Here’s another update Ken Ward Jr. called in from federal court this afternoon.

U.S. District Judge Irene Berger today sent the jury in the criminal trial of former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship home at 4 p.m. so she could hear a detailed argument from lawyers in the case over recordings of Blankenship’s phone conversations.

Blankenship’s defense team asked the judge late today to block prosecutors from playing those phone calls for the jury.

Berger heard about 30 minutes of arguments from the lawyers and then ended court for the day without an immediate ruling.