The Nation : Jury’s 10th Day Yields No North Verdict

The jury in the Oliver North Iran-Contra trial deliberated for its 10th and longest day but failed again to reach a verdict on the guilt or innocence of the former National Security Council aide on 12 felony counts. The jury, which is sequestered in a downtown Washington hotel while not meeting, deliberated for nearly 7 1/2 hours--90 minutes longer than usual. They took only a half hour for lunch, instead of their usual hour, and worked an hour later in the afternoon, bringing their total to 53 hours. There has been no word from the jurors about progress since U.S. District Judge Gerhard A. Gesell admonished them that “in order to return a verdict on any aspect of this case it is necessary that each juror agree to the verdict.”