Jury begins deliberations in ‘Unite the Right’ civil trial

By DENISE LAVOIE
AP Legal Affairs Writer

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — A jury has completed the first day of deliberations in a civil trial of white nationalists accused of conspiring to commit racially motivated violence at the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville in 2017. The jury in U.S. District Court deliberated for about 7 1/2 hours Friday before retiring for the weekend. Deliberations will resume on Monday. The jury is being asked to decide whether two dozen white supremacists, neo-Nazis and white nationalist organizations are responsible for violence during two days of demonstrations. Jurors will also decide if the defendants are liable for compensatory and punitive damages for nine people who were physically hurt or emotionally scarred by the violence.