The bribery trial of Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) appeared headed for a mistrial, after the jury on Thursday said for a second time it cannot reach a verdict.

After receiving the note from the jury, U.S. District Court Judge William Walls decided to interview the jury foreman privately with the attorneys in the case before deciding the next step.

The jury note said the panel could not reach a “unanimous decision,’’ but did not specify if that was on all counts. Prosecutors asked the judge to instruct jurors that they could issue a partial verdict on some counts, but the judge declined, saying that would be “going down the slippery slope of coercion.’’