John Edwards leaves a federal courthouse during the ninth day of jury deliberations in his trial on charges of campaign corruption in Greensboro, N.C., Thursday, May 31, 2012. Edwards has pleaded not guilty to six counts related to campaign finance violations over nearly $1 million from two wealthy donors used to help hide the Democrat’s pregnant mistress as he sought the White House in 2008. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)By MICHAEL BIESECKER
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Jury finds John Edwards not guilty on 1 of 6 counts in campaign fraud trial; deadlocked on others.
The ninth day of deliberations in Edwards’ campaign fraud trial took a bizarre turn earlier today when the judge mistakenly believed the jurors had reached a verdict on all six counts.
Instead, the jury told the judge they had a unanimous decision on only one charge, and the panel was sent back to the jury room for more talks.
Edwards is accused of masterminding a plan to use money from wealthy donors Rachel “Bunny” Mellon and Fred Baron, a Texas lawyer, to hide his pregnant mistress Rielle Hunter from the media and his breast cancer-stricken wife while he sought the White House in 2008.