CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Suspended West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Allen Loughry returned briefly to the Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse in Charleston early Friday afternoon after the jury considering 22 criminal charges against Loughry submitted a multipart question to U.S. District Judge John Copenhaver.
The jury asked, “If we have a hung jury on an indictment or on a single count, what happens?”
That part of the question was not answered when the jury returned to the courtroom.
The second part of the question was this: “Does that just affect that single verdict?”
The agreed to answer to that question was, “Yes.”
MetroNews Statewide Correspondent Brad McElhinny was in the courtroom.
#Loughry jury question https://t.co/uB4zUyOoss
— Brad McElhinny (@BradMcElhinny) October 12, 2018
Before the lunch break Friday, the jury requested a computer for the review of recorded evidence.
Deliberations began on Wednesday afternoon and lasted through the day Thursday before resuming at 9:30 a.m. Friday.
From the start, the jurors were to consider each of the 22 counts individually and were instructed to decide unanimously whether Loughry is guilty or not guilty on each.
The trial has gone on for a week and a half now, with jury selection on Oct. 2.
Loughry, the author of “Don’t Buy Another Vote, I Won’t Pay for Landslide: The Sordid and Continuing History of Political Corruption in West Virginia,” is accused of mail fraud, wire fraud, tampering with a witness and lying to federal agents.
Most of the counts alleged that he used a state vehicle and state-issued gasoline card for personal travel. Some of the others are allegations about taking home an antique “Cass Gilbert” desk from the state Capitol.
Federal prosecutors brought more than a dozen witnesses, as well as detailed records on gasoline card purchases, cell tower records and Loughry’s own calendars.
When Loughry and his attorney, John Carr, left the courthouse on Thursday evening, Carr responded to questions from reporters with “no comment,” as usual.