Clergy Abuse Jury Returns For 8th Day Of Deliberations
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - This may ultimately prove to be a pivotal day in the clergy sexual abuse case. The jury, which starts it's 8th day of deliberations today after a day off yesterday, will return to court hoping to re-hear critical trial testimony, but they probably won't get it.
The jury has had repeated requests for documents, legal definitions, and lengthy testimony readbacks to the growing frustration of the court and attorneys, especially defense attorney William J Brennan, who argued in no uncertain terms on Tuesday that it's time for the jury to do it's job.
Before the jury left on Tuesday, they submitted more requests to re-hear lengthy testimony from multiple witnesses including two men, crucial witnesses, who say they were abused by defendant Father James Brennan, who has pleaded not guilty, or a former co-defendant, Edward Avery, who pleaded guilty.
But that is estimated to be a couple of days of testimony, and the judge has indicated she is not inclined to present such lengthy testimony. So the jurors may get the message suggested by Brennan, to rely on their collective memories and do their job.
