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A juror in the bribery trial of Sen. Robert Menendez said 10 out of the 12 jurors were ready to acquit the senior senator — raising serious questions about the strength of the Department of Justice’s case.
“I thought he was not guilty,” said Ed Norris, 49, a Morris County equipment operator said on his way out of court. “I don’t think the government proved it. There is no smoking gun in this case. We all pretty much went by our hearts and we didn’t think there was enough going on there in the case to convict him.”
Norris made the comments after Newark federal judge William Walls declared a mistrial because the jury said it remained hopelessly deadlocked following four days of deliberations.
“I find you are unable to reach a verdict and that further deliberations are futile,” Judge Walls said shortly before 1 p.m. months of service.
A mistrial means the Garden State democrat avoids both prison and the prospect of losing his senate seat — for now.
The Department of Justice could still retry the case, although a spokesman for the Washington, DC, office handling the case declined to comment on their plans.
“The Department of Justice appreciates the jury’s service in this lengthy trial,” a spokesman said in an emailed statement. “The Department will carefully consider next steps in this important matter and report to the Court at the appropriate time.”
Prosecutors spent weeks trying to prove that Menendez, 63, accepted lavish bribes — including all-expense-paid vacation and private jet flights — from his rich doctor pal and co-defendant Salomon Melgen in exchange for official favors, including securing visas for Melgen’s young girlfriends.
Lawyers for Menedez and Melgen, who was convicted of Medicare fraud earlier this year, argued that the gifts and favors arose from their 20-year friendship — not from a corrupt
agreement.
It’s an argument Norris said he agreed with.
“I thought they were friends. I totally thought they were friends. Long time friends,” he said.
He said he thought the government’s case was “weak” before declaring he is “not a political guy.”
