Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Bought Jury?

Hey, it’s Chicago.  Stranger things have happened.

A federal jury deadlocked Tuesday on all but one of 24 charges against former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, including the most explosive of all — that he tried to sell an appointment to President Barack Obama’s old Senate seat. Blagojevich was convicted on a single, less serious count of lying to federal agents.

Prosecutors pledged to retry the case as soon as possible.

“This jury shows you that the government threw everything but the kitchen sink at me,” Blagojevich said outside court. “They could not prove I did anything wrong — except for one nebulous charge from five years ago.”

But one juror said the panel was deadlocked 11-1 in favor of convicting Blagojevich of trying to auction off the Senate seat.

(8) Comments
Posted by Owen at 2112 hrs
Law + Politics + Politics - General

  1. It’s time to start the pardon watch now that it’s no longer just a theoretical exercise.  I’ve got 7:23 pm EDT 8/20/2010 (yes, I know I’m early, but Obama can’t afford a second trial on the other 27 counts the Blago brothers still face).

    You also have to remember that the members of the Chicago jury are the descendents of those who couldn’t find Al Capone guilty of anything beyond tax evasion.

    Posted by steveegg on August 17, 2010 at 2158 hrs


  2. Blago probably brought Frank Pentangeli’s (juror number 12) brother from Italy into the courtroom.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 17, 2010 at 2248 hrs


  3. If he’d had connections to Abramoff, he’d have gotten off scot free.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 17, 2010 at 2255 hrs


  4. That explains why the government is going to take the mistrial and redo the trial. 11-1 is definitely odd considering the weight of evidence against him.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 18, 2010 at 0002 hrs


  5. 12 people all bear fans what more can you expect.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 18, 2010 at 0814 hrs


  6. I’m still left wondering why the Eric Holder “Justice” Department did not put Tony Rezko on the stand to testify. My curiosity on that issue dovetails nicely with my surprise that Blago suddenly chose NOT to testify, after all his bluster about a tell-all bloodbath on the stand. Now we get an 11-1 mistrial on all counts save for the obstruction charge which will likely garner this scum bag no more than a month or two in jail.

    I imaging that the administration is quite happy with this nightmare scenario of Chicago politics being swept under the rug quietly. Well done Mr. Holder, well done.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 18, 2010 at 0954 hrs


  7. Nice big (tax payer subsidized) bonuses to all involved.

    That bump you just felt? It was the American justice system dropping another rung.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 18, 2010 at 1316 hrs


  8. I have to also wonder why Rezko, Rahmbo and others involved in recordings and dealings were not called to testify by either side.Could Fitzgerald been told parameters and defense given “if guilty finding” then short comfortable sentence or else? It would seem the gloves were put on and may have shown a very extended organizational operation. Of course this may have shown “normal accepted political operation” indicating of why we only have “professional” politicians and incumbents are just about guaranteed re-election along with sudden increase in personal wealth well above salary after each successive term. Then again, is it possible to find 12 open minded completely nonpolitical and unbiased jurors especially in Illinois. This is a place where “favors” from getting ahead on list for new garbage cans, alley lights, sidewalk repair, sewer rodding from your precinct captain at the polling place (where he had his own voter registration list and comparing it with and checking it off with election judge as he was a “poll watcher” also) was common practice

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 19, 2010 at 1010 hrs


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