'Desperate Housewives' Trial: ABC Lawyer Says 'No Settlement'

Lawyers for ABC and Nicollette Sheridan said Friday that there will be no settlement of the litigation over Sheridan's firing from Desperate Housewives despite the jury's inability to come to a verdict after two days of deliberations.


"The judge asked the two parties to talk," ABC lead lawyer Adam Levin told reporters waiting at Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday afternoon. "It went nowhere. I'm going to take another yoga class. Have a nice weekend."


Levin's comments come after the 12-person jury told the judge in the $6 million case that they were not able to reach a verdict. The jury is deadlocked 8-4, they said, while nine votes are needed for a valid verdict. Sheridan claims she was fired from the hit ABC show in retaliation for complaining about an altercation with show executive producer Marc Cherry on the set.


The jury will return on Monday to continue deliberating.


Sheridan attorney Mark Baute also addressed reporters. "We believe the vote is 8-4 in our favor," Baute said. "We could be wrong, but we believe based on what we've seen that that's the case."


But Baute said he believes the "presiding juror," who functions as a foreperson, is part of the 4-juror minority that is favoring ABC.


"The foreman is against us," Baute added. "He's the only juror I've seen in 26 years that came into the court in a panic and said they were deadlocked."


Baute said he wouldn't be surprised if there are additional closing arguments on Monday. Baute said judge Elizabeth Allen White is pressing the jury to come to a verdict, but if she can't, he's prepared to try the case again. "If there's a mistrial, 100 percent we will do it again," he said. "We have now seen everything they've got. Every little trick. We will try it again."



Keywords:Lawyers ,ABC , Nicollette Sheridan , Desperate Housewives, Los Angeles Superior Court, yoga class,Sheridan attorney ,Mark Baute,presiding juror, judge Elizabeth Allen White,hollywood film news