Judge asks Milan jurors to hold longer deliberations

By FRANK KUMMER,KATHY HENNESSY and CLINT RILEY
Courier-Post Staff
CAMDEN

A federal judge told jurors considering corruption charges against Mayor Milton Milan on Tuesday that they must start working longer hours after failing to reach a verdict for a fifth day.

U.S. District Judge Joel Pisano gave his instruction after jurors finished the day without giving any sign of how close they are to a verdict. In all, the jurors have deliberated behind closed doors for nearly 30 hours.

"There hasn't been any indication there's been a failure to reach a verdict or that they've had any problems," Pisano said just before dismissing jurors at 4 p.m. "In a trial of this length, there is an awful lot for them to review."

Pisano noted longer work days would be expected of the jury because a holiday weekend is approaching.

The jurors, who travel from as far away as the Shore, have been working about seven hours each day, starting about 9 a. m. and ending at 4 p.m.

Pisano told federal prosecutors and Milan's defense team that he expects jurors to now work until at least 6 p.m. with dinner supplied. But the judge was more vague when he spoke directly to jurors, saying only that he expected them to work longer.

"We're up against some time constraints because of the holiday," Pisano told the eight women and four men of the jury.

The jury has notified Pisano that it will send him a note this morning about the deliberations. There was no indication of what the note might contain.

Milan's attorney, Carlos A. Martir Jr., said he is amazed at the amount of time jurors are spending on the 19 charges against Milan. Those charges include taking payoffs from the mob, extorting a political contribution, and laundering $65,000 in drug proceeds in a loan from a drug dealer.

Martir said he he believed the lengthy deliberations are a good sign.

"A verdict of not guilty for Christmas would be a nice Christmas present for my client," he said.

Milan was not present at the courthouse during deliberations Tuesday, his first absence since the deliberations began. However, he did return at the end of the day when the judge discussed new instructions for the jury.

Jurors began Tuesday with a request for a television and VCR. They said they needed the equipment to view one of the videotapes entered into evidence, but did not specify which one.

Two videotapes were played to the jury during the trial - both FBI surveillance tapes showing Milan with reputed mob associate Daniel Daidone.

One tape shows Milan, Daidone and their girlfriends at Philadelphia International Airport on a mob-paid trip to Florida. The second shows Milan meeting with Daidone and others at a Pennsauken diner.

Jurors also requested the testimony of Mark Willis, owner of the former Sears Building in Camden. Willis testified he helped Milan set up a phony lease agreement at the Sears Building, where the mayor had his campaign offices.

Willis said $7,500 from a political action committee, intended to look like a lease payment, was secretly returned to Milan and others. Prosecutors said the money then funded a lavish vacation in Puerto Rico for Milan, his friends, family and supporters.