* 9:48 am - George Ryan has lost his appeal and will likely be reporting to prison within a week or so…
Former Gov. George Ryan may soon be reporting to federal prison after an appellate court refused today to reconsider a ruling in August that affirmed his sweeping convictions for public corruption and fraud.
The full U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals decided not to review the work of a three-judge panel that voted 2-1 to uphold Ryan’s convictions despite a series of juror controversies at the end of his historic six-month trial last year.
Ryan has one possible appeal left—to the U.S. Supreme Court—and the nation’s highest court need not accept the case. Ryan is expected to ask to remain free while the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether to hear his case, but winning an appeal bond at that stage is a long shot, experts said. […]
Absent last-minute intervention by the U.S. Supreme Court or the 7th Circuit, Ryan must report to prison within four business days after the 7th Circuit issues the official paperwork rejecting his request for a rehearing. That paperwork typically would come soon, in no more than seven days.
* 10:58 am - US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald responds…
“We are pleased that the full Court of Appeals has decided to let stand the initial careful opinion of the panel majority, which held that the defendants received a fair trial. Even the three judges voting to rehear the appeal agreed with the majority of judges that ‘the evidence of the defendants’ guilt was overwhelming.’ Ryan and Warner were convicted of serious crimes in awarding state leases and contracts that were steered illegally in return for hundreds of thousands of dollars in benefits for Warner and Ryan, including financial support for Ryan’s successful 1998 gubernatorial campaign.”
* 11:13 am - You can read the court’s decision by clicking this link.
- Cassandra - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 9:58 am:
Hopefully, this morality tale will be absorbed by our many, many corrupt Illinois politicians.
But most are likely sufficiently capable of self-delusion, that they can believe it’ll never
happen to them.
- Leroy - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 10:08 am:
I’ll believe it when I see it.
- Crimefighter - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 10:09 am:
About freakin’ time. Lock him up and throw away the key!
- chicago insider - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 10:11 am:
California — October 25, 2007.
After a long talks with the Avocado County Fire Commissioner and the Governor’s Chief of Staff, it seems as there is consensus that the catalyst of the current wildfire has a Chicago connection. Off the record, a high-ranking California official told me the “Christian-right is loony to believe God started the fires to punish gay abortionist when God was obviously punishing us all for not voting for Edwin Eisendrath.” So what is the Chicago connection you ask? My cousin Tommy goes to San Diego State University. On Election Day, rather than supporting Edwin he spent all afternoon playing Xbox.
What shall become of my cousin I cannot say but we are all a little guilty for starting these fires.
- Lefty - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 10:13 am:
Blago walks free and they are putting Gerorge in jail? Somebody explain this to me!
- Trafficmatt - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 10:16 am:
I hear President Ford echoing from the grave….
“Our long national (state) nightmare is over”.
If we could only get the money-quote from Ryan saying “I am not a crook”.
While I feel sorry for the former Governor’s wife, I think this is a great day for the people of Illinois. Maybe, perhaps, there is still justice.
- The Real Lefty - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 10:17 am:
Hey! Someone hijacked my screen name! Isn’t there a law against this?
- George - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 10:19 am:
Don’t worry Rod, I’ll leave a light on for you.
- plutocrat03 - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 10:21 am:
This is not a happy day per se, but one that has been long in coming.
I hope this gives pause to all who are elected or are on the governmental payrolls.
Despite the level of power achieved, ultimately they may have to pay the costs of their betrayal of the citizens.
The moral of the story should be go the citizen’s business and stay within the laws.
- irishpirate - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 10:33 am:
I think the jury rendered the “right” verdict on George Ryan. However, the process was deeply flawed. As much as it pains me he should get a new trial. The appeals court is plainly wrong.
Process matters. Although if you ask President Bush and his attorney general nominee it is all highly overrated.
Grrrrrrrrrrrr.
- Gregg - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 10:46 am:
It’s about time Ryan went to jail!!! He won’t like it but maybe he will get used to it Have a nice life George
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 10:56 am:
Will you please go away now?
- Anon - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 10:56 am:
Wasn’t Thompson boasting that it was a sure thing that rehearing would be granted?
- Anon - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 10:59 am:
“[T]he evidence of the defendants’ guilt was overwhelming.” That conclusion, now contained in two separate opinions issued by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Guilt of what, exactly?
The system has been broken by abusive prosecutions like this one (and Conrad Black’s, and Jeffrey Skilling, to cite two other unsympathetic examples).
Populist-driven prosecution! Six month show trials! Hero-of-the-people accolades to the abusive prosecutors!
Kafka-esque. Or should I say Stalin-esque?
Hyperbole? Do you think Stalin’s hand-picked prosecutors thought of themselves as evil? Of doing evil?
It is only through the prism of history that the everyday evils that make up a broken system become obvious.
It will one day be obvious that today’s heroes of the Tribune editorial page have wrought irreparable damage to the Democratic system at the center of American life. Through their own ambition, unchecked power and constant overreach they have destroyed that which they claim to value above all else.
Who dreams of being President today? The unindicted?
http://uchicagolaw.typepad.com/faculty/2006/06/alschuler_on_ry.html
- Arrogant Ryan - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 11:03 am:
The first step in cleansing Illinois of corruption.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 11:07 am:
OK, that last posting was just nuts.
- gulag - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 11:10 am:
I, for one, welcome our new Stalinist overlords.
- Shivaree - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 11:17 am:
So which federal prison will George Ryan be reporting too? Wonder if he”ll have to wear prison issued plastic black glasses.
- Boone Logan Square - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 11:59 am:
Why is Ryan still walking around free?
- Anon - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 12:42 pm:
Even the dissenters said that the evidence of guilt was overwhelming. When Thompson filed the peition for rehearing, he said that no matter how overwhelming the evidence was, he should still be granted a new trial. Why? The evidence would still be overwhelming the second time it is presented. This was all just a transparent bid to buy time. Next we’ll get he’s too sick/too old (after stalling to get older) and his wife is too sick/too old. And that he need still more time to get his “affairs in order.” Shameless.
- Jake - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 12:45 pm:
Maybe his cronies at the Center for Wrongful Convictions can now return the favor for pardoning/commuting all those choirboys and start working on his case.
- wallace - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 1:09 pm:
Is Patrick Fitzgerald the only public official in Illinois on the side of the citizenry? Can you imagine if a usual “in the pocket” US Attorney had been appointed?
- Pat collins - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 1:21 pm:
cronies at the Center for Wrongful Convictions can now return the favor
Did you miss the sun times op-ed the head of that place wrote after he was convicted? The testimonies during sentencing?
The dividends for that have been rolling in….
- Pat collins - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 1:23 pm:
if a usual “in the pocket” US Attorney had been appointed?
You mean the ones that Mr. 54% had Pres. Clinton appoint?
- wordslinger - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 1:23 pm:
George Ryan and/or his wife will soon develop a terrible sickness/disease (not a stretch at their ages).
In the spirit of Christian charity, there will be an appeal from what John Kass calls the Combine (Gov. Thompson, Speaker Hastert, Mayor Daley, business types, etc.) for a Christmas season pardon from our Born Again President.
He’s not running again. Not a national story. Why not?
6 seconds left, 4th quarter. 4th and long. No timeouts. Throw deep.
- Jake - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 1:51 pm:
Yeah, we’ll hear that the trial was “punishment enough.” Wouldn’t every felon love that reasoning?
- Weary State Worker - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 1:58 pm:
Maybe once this is finally put to rest, Patrick can more fully focus on the current corruption in the Governor’s seat. As gleeful as Rod must be at hearing this, he must have at least a sliver of apprehension that he too may one day be looking at a jail sentence.
- Union guy - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 2:04 pm:
Governor Blagojevich has been apprehensive for quite sometime now. Otherwise, why would he be spending so much on his posse of attorneys.
Hang in there Weary State Worker! Judgement Day is coming.
- Just Remember George - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 3:03 pm:
Reverend Scott Willis - who lost six children in the fiery crash.
- quincy - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 5:02 pm:
go george quit spending my tax dollars. iam sick of you trying to stay out of jail
- MIDSTATE - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 5:47 pm:
Now get the current corrupt administration, and Illinois might have a chance. Keep at it US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, your our only hope.
- Mr. Ethics - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 6:23 pm:
Big Jim and Dan Webb just can’t accept defeat. At least they aren’t giving Blago a free defense.
- It’s all about the Benjamin's - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 7:31 pm:
When it’s all over with James R. Thompson & Winston & Strawn stand to make millions off now Governor Blagojevich. Eventually Blagojevich will fired Winston & Strawn and may go through several law firms before he goes to prison.
- Little Egypt - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 7:40 pm:
In memory of Ben, Joseph, Samuel, Hank, Elizabeth, and Peter. These kids all have names and all HAD lives. Deal with it George. You’re getting off much better than the Willis children did.
- steve schnorf - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 7:46 pm:
Perhaps most of you commenting today know Governor Ryan far better than I. But, for the last couple of months I have had a recurring thought that if the jury had been made up of people that knew him, not necessarily friends, just knew him, the prosecution would have been laughed out of the courtroom when they tried to portray him as they did. However, most of you seem to know him pretty well, and have a really dismal view of him. It’s sort of odd.
- Northside Bunker - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 7:56 pm:
Steve you need to take off your rose-colored glasses once in awhile.
- steve schnorf - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 8:18 pm:
Northside, maybe you’re right, but I don’t think so. My suggestion is let’s ask people who know him. Of course, that means most of you can’t respond, because most of you post anonymously, and we can’t know whether you really know him or not.
- Captain America - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 8:55 pm:
I don’t know George Ryan. He was a more effective and likable Governor than the current pretender. Not trying to be mean-spirited, but Otto Kerner did his time courtesy of Big Jim Thompson. Dan Walker did his time for private sector crimes. Dan Rostenlowski did time. Many other poliital felons in Illinois have served time.
All these politcal felons had families, friends and admiresrs who knew them liked them,and supported them to the bitter end. It’s a complete mystery to me why anyone thinks George Ryan is somehow speciai and should not have to serve prison time.
- steve schnorf - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 9:03 pm:
CA, I haven’t said it well. I agree that anyone who is guilty has to pay the price. What I’m trying to say is that if a prosecutor tried to say to 12 people who knew George Ryan, “This man knowingly and intentionally violated the law, or countenanced violations of the law, in order to enrich himself at the expense of the citizens of this State”, the trial would be over then, because people who know him simply would not believe that about him.
- Anon - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 9:15 pm:
That’s why people are tried based on evidence, not the subjective views of the friends and family.
- Anon - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 9:16 pm:
And let’s not forget it was his friends and family who largely benefitted from these crimes, so of course they would acquit him.
- Team Sleep - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 9:44 pm:
If this makes it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, I will have lost all faith in the Black 9. This case should have died after the first trial. I’m not saying he should have not been allowed to file appeal papers, but the judges should not have heard the case.
Patrick Fitzgerald, in my eyes, is the only current U.S. Attorney who seems to know what it takes to represent the people effectively and admirably. The others look to be no more than cronies and pushovers. Imagine the lack of oversight that has gone on because scaredy-cat federal prosecutors around the country have refused to be advocates and/or work to root out corruption. Prosecutors like Rudy G. and Patrick F. are a dying breed.
- Team Sleep - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 9:50 pm:
Steve, every politician has his or her own set of apologists, friends, lackeys, staff, family and donors who will attest to anything good in that official. But when you break it down and take away any bias or friendship, would that person still hold up even if he or she have committed crimes or, at the very least, operated on a very unethical basis? What if Mr. Ryan had murdered someone? Would his friends and family still be defending him?
At some point in all of our friendships - even with your best friend(s) and your spouse - something always seems to go awry. Either a friend does something wrong to make you question your friendship or an occurrence strains your relationship. If someone truly does something wrong and you continue to defend them, is that true friendship? What if the friend’s actions are against the law or hurtful to your family and other friends?
I guess my point is that even the worst in our society can have friends and maybe even supporters. That doesn’t mean they should skate when they have wronged society and public trust.
- me anon - Thursday, Oct 25, 07 @ 10:13 pm:
I think it is sad for the citizens of Illinois, and I’m sad for the Ryan family too, but George needs to do his time. I hope gov da is watching. He should get a life sentence for being a terrible leader.