Jury Watch: Bob Mayo Blogs The Cyril Wecht Trial In PittsburghPOSTED: 11:20 am EDT March 18,
2008 PITTSBURGH -- Channel 4 Action News reporter Bob Mayo is covering the trial of Dr. Cyril Wecht at the federal courthouse in downtown Pittsburgh. He will be posting blogs as often as possible from court. These are the raw notes that were sent on his mobile device. Wecht Trial Day 25 - March 18, 2008: Jury Watch Day 18:30 AM update Today's the first day of deliberations for the jury in the trial of Dr. Cyril Wecht. The jury informed the judge on Monday afternoon that they'll deliberate from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM, Mondays through Thursdays.The Wecht trial hasn't been in session on Fridays since it began. Judge Arthur Schwab said back in February that the trial won't in session next Monday, March 24th.Several other reporters and I are waiting in Judge Schwab's empty courtroom to monitor the jury this morning. Wecht's attorneys are spending the morning at their law firm and I'm told that Dr. Wecht is at his office. The two prosecutors work in the U.S. Attorney's office here in the federal courthouse. We're all awaiting word of the verdict or any questions the jurors may have.The jury is actually meeting in a room adjacent to the court where they've listened to the seven weeks of testimony in this case. We're now in the eighth week of the trial. Monday's closing arguments and jury instructions from the judge took the entire day.----There's been no sign this week of any of the sweet treats for the jury that the judge has given them periodically throughout the trial. To the surprise of reporters, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Wilson referred to those gifts during his closing argument. He told the jurors "I must confess I have no baked goods, no cookies, no cakes, no pies to convince or cajole. I have something better...You have a wonderful opportunity to do what is right."I didn't notice it, but another reporter says he noticed the judge give a stern glance at Wilson during the remark.A knowledgeable but confidential source tells me that the cakes and most of the cookies provided by the judge are a form of "Amish friendship" bread that the judge brings from home. That's a type of starter bread.9:50 AM I'll keep you posted here if there are any developments.2:00 PM. The Wecht trial jury has completed its first day of deliberations and will return at 8:30 Wednesday morning. During today's five and a half hours, the panel had no questions or requests for the court. Related Links: More County NewsGet RSS | E-Mail Alerts Copyright 2008 by ThePittsburghChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | Special Coverage
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