Barry Jury Deliberates 4 Hours, Takes Break
Jurors deliberated four hours without a verdict in Mayor Marion Barry’s cocaine and perjury trial Saturday and then stopped work for the rest of the weekend.
Deliberations were halted until Monday after the panel asked the judge for another look at more than 150 prosecution and defense exhibits in the case.
Prosecutors introduced more than 100 exhibits and Barry’s lawyers more than 60 during the six-week trial on cocaine and perjury charges.
District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson brushed off questions from reporters waiting at the courthouse, saying: “Do you people ever feel silly doing this?”
The jurors are sifting through testimony from 44 witnesses, including 10 of Barry’s friends who said they saw him use cocaine some 200 times dating back to 1983.
The panel has been told to ignore such factors as the mayor’s flamboyant personality and his central place in local politics.
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