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GUILTY ON JUST ONE COUNT - LYING TO FBI - PROSECUTORS TO RETRY

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Illinois
Blagojevich Trial

* 3:47 pm - Fox Chicago is reporting that the Blagojevich verdict may be read at 4:15 this afternoon. This is a fresh trial thread. Updates to follow below.

Rod and Mrs. Blagojevich just walked in.

WGN’s live feed. [Live feed removed because of slow site issues. Click to watch.]

* 3:56 pm - Robert Blagojevich just walked in.

* 3:59 pm Levine says maybe no verdict after all. Hung?

US Atty’s Office indicates to Jay Levine of Ch. 2 that there is no #Blagojevich verdict. Possible: Holdout juror refusing to deliberate.

* ABC7 is also live. [I took the feed down because it was slowing my site. Click here to watch it. Well worth your time.-

* 4:05 pm Susan Berger is saying there is official word of a verdict. Stay tuned. There may be a verdict and a holdout on other stuff. Not sure, but WBEZ is reporting that the judge has received a verdict.

From the US Attorney’s office…

Judge Zagel has received a verdict in the Blagojevich matter.

More…

Ch. 2 now says there is a #Blagojevich verdict. US Atty Office sd they would sent out notice; didn’t. Told Levine to assume no verdict/wrong

Patrick Fitzgerald has arrived.

* Chuck Goudie is reporting that there may not be verdicts on all counts, which is understandable. NBC5…

Zagel confirms Jury has reached a verdict. Assumes its not a verdict on all counts.

The jury will return tomorrow for any forfeiture deliberations, if needed.

* The jury has entered. Defendants asked to rise.

* GUILTY ON COUNT 24 - FALSE STATEMENT TO THE FBI BACK IN 2005.

* Yeah, it’s weak sauce, but at least they got him on something. He’s looking at 5 years and a $250K fine for that one count. And the feds have the option of prosecuting him again.

* The Sun-Times reports that the prosecution will retry on all the other counts. Others report that prosecutors say they will “absolutely” retry Blagojevich. Hearing on August 26th.

* What’s kinda bizarre is that last week the jurors declared that they had reached agreement on two counts. Now, it’s just one. Weird.

* NBC5 has live video.

* 4:48 pm - Robert Blagojevich is speaking to reporters now. Thanked his attorneys for “portraying me what I am - an innocent.” Said he has “ultimate confidence in my acquittal.” Refuses to plea bargain. “I’ve done nothing wrong, why would I plea?”

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:48 pm

Comments

Rod & Patti just walked in.

Comment by gg Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:49 pm
Hold your breath & cross your fingers because here we go!

Comment by Pale Rider Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:50 pm
Good thing we have Al Franken on deck for tomorrow morning to provide some comic relief.

Comment by John Bambenek Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:51 pm
Rod just gave Patti a cheesy kiss for the camera’s.

Comment by Who cares Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:51 pm
Wonder if someone is going to have ‘Hit the Rod’ on the fairway at the fair tomorrow.

Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:52 pm
Video froze on me, I hate hotel WiFi, keep me posted everyone!

Comment by Publius Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:53 pm
Is this the end of the first act in the first ring of a three ring circus?

Comment by InParis Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:53 pm
Rob there.

Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:54 pm
Rob waved to cameras and appears upbeat.

Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:55 pm
If I feel this anxious I can only imagine what the players are feeling.

Comment by Who cares Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:55 pm
InParis-

The circus has just begun…

Comment by davE Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:56 pm
I suppose this is the wrong time to say I wouldn’t wish the feelings that Blagojevich and his family must be feeling now on anyone.

Comment by paddyrolingstone Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:58 pm
Expert on ABC7 thinks if it was a hung jury on all counts, the jury would have sent something out. Implies a verdict is at hand.

Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 3:59 pm
ABC7 expert thinks even if NOT GUILTY, Rob will not speak to cameras. Did I hear this right?

Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:01 pm
If there is a juror refusing to deliberate, the judge CAN boot that juror off and replace him with one of the alternates.

Comment by Segatari Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:01 pm
Zagel indicates he has received a verdict.

Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:01 pm
There is a verdict.

Comment by Who cares Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:01 pm
Reports are Judge Zagel has received a verdict

Comment by truthteller Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:03 pm
Jay Levine is saying something different

US Atty’s Office indicates to Jay Levine of Ch. 2 that there is no #Blagojevich verdict. Possible: Holdout juror refusing to deliberate.
7 minutes ago via web

Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:03 pm
A verdict on all counts or some? We knew they had a verdict on 2 counts…

Comment by John Bambenek Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:04 pm
Susan Berger tweet:

Its official. There is a verdict #blagojevich 2 minutes ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®

* Reply
* Retweet

Comment by Linda Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:04 pm
If there’s a juror who’s refusing to deliberate, can the judge remove that juror and put in an alternate and have the jury start over??

Comment by B-non Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:05 pm
Everytime you refresh comments the ABC video starts… Ugh

Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:05 pm
Like I said… could be a verdict on those 2 counts (or some number more) and hung on the others…

Comment by John Bambenek Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:05 pm
B-non-

In theory, yes.

Comment by John Bambenek Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:07 pm
Fitz is in the building.

Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:08 pm
Will Rod be Hand-Coiffed?
Wait and See….

Comment by Jake from Elwood Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:11 pm
If the Hair don’t fit, you must acquit!

Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:11 pm
This is stating the obvious. This is an amazing moment in Illinois History.

Comment by Living in Oklahoma Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:11 pm
According to former fed prosecuter on ABC7, if the jury is hung on some counts, the judge COULD send them back in to work on a decision, or send them home.

Comment by Who cares Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:11 pm
Living in Oklahoma-

Indeed it is… we could end up with 2 consecutive governors in jail. Luckily Quinn will be voted out of office before he can be indicted.

Comment by John Bambenek Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:12 pm
John,

If Quinn were indicted, would that be a Threepeat?

Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:15 pm
Hard to believe this moment has come. At least right now, for a few more minutes, we can still hope that this nightmare governor is punished for making a mockery of our system, our state, and destroying many lives for nothing but his own idle narcissism.

He didn’t even have a commitment to any misguided ideology or political ideals. He’s just a plain ole sociopath who thought he could work 5 hours a week as the governor of Illinois, buy suits and lie and bribe his way through everything while the state tanked and everyone stood by and watched him.

Comment by Dan Bureaucrat Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:17 pm
If Rod is found guilty on say just 2 counts, would the feds go after him again on the others?

Comment by Who cares Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:18 pm
Dan B,

What scares me is I don’t really believe he is a sociopath, I’m afraid he is a typical politician who just got caught.

Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:18 pm
This will beat Capitol Fax’s busiest web-day ….

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:19 pm
Cinci-

More like Threebeat

Comment by John Bambenek Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:19 pm
Quinn may or may not be a good Governor, but he is not corrupt.

Comment by Quiet Sage Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:19 pm
Hail Satan

Comment by Not Guilty Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:20 pm
Goudie: There will not be verdicts on all counts.

Comment by Boone Logan Square Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:20 pm
There will not be verdicts on all counts per ABC7

Comment by Who cares Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:20 pm
Who cares-

It depends on the 2 counts, really. They want the win, and if all the get is the Martha Stewart offense (lying to investigators), they’ll keep going.

Comment by John Bambenek Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:20 pm
With the exception of the allegations concerning Patti, Rod did not personally profit. He is at an extreme of what politicians do all the time, access for donations.

Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:21 pm
If the verdicts have to do with forfiture, the jury will have to stay today and continue working.

Comment by Who cares Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:21 pm
Goudie: If there’s a verdict on anything involving forfeiture, the jury has to go back today to decide it.

Comment by Boone Logan Square Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:22 pm
Down goes CapFax! Down goes CapFax!

Comment by A-Rog Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:22 pm
Now Goudie corrects that to tomorrow for the jury to decide any possible forfeitures.

Comment by Boone Logan Square Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:22 pm
Quickly — thanks for pulling down that video, Rich.

Comment by Concerned Observer Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:23 pm
Is someone keeping an eye out for Bill?
We worry.

Comment by Jake from Elwood Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:24 pm
One man. Open a second window with cap fax start the video and then use one to listen and one to read.

Comment by Amon Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:25 pm
Jury coming in. Yikes.

Comment by KeepSmiling Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:27 pm
The defendants have been asked to rise

Comment by Who cares Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:28 pm
I have done that…. Thanks

Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:29 pm
Goudie: Unanimous on one count only.

Comment by Boone Logan Square Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:29 pm
Guilty on count 24, that’s the only one.

Comment by Who cares Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:29 pm
Rob, guilty on lying to feds

Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:29 pm
Guilty on false statement count (24) to officers.

Comment by Boone Logan Square Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:29 pm
*Rod

Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:30 pm
He lies??? That’s all they could agree to?

Comment by KeepSmiling Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:30 pm
Guilty on one count.

No verdict on any other counts.

Looks like we’ll see this retried.

Comment by Boone Logan Square Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:31 pm
what kind of prison time does that entail if any?

Comment by central illinois Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:32 pm
The Feds are lucky on this one. The Feds can get anyone on this charge, you and me included.

Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:32 pm
Count 24 carries a possible five-year sentence.

Comment by Boone Logan Square Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:32 pm
guilty is a guilty. he did not sell the senate seat, he lied to the
feds. it’s always lying to the feds, just as we suspected.
but this is the least serious, and Fitzgerald presser looks
totally foolish.

Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:32 pm
Also possible $250,000 fine along with five years in the pen.

Comment by Boone Logan Square Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:33 pm
WGN said guilty on #14…attempted extortion?

Comment by Vote Quimby! Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:33 pm
This is as bad as the Black Sox Trial …..

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:34 pm
OK…WGN just corrected itself…only 1 guilty count.

Comment by Vote Quimby! Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:34 pm
“Just what I said all along, I am innocent. Feds over reached.”

Predicted Rod first response.

Robert walks free, justice probably served with him.

Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:34 pm
ABC’s got Harold Krent on and he also guesses the prosecutors will retry the rest of the case.

Comment by Boone Logan Square Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:35 pm
So when Quinn said Rod was an honorable man, I guess he was right!

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:36 pm
so someone backed off of one of the two counts that
were settled before?

and another retrial on all? poor Robert, honestly, I
feel for the guy. but GRod, Elvis can enter the
penetentiary!

Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:36 pm
Barely got him. Just barely.

Comment by Living in Oklahoma Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:37 pm
ONE COUNT?

Comment by Say WHAT? Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:37 pm
mistrial!

Comment by Heartless Libertarian Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:37 pm
you realize that everyone around him pled guilty to save themselves, and now they’re all probably going to serve more time than Rod. WOW.

Comment by ugh Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:38 pm
not a good day for Patrick Fitzgerald, re Irv Miller on
CBS 2.

Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:38 pm
So much for the earlier press account that the jury reached unanimity on two counts?
I wonder if someone flipped?

Comment by Jake from Elwood Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:38 pm
Humiliation for Fitzgerald.

Comment by Quiet Sage Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:39 pm
Lying to the FBI (the only count I thought they got) is the Martha Stewart offense. And while she did go to the can, she came out with more money than she started with.

Comment by John Bambenek Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:39 pm
Goudie: Zagel sets filing deadline of Aug. 26 for possible retrial.

Comment by Boone Logan Square Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:40 pm
I can’t wait to see what the jury split was on the other charges. If it was 11-1 in favor of conviction, the holdout better have a good explanation, because they’re going to be hounded by the media for the next several months.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:40 pm
It is all for naught. Retrial time! The lawyers always get paid….

Comment by Heartless Libertarian Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:40 pm
The Feds have already said they will try him again.

Comment by Who cares Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:40 pm
He’s going to jail and they’ll retry him. But yes, this was not a great case. There is much more they could have (and likely will) introduce.

Comment by Chicago Cynic Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:41 pm
Dear Rod,

Make a deal, stop the insanity … you got lucky once, It’s tough to be the Feds twice …

Very truly yours,

Every Federal defendant who got past a 1st trial

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:41 pm
Well. I was 1/2 right. On 7/28 at 1:14, I said it was almost impossible to imagine Blago being acquitted on the lying count. It took much longer than I thought, though, for the jury to (not) resolve the remaining counts.

Comment by Still Anonymous Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:41 pm
Folks, remember that the jury delivered “not guilty” verdicts on exactly zero counts. The process merely is extended, with one difference being Blagojevich was convicted on a count which will be very difficult to appeal.

Comment by Boone Logan Square Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:41 pm
I smell book deal!

Comment by Leroy Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:42 pm
Sam Adam Jr. is the man!!!!

Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:42 pm
@Quiet Sage,

Not quite. Depending upon how the jury was. If there were 11 votes to convict and 1 ‘refused to deliberate’ as alleged, it’s not really all that humiliating.

If it had been 1 guilty and 23 counts acquitted…well then that would have been embarassing.

Comment by How Ironic Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:42 pm
“* GUILTY ON COUNT 24 - FALSE STATEMENT TO THE FBI BACK IN 2005.”

Wow. Disgraceful. But … the jurors ARE from IL. We apparently get what we deserve politically in IL. Maybe Blago can sue to run for Gov. again?

Maybe Fitz should hire Collins back as a ‘consultant’?

Comment by sal-says Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:43 pm
Wasn’t he found not guilty on count 14?

Comment by Heartless Libertarian Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:43 pm
He’s gonna need another reality show to appear on. As a convicted felon, he’ll lose is State pension.

Comment by SAP Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:43 pm
This whole thing needs to end, what we want to push the knife much, much, much down his back! He is a convicted felon and who will pay for the retrial (US on both sides). Fitz needs to let this go, Blago is broke and can not run again in life, let it GO!!!

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:44 pm
so, apparently, re tv, the jury think he lied on one
of two items re count 24, that there was a firewall
and that he regularly monitored things. I think the
lie was the regular monitoring.

talked to one lawyer who said if that is all the
Prosecution gets, the judge should not be giving
much of a sentence at all to Rod.

Carol Marin saying Fitz and company are stunned.

Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:44 pm
Bill. I am waiting. Go ahead. Get it out of your system.

Comment by Living in Oklahoma Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:44 pm
HL, it’s count 24. Please don’t confuse folks.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:45 pm
SAP-

Assuming lying to investigators invalidates his pension, it’s only his state pension he loses and not his Congressional one (which I believe is more lucrative). And he isn’t able to collect either yet anyway.

Comment by John Bambenek Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:46 pm
So Blagojevich lives to continue to create news throughout the campaign season. He is going to bloviate about how he was innocent in every television station across the globe. He is as guilty as Martha Stewart.

Quinn has to explain what he thinks about all this. Every Illinois Democrat is going to be asked if they agree with this verdict. Voters are going to be looking for scalps.

No one thinks this is justice. The sooner the Feds start announcing future court action against Blagojevich, the sooner this appears to be a big mistake, but not a final answer. Justice is being denied to Illinoisans on a gut level, and few really believe Blagojevich is being dealt with too harshly.

This is going to continue being a campaign story. This is going to get hotter. Instead of clearing this up, and giving us an ending to this, we are going to have to deal with this moron for a whole lot longer.

This verdict sucks. Even if the Judge throws the Book at him, we’re looking at only a year or two.

Bad day for everyone, except for the guilty.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:46 pm
So do we have to pay the Adams’ for the re-trial or does he get a PD?

Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:46 pm
Blago is convicted on one count and the new trial on the others. Then there is sentencing on the one count.

This circus will go on all through the Fall!

Somebody throw a bocket of water on Pat Quinn. I think he just fainted.

Comment by Bubs Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:47 pm
Could Fitzgerald move for a change of venue?

Comment by Scott217 Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:47 pm
My initial reading of the Guidelines is 0-6 months.

Comment by paddyrolingstone Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:48 pm
Robert Blagojevich thanks his legal team, the jury, and he has “ultimate confidence” in a potential retrial.

Comment by Boone Logan Square Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:48 pm
Robert: “I feel bad for my brother” regarding the conviction.

Comment by Boone Logan Square Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:49 pm
It’s hard to imagine what happened. I hope we get some answers soon.

Comment by discreetlyme Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:50 pm
Now might be a time when the US Attorneys office considers indicting Patti and using that as leverage to compel a guilty plea from Rod. There could be less perceived sympathy for Patti now that it looks like Rod has skated. Or, maybe I’m just dreaming. Oy

Comment by dupage dan Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:51 pm
Robert Blagojevich manages a press conference better than his brother does.

Comment by Boone Logan Square Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:51 pm
Wow, well the billing rate for Sam Adams & Son just went way up. They are THE criminal defense lawyers now.

What a huge blow to Pat Fitz and the Blago haters.

Comment by just sayin' Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:51 pm
Too bad we didn’t get the other Blago brother as our governor. He seems like a sharp guy.

Comment by Who cares Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:51 pm
My spider senses lead me to believe that the Feds will not go after Robert again and will push Rod for a plea.

Comment by Jake from Elwood Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:53 pm
Well now he is a felon and awaiting a retrial. I said all along he may get one impressionable juror snowed with all his antics. I haven’t heard how many held out but I have to believe there is only one.

Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:53 pm
New low for the state of Illinois.

Comment by Tired of the Mess Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:54 pm
I seriously doubt that Sam Adam (Sr and Jr) will be back for round 2. And Blago will, once again, refuse to testify in his own defense.

Comment by Knome Sane Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:55 pm
Just sayin’, defendants want acquittals on all counts, not a conviction with a five-year maximum sentence and retrials.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:57 pm
Channel 2 said he could just get probation as his sentence for Count 24. Does anyone know if that’s true?

Comment by KeepSmiling Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:58 pm
ABC: Judge Zagel has invited the jurors to speak publicly in the Dirksen should they wish to do so.

Comment by Boone Logan Square Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:58 pm
I’m with DuPage Dan, time to put the heat on Patty!

Robert Blago is awesome on tv right now. he’s got some
of the same Rod lingo, but it comes out more sincere.
and, the prosecution must know that Robert is the
best witness for his brother. case lost by trying them
together? Robert is adamantly defiant about his
innocence.

Martha Stewart knitted a poncho when in the joint and
thousands of women searched for the pattern and yarn
when she got out. what will Blago do? he’s as guilty
as Martha stewart…..good call Vanilla Man.

Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:58 pm
President Obama should order the Justice Department to let it go. They have a man who was a sitting Governor when indicted, impeached and removed from office, forever barred from holding an elected state office in Illinois, and convicted of a federal felony for which he can go to prison if the judge wishes.

To get here they spent untold tens of millions of dollars (remember the report they had 100 FBI officers just listening to taps and overhears?), and now if the President allows them, they will repeat the whole process, spending unlimited amounts more and ruining a lot more people. Enough!

The President should also use this opportunity to thank the OCD US Attorney for Northern Illinois for his “services” and cause him to move on to greener pastures where people will do cost-benefit analyses on his grand schemes before they allow him to proceed.

Comment by steve schnorf Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:59 pm
Interesting. I thought that there was more evidence against Blagojevich, than there was Governor Ryan. (I mean with all of the taped phone conversations.)

Goodness, Rod ruined a lot of peoples lives, by my estimation.

Comment by PPHS Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:59 pm
if Irv Miller said it on Channel 2, you can take it
to the bank. Irv is a great lawyer.

Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 4:59 pm
And folks, remember, the feds didn’t “lose” this case. A loss would have been acquittal on 23 counts. The feds fought to a draw but they get to sharpen their knives, look at what worked and what didn’t, and carve this turkey again. The feds have something like a 95% success rate on re-trials.

Comment by Knome Sane Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 5:00 pm
Hey Look a Kitty is found guilty of one count.

Comment by Slick Nick Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 5:00 pm
I guess you can consider this an “up day”!

Comment by Slick Nick Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 5:01 pm
Rod beat Fitz. 24 counts. Fitz jumped the gun on this. Big day for the blagojevich family.

Comment by anon Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 5:01 pm
I am leaving work, and going to have a beer.

Comment by Living in Oklahoma Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 5:01 pm
It’s a start. Time to change venue to somewhere outside of Illinois.

Comment by Excessively Rabid Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 5:02 pm
===they will repeat the whole process, spending unlimited amounts more and ruining a lot more people===

Retrying them will not cost the same as the first trial. All of the work has been done by the FBI, IRS and others. The only additional costs are the attorney’s time and the time of the witnesses. The feds have a significant investment, and they should not walk away from it now.

Having said that, they might consider dropping the charges against Robert, as well as the charges related to the Senate seat. They have a much easier case without those: conspiracy and racketeering are much cleaner without the Senate stuff.

Steve, there is no way Obama wants to be seen involved in this case. No meddling, nothing. This is lose-lose for the White House.

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 5:03 pm
That prosecution team won’t have to worry about being inundated with offers of corner offices at bigfoot law firms.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 5:04 pm
steve schnorf - if the President orders this away, there will be no end to the political fallout. No way is he that stupid.

Comment by Milya Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 5:05 pm
Knome Sane, you’ve been watching too many juries where
the lesser includeds are big counts. yes, it is a guilty,
but, in honor of Vanilla Man, let’s just call it a “Martha
Stewart Guilty.” most juries where a lesser included
bags a G don’t get retried. cause they are a big penalty.
that’s why the Feds are stunned. they miscaluclated in many ways.

Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 5:05 pm
Alas and alack…
All Bozos on all the buses at all the levels in all the places… alas, alas, and yet again alas.

Comment by Alas.... Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 5:05 pm
47, and if this is what Rod is guilty of, POTUS should also commute George Ryan to time served, if not outright pardon him and apologize for the injustice done him. These guys were real crooks.

Comment by steve schnorf Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 5:07 pm
Gee, he’ll never work at McDonald’s with a felony conviction on his record…….

Comment by Joe Schmoe Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 5:12 pm
Steve, I’ll drink to that.

Comment by PPHS Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 5:13 pm
47th,

I hear that Rod is broke, so one more cost to factor in is for his defense. The Feds will have to pony up enough for Rod to get a high quality defense so this just isn’t some pro bono lawyer acting as a PD in a DUI trial. This attorney needs to be the real deal.

I would not be surprised if the Adam team comes back (accepting whatever money the Feds offer) and using their new found fame to otherwise feather their nests.

Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 5:15 pm
==I hear that Rod is broke, so one more cost to factor in is for his defense.==
Yep…I saw on the right sidebar the campaign fund is depleted….just like the state treasury (rimshot)

Comment by Vote Quimby! Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 5:19 pm
Fresh thread: https://capitolfax.com/2010/08/17/blagojevich-prosecutors-expected-to-speak-soon/

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Aug 17, 10 @ 5:19 pm