Two months from the day of opening arguments, after 31 trial days and more than 50 witnesses, jurors retired just after 3 p.m. today for deliberations.

Judge William Walls instructed the jurors to first elect a foreperson and study the verdict sheets before they begin deliberating. Ideas of how severely Menendez or Dr. Salomon Melgen will be punished if convicted.

“Your only concern is to determine guilt or innocence,” Walls said.

Jurors will deliberate until 4:30 p.m. today. They will return at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow and meet each day until 4:30 until a verdict is reached. If there is no verdict by the end of the day Thursday, Walls has said he will excuse a juror who has a pre-planned vacation and swap her out with an alternate. Deliberations will then begin anew.

Menendez has not yet left the courthouse and may speak to reporters as he departs.

This is a developing news story. Stay with InsiderNJ for updates.