CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / SANTA ANA
Jurors deliberating in the corruption trial of former Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona asked the court another question Thursday.
Jurors wanted clarification of the definition of “when a conspiracy has ended.†U.S. District Judge Andrew Guilford sent a reply instructing the panel to review the jury instructions.
The jury went home about two hours later without reaching a verdict.
Carona has pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy, three counts of mail fraud and two counts of witness tampering. The conspiracy count includes 64 overt criminal acts. For a conspiracy conviction, the instructions say jurors need find that only one overt act occurred on or after Oct. 25, 2002, the effective date of the statute of limitations.
The jury would also have to find that a conspiracy existed at some point during the period outlined in the indictment, March 1998 and March 2004.
The jurors have sent five other notes since they began deliberating last week.
The panel will deliberate from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. today.
Court is not in session Monday.
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