hold the case together. The defense reminded them they must give the defendants the presumption of innocence.