NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - The Latest on the George Washington Bridge lane-closing trial (all times local):
4:50 p.m.
Jurors have wrapped up another day of deliberations without a verdict in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing trial.
The panel began deliberating late Monday in the corruption case against two former allies of Republican Gov. Chris Christie.
On Thursday, attorneys for Bridget Kelly and Bill Baroni filed a motion for a mistrial that had most of its text blacked out. Attorneys wouldn’t give details on the motion.
Kelly and Baroni were charged with plotting to retaliate against a Democratic mayor by creating traffic jams near the bridge. The mayor’s city of Fort Lee was near the bridge. He hadn’t endorsed Christie’s 2013 re-election.
They each face seven counts including conspiracy, wire fraud and misapplying the property of the agency that operates the bridge.
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4:05 p.m.
Defense attorneys in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing trial want jurors to be told to disregard some evidence.
The jury is in its third full day of deliberations in the trial of two former allies of Republican Gov. Chris Christie charged with a political retaliation plot in 2013 against the Democratic mayor of the town of Fort Lee.
Attorneys wrote in a motion Thursday that evidence showing the defendants also tried to retaliate against Democratic Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop should be excluded. Neither mayor endorsed Christie.
They say the evidence was presented to support the prosecution’s theory of punishment as a motive. They note the judge has ruled jurors don’t have to conclude the defendants had that motive to find them guilty of conspiracy.
The judge hasn’t yet ruled.
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12:40 p.m.
The judge in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing trial won’t rescind instructions she gave to the jury.
Judge Susan Wigenton on Thursday ruled against defense lawyers for two former allies of Republican Gov. Chris Christie who asked the judge to give new instructions on the top conspiracy count in the indictment.
Wigenton has yet to rule on a request for a mistrial by attorneys for Bridget Kelly and Bill Baroni.
Defense attorneys argued vehemently that Wigenton should instruct jurors that they could find Baroni and Kelly not guilty if they felt the government hadn’t proved a Democratic mayor who didn’t endorse Christie was the intended target of the traffic jams. But Wigenton refused.
Jurors have deliberated for parts of three days without reaching a verdict. They resumed deliberations Thursday morning.
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9:35 a.m.
Defense attorneys in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing trial have filed for a mistrial in the middle of jury deliberations.
The motion filed Thursday comes a day after attorneys for two former allies of Republican Gov. Chris Christie asked the judge to give new instructions to jurors on the top conspiracy count in the indictment.
Jurors have deliberated for parts of three days without reaching a verdict.
Prosecutors say Bridget Kelly and Bill Baroni used traffic jams to punish a Democratic mayor who didn’t support Christie in 2013.
Kelly was Christie’s deputy chief of staff and Baroni was Christie’s top appointee to the authority that runs the bridge.
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