Jury wants to resume deliberations – NBC Bay Area

Jury deliberations in Nima Momeni’s murder trial were set to resume for a second day on Thursday morning after the panel failed to reach a verdict on Wednesday.

The jury was handed the case late Wednesday morning after receiving detailed instructions on various charges to consider for Momeni, who is accused of the April 4, 2023, fatal knife attack on Cash App co-founder Bob Lee.

Final arguments ended Tuesday afternoon after a juror became ill and was replaced earlier in the day. The outgoing juror was a woman and was replaced by another woman to complete the twelve members of the panel.

Tuesday was the last chance for Momeni’s defense team to make their case for him in their closing argument.

Prosecutors took all day Monday for their closing argument, which included a review of much of the evidence presented during testimony.

Lead defense attorney Saam Zaganeh took the floor Tuesday to make his closing argument, in which he claimed, among other things, that the jury was missing key pieces of evidence such as the suspected murder weapon and the jacket Momeni was wearing the night of Lee’s death , have not seen in person.

Defense attorneys want jurors to believe that prosecutors are intentionally not bringing evidence into the courtroom.

Under the judge’s instructions Wednesday, jurors must consider a single count of first-degree murder with the collateral effect of using a deadly weapon against Momeni. If they cannot reach a unanimous verdict of first-degree murder, they may consider a lesser charge of second-degree murder, and if they cannot reach a unanimous verdict on that count, they may consider a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter or negligent homicide.

The trial continues Thursday morning as the jury will return for another day of deliberations.