The jury convicted five of the six men of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, also known as RICO. The sixth was convicted on an ammunitions charge.

A case such as this doesn’t stop with the verdict, however. Since the trial, one man has been sentenced to 10 years. Defense lawyers began filing motions asking U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten to strike down the verdicts and questioning the deliberations by the jury.

This week, I talked to the presiding juror about those deliberations.

He said the lengthy legal instructions kept them from reaching their verdict for days, but that they carefully considered the charges. (He asked that his name not be used for his safety, because of the gang nature of the trial.)

Here’s what he said about his experience on the jury and the deliberations:

Last week, Marteaus Carter received a 10-year prison sentence. Carter didn’t go to trial. He pleaded guilty in February to one count of conspiracy to violate RICO. He also pleaded guilty to persuaded another adult person to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution.

Other sentencing hearings are set in the coming months.

Meanwhile, I’m back to digging through court files and covering hearings live on Twitter.

As for the knee, I’m still limping but getting better.

After U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten gives legal instructions and lawyers present closing arguments, the jury will get the case.

Marten gave jurors the day off Thursday, as he worked with the lawyers on finalizing the legal instructions that will guide the jury in reaching its verdict.

Follow live updates on the trial via Twitter.

Not only is it a first here in federal court, it’s the first trial I’ve had “retweets.” Retweet is Twitter-speak for someone repeating one of the short, 140-character posts to their followers — passing it along to a broader audience.

A few of the posts people have “retweeted” (RT) during the past week of testimony — from Barnegat, N.J. to Seattle:

• Alex73013: @rsylvester “Smith initially said he didn’t know anything about the robbery, but he eventually admitted to robbing the store to police.” …

• LindsayGriffith: Oops! RT @rsylvester: Court just learned that one of the jurors realized she’s a cousin to the fingerprint examiner who testified earlier.

• DBallardReisch: @rsylvester Not really clear how anyone remembers what happened in 1995!

• EmilyMedvec: RT @RSylvester “There was a man in the bathroom, who she said she didn’t know.”

• VBalasubramani: “To get OG status,’you’ve got to put in work.’ That includes riding in retaliation of the enemies.” (@rsylvester – from trial)

Continue following the trial this week at the box on the left or on my Twitter feed.

U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten signed an order setting Tisdale’s new trial date for June 9, 2009.

A grand jury charged Tisdale with killing three people, two in 1998 and another in 2004. Prosecutors say Tisdale shot Tisha Jones and Keith James in February 1998. Police have said Jones was scheduled to testify in a robbery against a Crips gang member. Authorities also say Tisdale shot and killed Umanah Smith in August 2004 over what police at the time said resulted from a nightclub dispute.

The other defendants are set for trial next February.

Novotny also is named in a federal racketeering indictment prosecutors say targets the Crips street gang. In that case, Novotny is accused of threatening a man with a gun in 2004 and distributing drugs for the Crips.

Jurors didn’t hear evidence of gang relations during the murder trial.