Quick Clemens verdict unlikely

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Jurors asked for a master list of exhibits — a list that extends well into triple digits — and lawyers laughed about a juror who appeared to doze off during closing arguments as deliberations continued Wednesday in the perjury trial of Roger Clemens.

The eight women and four men met for about 31/2 hours in the afternoon, an abbreviated day because one of them had a scheduling conflict.

They then recessed until Monday, taking a four-day break while U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton travels to New Orleans for a speaking engagement — a trip that didn’t appear to be an issue when the trial began April 16.

While the jury caucused in a separate room, the judge summoned the lawyers to his courtroom for a brief hearing to address several juror-related issues, including the request for the list of exhibits.

Clemens lawyer Rusty Hardin said the defense had its list handy, but prosecutor Steven Durham said the government would need about an hour to produce its list because some items were not introduced during the trial. It was yet another indication of the scope of the proceedings, and why a quick verdict seemed unlikely.

The exhibits — which include documents, video and audio excerpts, photographs and various pieces of physical evidence — used up numbers that ran well past 100 and nearly every letter of the alphabet. The various medical waste saved in a FedEx box by Clemens’ chief accuser Brian McNamee went from 52A to 52X.

Clemens is charged with perjury, making false statements and obstructing Congress.