WASHINGTON (AP) - After posing their first question of the weeklong deliberations in the CIA leak trial, jurors told a federal judge Wednesday: Never mind. Jurors passed a note to U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton at the end of the day Tuesday. Walton took the bench Wednesday morning and, without saying what the question was, said he didn't understand it.
He passed a message back to the jury asking for clarification. Jurors responded with another note.
"After further discussion, we are clear on what we need to do," Walton said, reading the note in court. "Thank you, we apologize."
The notes were to be released later Wednesday morning. The jury's original question could provide the first clue about the deliberations in the case of former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Since getting the case last Wednesday, jurors had asked no questions, only requesting office supplies.
Defense attorney and prosecutors laughed when they heard the jury no longer needed an answer.
"It's nice to know we could come to some joint resolution on this," defense attorney Theodore Wells quipped to prosecutors.
Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, is accused of lying and obstructing the investigation into the 2003 leak of CIA operative Valerie Palm's identity.
The jury was whittled to 11 members this week when one woman was dismissed for reading or seeing something about the case over the weekend.
Libby faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted, though he would be likely to get far less time under federal sentencing guidelines.
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Associated Press writer Michael J. Sniffen contributed to this report.
