August 21, 2018

The Paul Manafort jury has told the judge they are hopelessly deadlocked on 10 counts of 18, but have reached verdicts on the other eight counts.

It is hard for me to understand how there is reasonable doubt on any of these counts just based on the paper, but they apparently are.

Ken Dilanian just reported that Manafort was found guilty on all five counts of tax perjury. He was found guilty of two counts of bank fraud, and one count of failing to file documents reporting his foreign bank accounts.. And there are ten -- TEN! -- counts where they could not arrive at a verdict.

This was a paper case. The only way to find reasonable doubt was to believe that loans could magically become income and then magically become loans again, that falsifying financial statements was not fraud, and more. It's hard to understand how a jury could convict on one count of each flavor and deadlock on the rest, but such are the mysteries of jury trials.

Manafort is still going to jail for a long time, right after he goes on trial in Washington, D.C. for even more crimes. Right now he's looking at 30 years per count, or 240 years.

Update: TPM Reporter Tierney Megan was in the courtroom, with this description:

As the court clerk read the verdict aloud in the courtroom Tuesday evening, Manafort appeared expressionless. He stood facing the jury with his arms down in front of him and his hands clasped.

After the verdict was announced Ellis called Manafort to the podium and described the sentencing process, which will include a presentencing report and opportunity for Manafort to make his comments to the judge in a proceeding known as the allocution.

As he was escorted from the courtroom to his holding cell, he made eye contact with his wife Kathleen, who had been present every day of the trial. She continued to look at the door he exited after it shut behind him. The defense team appeared somber as they exited the courtroom.

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