Judge sends Edwards jury back

Thu, May 31, 2012 - 4:12 PM

(CNN) -- The judge sent the jury in the John Edwards federal corruption trial back into deliberations today after jurors announced they had reached a verdict on only one of six counts against him.

Lawyers for the former senator and two-time Democratic presidential hopeful had asked U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles to declare a mistrial, while prosecutors said they want the jury to continue deliberations.

Jurors said this afternoon -- their ninth day of deliberations -- that they had reached a unanimous verdict on one of the illegal campaign contribution charges Edwards faces. They did not reveal the verdict.

Eagles ordered the jury to keep trying to reach a verdict on the other charges, reading them a set of instructions urging them to reconsider their positions. The instructions, formally known as an Allen charge, direct jurors to consider the time and expense of mounting another trial and the prospects that another jury would be faced with making the same decision.

Edwards is charged with four counts of accepting illegal campaign contributions, one count of falsifying documents and one of conspiring to receive and conceal the contributions. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1.5 million fine.