Graham jury has one verdict, deadlocked on two others

SAN FRANCISCO - Federal jurors deliberating the fate of track coach Trevor Graham reached a verdict yesterday on one of three counts that he lied to investigators probing steroid use in sports, but told the judge they are "hopelessly deadlocked" on the other two.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston read the panel instructions for a deadlocked jury and sent it back for further deliberations. Less than an hour later, the 12-person jury wrapped up their first full day of deliberations without coming to a conclusion on the other counts.

The jury was set to resume deliberations today. "I don't think the amount of deliberations so far is sufficient for the jury to be deadlocked," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Finigan told the judge before she read the instructions.

The jurors began deliberations late yesterday afternoon, meeting for about an hour before going home. Defense attorney William Keane objected to the reading of the instructions, saying they had deliberated long enough.

Graham is charged with three counts of lying to two IRS agents about his relationship with Angel "Memo" Heredia, a Laredo, Texas, discus thrower who bought performance-enhancing drugs in Mexico and sold them to many star track athletes.

In an interview in North Carolina in 2004, Graham denied setting up his athletes with drugs obtained from Heredia, said he had never met Heredia in person and that he last contacted Heredia by phone in about 1997. *