Judge Vacations During Jude Deliberations

By Jenn Rourke & AP

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MILWAUKEE – It's day three of deliberations for jurors deciding the federal trial of four police officers accused of beating Frank Jude. The officers are accused of violating Jude's civil rights and those of his friend Lovell Harris in 2004. Authorities say they brutally beat Jude and also injured Harris outside a party attended by off-duty officers in 2004. Three of the officers have been fired and one has been suspended. Deliberations began Monday. There is still no indication of when a verdict might come. At the same time, the judge in the case took a vacation. The jury hadn’t made any communication with anyone on the court staff Wednesday. This is their third day of deliberations and there is no way to know how far along they are. Judge Charles Clevert, the judge who presided over the whole trial, is now absent from the proceedings. He had plans to leave town, and so another judge is ready to step in if the jury reaches a verdict. Judge J.P. Stadtmueller, the interim judge, will handle any questions the jury might have, and he’ll preside over the reading of the verdict. Judge Clevert is still available via phone to handle jury questions if any complicated issues come up. Clevert is reportedly in Richmond, Va. The jury will set its own hours of deliberation. In the last two days, they have only deliberated until five o’clock. If they don’t reach a verdict Wednesday afternoon, it will be up to them whether they keep those same hours or whether they work into the night.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.