NEWARK -- On the first full day of deliberations in U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez's federal corruption trial, the jury had one question: what is the defense definition of a "senator"?

Attorneys for the Democratic lawmaker and Salomon Melgen, the wealthy Florida ophthalmologist accused of bribing Menendez, returned to the courtroom after jurors passed a note to the judge indicating they had a question.



One of the jurors, U.S. District Judge William H. Walls told attorneys, wanted a read-back of defense attorney Abbe Lowell's closing remarks "apropos the definition of a senator."

While it was unclear what the juror meant by "definition of a senator," Lowell -- the lead attorney on the senator's defense team -- had argued in closings that there were certain official acts Menendez could have taken on Melgen's behalf in his role as a U.S. senator -- such as crafting legislation or holding hearings -- but did not.

The Justice Department has accused Menendez, 63, of intervening on Melgen's behalf at the highest levels of Health and Human Services and the State Department in exchange for lavish bribes.

Attorneys for the lawmaker have argued the senator's meetings with government officials in the case -- including former U.S. ambassador Bill Brownfield and former HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius -- were part of routine legislative activity involving policy matters of concern to Menendez.



After conferring with both parties, Walls called the jury back to the courtroom and instructed the panel of seven women and five men that they were to rely solely on their "individual and collective memories of what was said by Mr. Lowell."

Walls, who directed jurors to a section of the jury charge instructing them to consider as evidence only testimony elicited from witnesses or exhibits introduced as such, did not read back Lowell's closing remarks.

Walls excused the jury for the day at 4 p.m. at the jurors' request. Deliberations are expected to resume Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached by email at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty.

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached by email at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.