Rajaratnam jury listens to more wiretaps

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As many expected, the wiretaps that were so central to the prosecution's case against alleged criminal insider trading mastermind Raj Rajaratnam loom large in jury deliberations. The prosecution, in its closing statement, urged jurors to listen again to the near-50 wiretaps they trotted out as part of their case.

So far, jurors have replayed about one-third of the tapes the government presented, according to the Financial Times. That has caused some controversy.

The defense and the prosecution sparred recently over whether the jury could view transcripts and listen to the wiretaps in their jury room, rather than in open court. The judge ruled against the prosecution, ordering that the jury replay the wiretaps in open court, which would make it less likely that they would hear only snippets of the wiretaps, which could take the substance out of context.

Prosecutors said their "best evidence" was in the jury room.

The tension is thick as the jury continues to deliberate. As a prosecutor was leaving the courtroom, one of Rajaratnam's lawyers said someone should get him a big crying towel. The prosecutor just smiled in return.

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