Blagojevich's Sentencing Date Set For Dec. 6

[TimeStandsStill]

November 07, 2011



(AP) — A federal judge has set former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's sentencing on corruption charges for Dec. 6.


The new date appeared on a U.S. District Court's website Monday. A federal judge in September indefinitely delayed an Oct. 6 sentencing date for Blagojevich apparently because it would have conflicted with the start of a related trial that month.


Jurors at Blagojevich's retrial earlier this year found the 54-year-old impeached governor guilty on 17 of 20 corruption charges, including attempted extortion for trying to sell or trade President Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat.


At Blagojevich's first trial last year, a jury deadlocked on all but one count — convicting Blagojevich of lying to the FBI.



Read more: http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20111107/NEWS02/111109798/blagojevichs-sentencing-date-set-for-dec-6#ixzz1d46Iz2pp

[TimeStandsStill]

Nov 7, 8:46 PM EST


Blagojevich expected to speak at sentencing

By MICHAEL TARM
Associated Press
 


CHICAGO (AP) -- Impeached Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich plans to make a statement to the court at his newly scheduled sentencing hearing in December, his attorney said Monday.

The attorney's comments came as a federal judge set a new sentencing date of Dec. 6 for Blagojevich.

Jurors at Blagojevich's retrial earlier this year convicted him on 17 of 20 corruption charges, including attempted extortion for trying to sell or trade President Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat. At his first trial last year, jurors deadlocked on all but one count - convicting Blagojevich of lying to the FBI.

Blagojevich's attorney, Sheldon Sorosky, wouldn't discuss what the former Democratic governor planned say to the sentencing judge, James Zagel. Defendants typically express remorse in the hopes for leniency, though Blagojevich has steadfastly maintained his innocence.

Sorosky said the December sentencing on the total of 18 counts could last two days as the sides argue for what they see as an appropriate punishment. Neither has yet gone on record with their recommendations.

Technically, Blagojevich faces a maximum sentence of 305 years in prison - though federal guidelines dictate he get far less. Most legal experts have said Zagel is likely to sentence Blagojevich to around 10 years.

The new sentencing date, which is just four days before Blagojevich's 55th birthday, replaces an October date canceled but not immediately rescheduled because it conflicted with a related trial.

The initial Oct. 6 sentencing date conflicted with the trial of longtime Illinois political powerbroker William Cellini with the same judge in the same Chicago courtroom. A jury last week convicted Cellini, a 76-year-old Republican, of conspiring to squeeze the Oscar-winning producer of "Million Dollar Baby" for a $1.5 million contribution to Blagojevich's campaign fund.

Cellini's trial was the last scheduled trial stemming from a nearly decade-long federal investigation of Blagojevich, which has ensnared more than a dozen people associated with his administration.

[me]

Former governor could be in prison on his birthday
Wendell Hutson, Chicago City Hall Examiner
November 17, 2011 -

Five days before his 55th birthday former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich will find out if he will celebrate his birthday in prison or with his family.

The one-time rising poltician is married to longtime, Chicago Alderman Richard Mell's daughter Patti. The couple, with two small daughters, have put their Chicago home and Washington, D.C. condominimum up for sale.

He is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on Dec. 6 for 18 felony convictions ranging from conspiracy to obstruction of justice. Blagojevich faces a maximum sentence of 305 years in prison although federal guidelines dictate he get far less and most legal experts say 10 years is more than likely what he will receive.

Blagojevich’s attorney, Sheldon Sorosky, wouldn’t discuss what Blagojevich plans say to U.S. District Judge James Zagel. Typically, defendants express remorse in the hopes for leniency, though Blagojevich has steadfastly maintained his innocence.

Sorosky said the sentencing hearing could last two days as the sides argue for what they see as an appropriate punishment. Neither he or the U.S. Attorney's Office have revealed how mucg time they plan to recommend to the judge.

Jurors at Blagojevich’s retrial earlier this year convicted him on 17 of 20 corruption charges, including attempted extortion for trying to sell or trade President Barack Obama’s vacated U.S. Senate seat. At his first trial last year, jurors deadlocked on all but one count — convicting Blagojevich of lying to the FBI.
 
In June when Blagojevich was found guilty he said after the trial, "I frankly am stunned."

In his first trial last year, Blagojevich was found guilty of one count of lying to the FBI; the jury could not reach agreement on 23 others.

U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Patrick Fitzgerald said the verdict was "a loud and clear message that Gov. Blagojevich committed very serious crimes." After Blagojevich's arrest in 2008, Fitzgerald said it interrupted "a political corruption crime spree" that "would make (Abraham) Lincoln roll over in his grave."

Blagojevich, who served as governor from 2003 to 2009, was arrested at his home in December 2008 when he was in his second gubernatorial term. He was impeached and removed from office in January 2009.

President Barack Obama have remained silent throughout both trials although White House sources say the president is closely following the trial and is upset that his senate seat was "disrespected" by Blagojevich trying to sell it to the highest bidder.

The former congressman served as the 40th governor of Illinois and will become the third Illinois governor to be sent to prison. Dan Walker and George Ryan, two former Illinois governors were both convicted of crimes stemming from their tenures.

Ryan, who served as governor from 1999 to 2003, is currently serving a six-year prison sentence for corruption. And earlier this year Ryan's wife of 50-plus years died while he was incarcerated and although he was at her bedise at the hospital when she passed away from cancer, he was not allowed to attend her funeral.



http://www.examiner.com/city-hall-in-chicago/former-governor-could-be-prison-on-his-birthday#ixzz1e4GPo14H

[Nemdf]

BOO HOO.  My LO will have his 24th birthday in prison (that is 24 birthdays in prison, not 24th birthday) on Sunday.  No sympathy for Blago.

[Dazzler]

I'd take Blago back in a heartbeat over Quinn....

[TimeStandsStill]

At least Blagojevich did get some things accomplished while he was in office.  Healthcare for kids is a big one.  Much more than I see Quinn doing anything!

[jcruz1104]

I'd take Blago back in a heartbeat over Quinn....

AGREE!

[Dazzler]

The only thing wrong with Blago was he's stupid....he wasn't cut out for the job his FIL pushed him into and he couldn't handle it...he had stars in his eyes and made stupid choices because he didn't know any better....he wasn't a polished politician...and it bit him in the ass....he did try to do things for Illinoisans...I was concerned about health insurance for those that didn't have any (mine was canceled when my husband maxed it out)...he called my hospital room after my cancer surgery...although I was too out of it to talk to him...he wanted to use my story for his campaign for health insurance for all Illinoisans...I feel bad for his family...he got caught up in the greed, just like they all do...like Quinn taking trips to China already.....for what?

[Dazzler]

And one thing for sure...if he'd released inmates early and there was a snafu...he'd have thumbed his nose at Brady, not cancel MGT.

[jdmlt]

I don't feel any more sorry for politicians than I do our LOs. I feel the same sorrow for their families as ours. Maybe I have more for their families, since they can't quit seeing it in the newspaper. I know some of our LOs was in the paper too, but it died down a lot quicker than politicians stories do. I will give Blago credit for his attitude of "I want this & will get this" but he took it too far when it came to his power/authority clout he wanted.

[TimeStandsStill]

Blagojevich Wants Tapes Played at Sentencing
11/25/11 @ 9:24:54 am


 CHICAGO (AP) - Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich wants to play previously sealed portions of wiretap recordings when he's sentenced next month. In a filing Thursday, Blagojevich's lawyers say he should be allowed to use parts of tapes from a federal investigation to argue that he deserves a lighter sentence. They say those parts were blocked from being played at trial.

A jury convicted Blagojevich earlier this year on corruption charges. Blagojevich's lawyers say those tapes will describe his state of mind and "lack of ill intent."  Blagojevich was retried this year and convicted on 17 of 20 charges, including attempted extortion for trying to sell or trade President Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat. Jurors at his first trial deadlocked on all but one count. A U.S. Attorney's spokesman declined to comment.
 
http://www.wjbdradio.com/?f=news_single&id=30169   

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Blago’s lawyers want hearing based on new John Wyma information
BY NATASHA KORECKI Federal Courts Reporter/ nkorecki@suntimes.com November 28, 2011 10:34AM
Updated: November 28, 2011 12:24PM



Rod Blagojevich’s lawyers are asking for a special hearing to discuss what they say is new information regarding a key witness at the former governor’s trial.

They are asking U.S. District Judge James Zagel for an evidentiary hearing regarding the testimony of onetime Blagojevich friend and lobbyist John Wyma, arguing they weren’t allowed to properly cross examine him at trial. It was Wyma’s cooperation in 2008 that led to FBI wiretaps against the now-convicted ex-governor.

In a weekend filing, lawyers questioned whether the government properly vetted information against Wyma that was provided by a cooperating Tony Rezko. Rezko, a onetime fund-raiser to Blagojevich convicted on 16 counts of corruption, was sentenced to 10 ½ years last week.

In filings regarding Rezko’s sentencing, Wyma’s cooperation with the government is discussed, including that Rezko told prosecutors that he tried to extract a campaign contribution through Wyma from Provena Health, whom Wyma represented as a lobbyist at the time.

Lawyers question whether bribery was involved when Provena was granted a certificate of need from an Illinois hospital board. Rezko told prosecutors in private sessions that Provena had a dispute with someone on the hospital board and resolved it by paying the board member, according to the Blagojevich defense filing. Prosecutors say the charge was unsubstantiated.

“Blagojevich did not have any knowledge about and was absolutely unaware of the Provena activities of Rezko and Wyma,” the filing says.

It says after Rezko gave the information to prosecutors, Wyma was hit with a subpoena.

“Shortly after Wyma received this grand jury subpoena, he agreed to be, and became, an informant for the government. This allowed the government to obtain a wiretap on Blagojevich’s telephones,” lawyers wrote.

After the taps were secured, Blagojevich’s lawyers said, prosecutors deemed Rezko’s information “not substantiated.”

“If the incriminating evidence against Wyma was not substantiated because it was not investigated, the government’s statement is misleading,” defense lawyers wrote.

Provena officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Blagojevich’s lawyer, Shelly Sorosky, said the new information was based on filings before Rezko’s sentencing, where both sides agree Rezko’s cooperation led the government to Wyma.

Prosecutors “never said Wyma cooperated with the government before, they said he just came in and did his duty. This is a potential Achilles heel in the whole case if it comes out later that the government promised not to go after Wyma if Wyma were an informant,” Sorosky said. “The question is: Was there a deal? Did Wyma agree to be an informant just to be a good citizen? Or did he get something in return?”

In his trial testimony, Wyma acknowledged it was the subpoena that made him talk to the feds. But prosecutors said at trial and in filings they could not substantiate Rezko’s claims involving Provena.

Wyma’s attorney, Zach Fardon, said the issues raised by the defense were already covered in Blagojevich’s trial.

“The government indicated during the trial they looked into these allegations and found them not to be true,” Fardon said. “John cooperated truthfully throughout the entire process including through the grand jury and with no preconditions. John did what he did without any promises from the government over what extent he’d be investigated and to what extent he’d be prosecuted.”

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/9114418-418/blagos-lawyers-want-hearing-based-on-new-john-wyma-information.html

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Judge denies Blagojevich request to hear new tapes
   
 
The Associated Press
Posted Nov 28, 2011 @ 04:21 PM
   
CHICAGO -- The federal judge who will sentence impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich on corruption charges has harsh words for one of the former governor's latest legal moves.

Judge James Zagel denied Blagojevich's request to have previously unreleased wiretap tapes played at his Dec. 6 sentencing. Blagojevich submitted a list of 180 tapes he would like to be allowed to play. Those tapes were excluded at his trial.

Zagel says he needs to know more about what Blagojevich wants to prove with the tapes. Zagel says he's being asked for his "blind approval."

Zagel also rips Blagojevich for making his request on Thanksgiving Day, which is typically reserved for emergency motions. He says that timing is "simply wrongful."

The judge scheduled a hearing Friday on another Blagojevich request.

http://www.sj-r.com/thedome/x1374759851/Judge-denies-Blagojevich-request-to-hear-new-tapes

[TimeStandsStill]

Prosecutors seek 15-20 years for Blagojevich: 'Nobody to blame but himself'
 
 
Tribune reporter
11:28 a.m. CST, November 30, 2011

Federal prosecutors today asked that former Gov. Rod Blagojevich be sentenced to 15 to 20 years in prison for his sweeping corruption conviction.

Blagojevich’s lawyers have long said they will seek probation for the former governor, who is due to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge James Zagel next Tuesday.

But in their 21-page filing, prosecutors say Blagojevich merits much harsher punishment because he "repeatedly committed serious criminal acts that have done enormous damage to public confidence in Illinois government. He has refused to accept any responsibility for his criminal conduct and, rather, has repeatedly obstructed justice and taken action to further erode respect for the law.

“While the government is not unsympathetic to the plight that Blagojevich, like many criminals, has inflicted upon his family through his criminal acts, Blagojevich has nobody to blame but himself for the criminal conduct in which he engaged.”

The sentencing memo highlights some of Blagojevich’s misdeeds, including his attempt to trade an appointment to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama for $1.5 million in campaign cash, his shakedown of a CEO of a children’s hospital for $25,000 and his stalling of a bill to help the state horse industry in an effort to earn another $100,000 in campaign contributions.

“Over the course of a relatively brief period of time, during his machinations surrounding the appointment of a United States Senator, and the shakedowns of hospital and racetrack executives, the defendant revealed his corrupt, criminal character,” prosecutors said. “But, as the evidence and Blagojevich’s conduct at his trials established, these were not isolated incidents. They were part and parcel of an approach to public office that defendant adopted from the moment he became governor in 2002.”

Prosecutors noted that Blagojevich was elected governor in 2002 on a platform to end “pay-to-play” politics and decried corruption following the conviction in 2006 of his predecessor, Gov. George Ryan.

The government quoted Blagojevich as saying at the time “that  no one is above the law” and “that government is supposed to exist for the good of the people, not the other way around, and certainly not for the personal enrichment of those who hold public office.”

Ryan is serving a 6 ½-year term in federal prison in Terre Haute.

A key part of the government argument for such a stiff prison sentence was to deter current and future public officials “from engaging in Blagojevich-like criminal activity.” The government cited other lengthy sentences meted out around the country against public officials in the last couple of years.

Prosecutors belittled the defense request for probation for Blagojevich, saying it shows his “continued failure to acknowledge his own criminal conduct.”

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-prosecutors-want-1520-years-for-blagojevich-20111130,0,4535135.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ChicagoBreakingNews+%28Chicago+Breaking+News%29

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Judge: Blagojevich sentencing will take two days, even if lawyers wrap up sooner
BY NATASHA KORECKI Federal Courts Reporter  nkorecki@suntimes.com December 2, 2011 1:18PM
Updated: December 2, 2011 1:50PM



Even though prosecutors and defense lawyers said Friday they can make their arguments in just one day and won’t need to a second day next week for convicted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s sentencing hearing, the judge in the case said he won’t impose a sentence on Tuesday and still plans to do that on Wednesday.

“I will not pass sentence on Tuesday, will not,” Zagel said at a hearing Friday.

Zagel had set aside Tuesday and Wednesday for Blagojevich’s sentencing hearing.

He told Blagojevich’s lawyers they won’t need to “cram everything in” on Tuesday.

Even after the lawyers wrap up their arguments regarding sentencing, the judge said he expects to have questions for them.

Zagel also denied Blagojevich’s last-ditch request to vacate his verdict based for reasons including that the former governor’s lawyers weren’t allowed to tell jurors that Blagojevich didn’t know that what he was doing was illegal. Zagel said he thought that argument was “inconsequential” since Blagojevich said more than once in his testimony that he thought what he was doing was legal.

Zagel read a lengthy statement regarding Blagojevich’s case, including the ex-governor’s repeated choice to publicize his case in the news media.

Zagel said he still believes that the ex-governor’s best shot at acquittal was by taking the witness stand.

Prosecutors are asking Zagel to give Blagojevich 15 to 20 years in prison.

Blagojevich’s lawyers are seeking probation for him.


http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/9202630-418/judge-blagojevich-sentencing-will-take-two-days-even-if-lawyers-wrap-up-sooner.html

[TimeStandsStill]

Wrong attitude could cost Blagojevich at sentencing
 
 
By MICHAEL TARM
The Associated Press
Posted Dec 03, 2011 @ 11:00 PM
Last update Dec 03, 2011 @ 11:05 PM
   
As Rod Blagojevich steps before a sentencing judge, the impeached Illinois governor might do well to suppress the cocksure, perpetual campaigner in him and conjure up a lesser-known figure: The humble, contrite family man.

Whether he can pull that off at the hearing beginning Tuesday may play a role in determining the sentence imposed for his 18 convictions, including that Blagojevich sought to auction off the Senate seat Barack Obama was vacating to become president.

The former governor has never wavered in insisting on his innocence, from his celebrity turns on national television to his gabby days on the witness stand. But even a hint of obstinacy in court could anger Judge James Zagel and scuttle any hopes Blagojevich harbors of a lesser sentence, according to legal experts and a former politician who faced the same dilemma. 

“You just can’t walk into your sentencing and say you’ve been railroaded. Forget about it. That time’s over,” said former Chicago city clerk Jim Laski, who was sentenced to two years in prison for corruption in 2006. “You darn well better walk in with a heavy heart, saying you made mistakes and that you accept the decision of a jury of your peers.” 

Most experts say Zagel is likely to sentence Blagojevich to around 10 years in prison. Much less would be seen as lenient. More than 10 would make the sentence one of the stiffest for corruption in Illinois’ long history of crooked politics. 

Blagojevich, 54, will likely go to a low-security prison. But his life will be strictly regimented and the father of two girls will be largely cut off from the outside world. He’ll also have to work a menial job — possibly janitorial work — at a wage of just 12 cents an hour. 

In requesting Blagojevich get between 15 and 20 years, prosecutors noted that he has shown no remorse and has even “belittled the seriousness of his offences.” 

Blagojevich’s lawyers countered that federal guidelines dictate Blagojevich get about 3 1/2 years to a little more than 4 years in prison, and argued for even less.

Defense lawyers say the twice-elected Democratic governor will address Zagel directly in court, but haven’t indicated just what he’ll say or who else could speak on his behalf in a hearing that the judge says will last into Wednesday.

There has been no hint the defense intends to strike a conciliatory tone. In challenging prosecutors’ proposed sentence, Blagojevich attorney Carolyn Gurland said it is “disconnected to the facts of this case . . . in which the initiative and action at issue were all perfectly legal.” 

An earlier filing also suggests Blagojevich may not accept any guilt. His attorneys asked to play unreleased FBI wiretap recordings at the sentencing that they claim show Blagojevich never had ill intent. Zagel rejected the request, which harkened to Blagojevich’s mantra since his Dec. 9, 2008, arrest — that if authorities only played all the recordings, they would clear him of wrongdoing. 

Gal Pissetzky, a federal defense attorney with no connection to the case, said he believes any show of defiance would be a mistake. “If you continue to shove it in the judge’s face by (insisting on) your innocence at sentencing, it takes away from your goal of less time in prison,” he said. 

Judges have enormous discretion in sentencing, and their decisions can come down to notions of what constitutes justice and deterrence.     

One bad omen for Blagojevich is that a different judge recently sentenced his former fundraiser, Tony Rezko, to 10 1/2 years for corruption. Observers say that increases the odds Blagojevich’s sentence will be longer.   

“Prosecutors are going to say, ‘Hey, Blagojevich was the grandmaster of all this — so he should certainly get even more time than Rezko,”’ said Phil Turner, a former federal prosecutor in Chicago.

Judges like to hear felons convey some remorse, but don’t necessarily expect a flat-out apology, said Turner. 

“An apology has to come across as sincere,” he said. “If you are clearly doing it just to keep the sentence down, it may have a boomerang effect. The judge might say, ‘You lied to me before and I can tell you are lying now.”’

Blagojevich’s decision to testify and profess his innocence at his retrial could also now count against him. In light of a jury’s guilty verdict, federal judges can and often do view the testimony as perjury and use it to justify a stiffer term. If Zagel agrees, that could add two or more years to Blagojevich’s sentence, Turner added. 

Another calculation is the degree of damage caused. The judge could conclude Blagojevich’s actions, especially in trying to exchange his power to appoint Obama’s replacement for campaign cash or a top job, struck at the foundation of democracy.   

Zagel, on the other hand, could note that Blagojevich never succeeded in pocketing money — unlike Rezko, who got more than $9 million, in part by squeezing cash from businessmen desperate to land state contracts. But Rezko was not an elected official, and that Blagojevich violated the public trust is seen as a major aggravating factor.

Some of those close to Blagojevich said they have no idea what demeanor he will assume before the judge. 

“It’s very hard for me re tredict what my brother’s going to say,” said Robert Blagojevich, who was a co-defendant during the first trial before prosecutors dropped charges against him. “He’s facing a very crucial juncture in his life, and I trust that he’ll use and exercise the best judgment he has when he speaks for himself.”

Robert Blagojevich, who lives in Tennessee, said he would not attend the sentencing.

Laski said he was a wreck on his own sentencing day. 

“There’s anxiety, fear — panic attacks. My hands were clammy. I had tears in my eyes,” he said. “No matter how you cut it, Blagojevich will be going away for a long time. He should be spending a lot of time praying right now.”   

http://www.sj-r.com/thedome/x1622886215/Wrong-attitude-could-cost-Blagojevich-at-sentencing

[TimeStandsStill]

Blagojevich's Lawyers Admit He's Guilty, But Says Don't Punish Him for State History
12/6/11 @ 4:40:32 pm


CHICAGO (AP) - Rod Blagojevich's attorneys are admitting for the first time that the former Illinois Governor is guilty of corruption, but attorney Sheldon Sorosky argued Tuesday at his sentencing hearing that the prison term requested by prosecutors is too harsh. Prosecutors have asked Blagojevich to be sentenced from 15-to-20 years for corruption charges.

Attorney Carolyn Gurland says she's worried the ousted Illinois governor will be treated more harshly by the judge because of the state's long history of political corruption. She says if Blagojevich gets the sentence prosecutors recommended for convictions including trying to sell President Barack Obama's old Senate seat, he would become the most severely punished public official in state history.

U.S. District Judge James Zagel is expected to sentence Blagojevich on 18-corruption charges Wednesday. He faces a 15-to-20 year sentence in prison, but could have faced 305-years in prison. Allegations of corruption started in 2004 during his time as Governor, and he was arrested on corruption charges in 2006 at his Chicago home. He was impeached in 2009 and convicted in June of this year on 18-counts of corruption after his first trial was declared a mistrial.

http://www.wjbdradio.com/index.php?f=news_single&id=30375

[me]

He just got 14 years...............

[Forevermah]

Yes, he got 14 and will do 85%  .. 11 yrs 9 months ...

[me]

By NBC News and the Associated Press
CHICAGO -

Update, 1:30 p.m. ET:

Judge sentences ousted Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich to 14 years in prison for corruption.

Update, 1:25 p.m. ET:

Judge Zagel says he is considering issuing a 12.5 to 15.5-year jail sentence, NBC reports.

Update, 1:20 p.m. ET:

Judge Zagel says "Blagojevich's staff did not march him down this criminal path. He marched them." He also says Blago's acceptance of responsibility will mean he will reduce his sentence, NBC News in Chicago reports. Sentence has not yet been handed down.

Update, 1 p.m. ET:

The court has been called back into session, NBC reports. Judge James Zagel has asked the defendant to rise so he can announce the sentence.

Update, 12:45 p.m. ET:

Before the court took 20-minute recess, Blagojevich told the judge, "I have nobody to blame but myself," reports NBC News. "I'm not blaming anybody. I realize I was mistaken. I realize the things that I thought were permissible were not."

Blagojevich also expressed remorse over the damage he's caused to his children.

My "kids have to face the fact that their father is a convicted felon," he said. "And it's not like their name is Smith. They can't hide."

Update, 12:20 p.m. ET:

Rod Blagojevich has told the judge at his sentencing hearing that he acknowledges his crimes and is "unbelievably sorry." He says the mistakes he's made have been "terrible mistakes."

The impeached Illinois governor spoke Wednesday as he waits to learn his punishment on charges that include trying to sell an appointment to President Barack Obama's old Senate seat.

Blagojevich's attorneys admitted for the first time Tuesday that he is guilty of corruption and accepts the verdicts against him, but said the sentence of 15 to 20 years prosecutors want is too harsh.

Original story (published at 12:02 p.m. ET):

CHICAGO - After all his claims of innocence and facing years in prison, Rod Blagojevich let his lawyers make an admission that he has so far avoided — that he is, in fact, guilty of public corruption.

The former Illinois governor will get a chance to do the same Wednesday, when he is scheduled to address the judge who will decide his sentence.

Judge James Zagel signaled Tuesday he may be prepared to impose a stiff prison sentence, saying he thinks Blagojevich lied when he told jurors he never tried to sell or trade an appointment to President Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat for campaign cash or a top job.

advertisementThroughout the first day of his two-day sentencing hearing, the impeached executive-turned-reality TV star known for his jocular personality was somber and ill-at-ease, staring down at the floor. His wife sobbed as a letter from their daughter was read begging Zagel not to send Blagojevich to prison.

The hearing was a stark contrast to the circus atmosphere around Blagojevich's trials on multiple counts of corruption.

The conciliatory tone came as something of a surprise — just days after defense filings that, as many times before, stridently declared Blagojevich's innocence and said he had been duped by aides but never intended to cross any lines into illegality.

Attorney Sheldon Sorosky told Zagel it was illegal for Blagojevich to ask for a job for himself in exchange for naming Obama's replacement in the Senate.

"There's no doubt this is a crime to do this in relation to the Senate seat, we accept that," he said. "I am just saying that does not call for a 15- to 20-year jail" term as prosecutors have requested.

Sorosky made the same argument when he talked about the other crimes for which Blagojevich was convicted: shaking down a racetrack executive and a hospital executive, as well as lying to the FBI.

At Tuesday's hearing, Blagojevich ringed his hands and pulled nervously at his fingers, pausing occasionally to sip on a plastic bottle of Cherry Coke. Legal experts believe Blagojevich needs to express remorse for his actions when addressing the judge Wednesday.

Zagel, who has said he'll pronounce a sentence Wednesday, said early on during Tuesday's hearing that Blagojevich was clearly the ringleader of the schemes for which he was convicted and that he lied about his actions on the witness stand. The judge made it clear he did not believe a suggestion made by defense attorneys that Blagojevich was duped by aides and advisers.

"There is no question from his tone of voice that he was demanding," Zagel said of Blagojevich's comments on phone conversations secretly recorded by the FBI. "His role as leader is clearly shown by his actions."

And in a harsh assessment of Blagojevich's performance on the witness stand, Zagel said the former governor was lying when he testified that he planned to appoint the state's attorney general to Obama's seat in a political deal that is legal.

"I think this is untrue," Zagel said. "I thought it was untrue when he said it and I think it is still untrue."

Defense to judge: Think of his family
Defense attorney Aaron Goldstein pleaded with the judge not to impose a lengthy prison sentence — not for Blagojevich's sake, but for that of his family. In an emotional few minutes before proceedings ended for the day, Goldstein said locking Blagojevich up for a long time would devastate his wife and two daughters.

When Goldstein began reading a letter to the judge from Blagojevich's older daughter, 15-year-old Amy, the former governor suddenly seemed to fight to maintain his composure, fidgeting with a pen, biting on his lip. An attorney turned to gently pat his shoulder.

advertisementAmy wrote that she needs her father for all the things that will happen in her life — graduation from high school, applying to college and when her heart gets broken. In another letter, Blagojevich's wife, Patti, asked Zagel to "please be merciful" and said the punishment her husband fears the most is not seeing his daughters grow up.

Zagel seemed engaged in what Goldstein was saying as he described Blagojevich as a father. Patti Blagojevich began sobbing, tears streaming down her cheeks, then dabbing her reddened face with a tissue. She closed her eyes tight, tears still rolling down her face, when Goldstein played a tape recording of a giddy Blagojevich calling his younger daughter, who is now 8, and putting on a high baby-like voice, saying "Hey Annie!"

A second defense attorney told the judge that Illinois history of political corruption shouldn't count against Blagojevich. Carolyn Gurland said it would be unfair to Blagojevich for Zagel to impose a tougher sentence because other Illinois politicians, including former Gov. George Ryan and U.S. Rep. Dan Rostenkowski, have been sent to prison for corruption.

"The law is clear that he should not be punished because of the history of corruption in Illinois," she said.

If Blagojevich gets the 15 to 20 years in prison, she said, he would become the most severely punished public official in state history.

Prosecutors say the twice-elected governor not only shirked all responsibility for his crimes but repeatedly thumbed his nose at the U.S. justice system. Blagojevich's attorneys have said he has already paid a price in public ridicule and financial ruin, and propose a term of just a few years.

Gurland also argued that Zagel should take into account the fact that Blagojevich did not "receive a single penny" in ill-gotten gains, unlike other politicians convicted of public corruption.

"Rod Blagojevich received nothing," she said, adding that Blagojevich was doing what politicians do by seeking campaign contributions and not "money stuffed into envelopes."

Blagojevich and his wife knew they were setting themselves up for ridicule by appearing on reality television shows, she said, but they did so to provide for their children. Blagojevich appeared on "Celebrity Apprentice," where he struggled to use a cellphone, and his wife ate a tarantula on the reality show, "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!"

Blagojevich's sentencing comes just days before his 55th birthday and three years to the week of his Dec. 9, 2008, arrest. The jury deadlocked in his first trial, agreeing on just one of 24 counts — that Blagojevich lied to the FBI. Jurors at his retrial convicted him on 17 of 20 counts, including bribery.

Among the court attendees Tuesday were more than a dozen jurors from both of Blagojevich's trials, including both foremen.

After sentencing, Zagel will likely give Blagojevich weeks before he must report to prison. Once there, the man heard scoffing on FBI wiretaps about earning a low six-figure salary would have to take a prison job — possibly scrubbing toilets — at just 12 cents an hour.

[Steadfast]

While I am not a fan of Blago's, I feel the sentence of 14 years was more than was necessary to punish him.  My L/O was also part of a high-profile case, and the judge admitted that he would have given him probation if it had not been for the media coverage (and the unstated fact he was up for re-election).  Sentences should be solely based on the crime committed, not the personality of the defendant, or the newspaper headlines.  It is hard to show remorse for a crime when you plan to file an appeal.  Any admission of guilt can be used against you in future litigation.  I think he should have received about 7 years max.  Again, the "throw the book at 'em" mentality of the American public and judicial system.

[me]

While I am not a fan of Blago's, I feel the sentence of 14 years was more than was necessary to punish him.  My L/O was also part of a high-profile case, and the judge admitted that he would have given him probation if it had not been for the media coverage (and the unstated fact he was up for re-election).  Sentences should be solely based on the crime committed, not the personality of the defendant, or the newspaper headlines.  It is hard to show remorse for a crime when you plan to file an appeal.  Any admission of guilt can be used against you in future litigation.  I think he should have received about 7 years max.  Again, the "throw the book at 'em" mentality of the American public and judicial system.

I agree with you 100%.  It all gets out of control when the media gets involved.

[TimeStandsStill]

Some doubt Blago sentence will deter corruption
Wednesday, December 7, 2011 3:00 pm

CHICAGO (AP) - Political analysts say they're not convinced that ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich's stiff 14-year sentence will deter others from engaging in public corruption.

Dick Simpson is a longtime political watcher and former Chicago alderman. He says he wasn't surprised by the sentence but doesn't think it will have a deterrent effect.

Simpson says many public officials and workers have been convicted of corruption, but many more just didn't get caught. And he says they're probably correct to assume they won't be.

David Morrison is deputy director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. He isn't sure what effect the Blagojevich sentence will have but says the problem with corruption might be that past sentences weren't severe enough.

Morrison says it seems judges are more willing "to throw the book at people."



http://thesouthern.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/some-doubt-blago-sentence-will-deter-corruption/article_614dac8c-2114-11e1-8fb3-001871e3ce6c.html#ixzz1ftUV3SHY

[JDsMom]

Neither do I LOL Not here in this state anyway!!!!!!!!!!

[veracity]

God I hate that word DETER!! It's the one BS aggravating factor every judge with a vendetta or dislike of a defendant falls back on when there is no other aggravating factor to send a person to prison.  In my opinion the entire theory is archaic and the scholarly discussions of how long prison sentences deter others are a huge crock of BS cause I don't see any studies showing that prison is a deterrent. They'd be empty instead of overcrowded. So we're all not out murdering everyone that pisses us off because we're scared of prison? Of course not. You are guided by your own moral compass which can be determined by lots of things. How you handle your ego, how you perceive risk vs reward, how you justify your behavior to yourself or others, religious views, what behavior is considered acceptable by current standards, etc. There isn't one politician or anyone contemplating a crime shaking in their boots tonight because Blago got a long sentence. I feel terrible for his wife and 2 daughters. I pray those girls get through their teenage years ok.

[mikenlisa]

Very well said.  Everyone has choices to make and I don't believe another person's actions can stop another from doing something wrong.  And I too pray for his family. They are truly the innocent ones in all of this madness.  Now, instead of being looked at as a politicians family member they are just a statistic, added to the growing number of children with a parent incarcerated within the United States.

[Steadfast]

I agree that nothing serves as a deterrent to crime or corruption.  Everyone thought the death penalty would be a big deterrent, and we all know how that turned out, with innocent people being executed and no substantial drop in the crime rate.  What will drop the crime rate is a drop in poverty and a surge in employment.  Locking up people for long amounts of time only serves to make the public "feel" safe, but when those angry, unskilled criminals get out, there is nothing for them to do but return to a life of crime.  It is a vicious cycle and no one is winning, not the public or the inmate. 

[TimeStandsStill]

Blagojevich gets extra month before prison term
 
By NOMAAN MERCHANT
The Associated Press
Posted Dec 13, 2011 @ 01:45 PM
Last update Dec 13, 2011 @ 01:50 PM
   
CHICAGO -- Ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich will have one extra month of freedom before he starts a 14-year prison sentence for a series of corruption charges, a federal judge said Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge James Zagel agreed to let Blagojevich report to prison March 15. The former governor had been previously ordered to begin serving his sentence Feb. 16.

Zagel also agreed to recommend that Blagojevich be sent to the Englewood low-security federal prison facility in Littleton, Colo. Federal prison officials have the final say on where Blagojevich will be placed.

Blagojevich's attorneys asked for the extra time before he reports because they said he expected to sell his family's home in Chicago soon. The home has been on the market for several months, and its listing price was recently reduced.

They said Blagojevich wanted to help his family move into a new home before he goes to prison.

Blagojevich's attorneys would n ot say why he wanted to go to a prison about 1,000 miles away from Chicago. His predecessor, former Illinois Gov. George Ryan, who was convicted of racketeering and fraud, is serving his sentence in nearby Terre Haute, Ind.

Blagojevich's attorney Sheldon Sorosky would only say that the former governor made the decision. "That was his personal choice," Sorosky said. "I don't know why he chose it."

Normally, prison officials try to place inmates within 500 miles of their family to make visits easier, Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesman Chris Burke said.

Sorosky said the family had "absolutely no plans" to move to Colorado if Blagojevich is sent there.

Burke said federal prison officials would not disclose where Blagojevich is headed until he arrives at prison.

Blagojevich, who turned 55 on Dec. 10, was convicted of 18 counts, including charges that he tried to sell or trade the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama for campaign cash o r a high-paying job. Blagojevich was also convicted of trying to shake down hospital and racetrack executives for campaign donations, and of lying to the FBI.

Zagel gave Blagojevich a sentence close to the 15 to 20 years sought by prosecutors. Blagojevich's attorneys asked for a lesser sentence, and he repeatedly apologized at his sentencing hearing for what he called "terrible mistakes."

"I caused it all. I'm not blaming anybody," Blagojevich said in court. "I was the governor and I should have known better and I am just so incredibly sorry."

According to federal rules, felons must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence a judge imposes, meaning that Blagojevich wouldn't be eligible for early release until he serves nearly 12 years.

http://www.sj-r.com/thedome/x405442193/Blagojevich-ordered-to-report-to-prison-March-15

[TimeStandsStill]

Lawyer asks judge to endorse Blagojevich for rehab
 
BY NOMAAN MERCHANT, The Associated Press thesouthern.com | Posted: Wednesday, December 14, 2011 4:00 pm

CHICAGO (AP) - Rod Blagojevich's attorneys have asked to have him placed in a drug rehab program when he starts his 14-year prison sentence for corruption, though they aren't saying if the former Illinois governor has a problem or if it's a legal move.

Judge James Zagel agreed Tuesday to recommend Blagojevich for the program. Neither Zagel nor Blagojevich's attorneys detailed why he would be eligible. Blagojevich and his legal team have not publicly identified any problems with drug abuse during the three years since his arrest in December 2008.

One attorney for Blagojevich declined to comment about the request, and other attorneys did not return phone messages.

The request could be a move to cut time off his sentence. Prisoners in the federal residential drug abuse program generally live apart from other inmates, work fewer hours and are eligible for up to a year in reduced prison time.

Federal prison officials get the final say on whether an inmate can enter the program.

Gal Pissetzky, a veteran defense attorney who has closely followed the Blagojevich case, said he's had many clients ask to join the drug rehab program or others.

"They always try to get some type of a program," he said.

Blagojevich faces 14 years in prison after being convicted of 18 corruption related counts, including charges that he tried to sell or trade the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama. He was also convicted of trying to shake down hospital and racetrack executives and of lying to the FBI.

Under federal prison guidelines, Blagojevich would normally have to serve 85 percent of his sentence - almost 12 years - before he could be considered for early release.

Before any inmate can enter the program, prison officials look for evidence that the inmate has problems with substance abuse, Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesman Chris Burke said. Typically, evidence of a problem before a person's arrest - from medical records to a statement from a doctor about treatment - carries more weight than a problem reported afterward, he said.

A sentence reduction is intended as an incentive to motivate inmates to complete the program and get better, Burke said.

"We're looking for anybody trying to game the system and trying to get that year off," he said.

Judges usually use the results of a pre-sentence investigation - which typically includes details about any drug or alcohol use - to make a recommendation, though federal prison officials will make their own findings before a decision, Pissetzky said. Pre-sentence investigations remain under seal and are unavailable to the public.

Inmates in the drug abuse program undergo treatment classes and other requirements, Burke said.

At the request of Blagojevich's attorneys, Zagel also agreed Tuesday to recommend Blagojevich for the low-security Englewood prison in Littleton, Colo., near Denver. About 60 inmates out of about 800 are in the residential drug abuse program, Englewood spokesman John Sell said.

Blagojevich is scheduled to report to prison March 15. Zagel on Tuesday gave Blagojevich an extra month before his sentence starts so he could help his family move into a new home.



http://thesouthern.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/lawyer-asks-judge-to-endorse-blagojevich-for-rehab/article_f91a6fee-269d-11e1-a3fd-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz1gYXqGoD8

[veracity]

What a crappy system of justice we now have. Forget the courthouse. It all happens in the "court of public opinion". Too many people still supporting Blago so they have to feed the media more distorted crap and then the press sensationalizes it even more. It's a substance abuse program and that substance is probably alcohol. But all they latched onto was the drug part of the program and now they got more crap to talk about. They're doing the same thing to Peterson and every other high profile case. No matter what anyone thinks about the Peterson case the fact is the man has been locked up for years without a trial much less a conviction and now there's a movie coming out about it. Sure the jury will say they never saw it or heard about it. Just like none of them ever use the internet. They fed the media BS in my son's 1st trial when the jury wasn't present of course. But the media published that lie and it led to the conviction in the second trial. The second jury had to right the wrong of the 1st jury just like they did in Blago's case. Ain't nothing fair about any of it!

[TimeStandsStill]

Blagojevich Said To Be 'Ripe' For Drug Program
12/15/11 @ 9:41:06 am


CHICAGO (AP) - A probation report says ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich may be a "ripe candidate" for a drug treatment program in prison.   That's according to defense attorney Sheldon Sorosky, who says he doesn't know what Blagojevich said to a probation officer to lead to that conclusion.
 
Judge James Zagel has agreed to recommend Blagojevich for a drug treatment program when he starts his 14-year prison sentence for corruption in March.   Sorosky tells the Chicago Sun-Times that there's documentation Blagojevich has a history of drug abuse, but he didn't elaborate.   No one has revealed why Blagojevich would be eligible for the drug program.
 
The request could be a move to cut time off his sentence. Prisoners in the program are eligible for up to a year in reduced time.

http://www.wjbdradio.com/index.php?f=news_single&id=30537

[TimeStandsStill]

Blagojevich ruled ineligible for state pension
 
By CHRIS WETTERICH
The State Journal-Register
Posted Dec 08, 2011 @ 11:00 PM
Last update Dec 09, 2011 @ 05:31 AM
   
Disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich has forfeited his $64,000 annual state pension because all 17 of his felony convictions stem from his time as governor, Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a legal opinion issued Thursday.

Blagojevich, a Democrat, would be eligible to start collecting his pension on Saturday, his 55th birthday. State law allows the pension of convicted felons whose crimes involved their office to be revoked and the contributions refunded. He served four years in the legislature and six as governor.

“It is beyond dispute that Blagojevich’s convictions related to, arose out of, and were in connection with his service as governor,” Madigan wrote. “…Blagojevich repeatedly misused his position as governor in an effort to obtain financial benefits for himself, his wife and his political campaign committee.”

The General Assembly Retirement System, of which Blagojevich is a member, recently asked for the opinion, according to state Rep. Kevin McCarthy, D-Orland Park, a member of the GARS board of trustees.

“We anticipated Rod's 55th birthday coming up,” McCarthy said, adding that the board did not want Blagojevich to start collecting benefits as former Gov. George Ryan did while the issue was being decided. Ryan also collected retirement benefits before he was charged and convicted of corruption.

The board will not vote to revoke Blagojevich's pension unless he applies for it, McCarthy said.

“If he applies for it, we’d vote whether to allow it or revoke it. He has to apply before there’s a reason to do it," McCarthy said. "It would be kind of a fruitless effort on his part."

Madigan’s opinion said that Blagojevich should forfeit his entire pension, not just the part he obtained credit for while governor.

Ryan lost a case before the Illinois Supreme Court in 2010 in which he argued that he should receive a pension for his years in the Illinois House and as lieutenant governor. None of the crimes of which he was convicted were during his time in the two offices.

There is one difference between Ryan and Blagojevich. Ryan's time in the retirement system was without a break. Blagojevich served six years in the U.S. House between his time in the legislature and when he served as governor.

The attorney general did not address why his break in service while in GARS would not provide Blagojevich a legal loophole to try to exploit. If his House service were to be separated from his governorship for pension purposes, he would not be eligible for that annuity until age 62.

Blagojevich will be eligible for a congressional pension of $14,837 a year when he is 62 years old.

http://www.sj-r.com/thedome/x1719674065/Blagojevich-ruled-ineligible-for-state-pension

[TimeStandsStill]

Source: Rod Blagojevich ‘can’t sleep without drinking’
By MICHAEL SNEED msneed@suntimes.com December 15, 2011 11:44PM
Updated: December 16, 2011 2:18AM



The Blago Beat ...

Hmmmm. Is former Gov. Rod Blagojevich actually addicted to a substance requiring a prison rehab program?

A top Blago source tells Sneed the answer is “Yes” and the substance is . . . alcohol.

“It’s not drugs,” said the source.

◆ The backshot: “Rod can’t sleep without drinking,” the source said. “So he drinks himself into a condition to do so, and it became an addiction. Considering what he has been through for the past few years, it became a problem. He’s not addicted to sleeping pills or anything like that.”

◆ Fact: Federal Judge James Zagel, the judge who sentenced him to 14 years in jail on corruption charges, has also recommended a prison rehab program.

◆ Fact check: Considering good behavior, Blago would serve 12 of his 14 years; then subtract another year for going through the nine-month rehab program. He’d also serve the last six months of his sentence in a halfway house.

◆ Translation: Blago could be out of prison in 101/2 years.

The Blago Beat II ...

Is it ironic or intentional that Blagojevich’s new prison date March 15 is the infamous “Ides of March,” the day Julius Caesar was assassinated?

The Blago Beat III ...

Hair scare: Blago’s legendary coif will not cost him the $35 fee from his friendly barber, Peter Vodovoz, if he goes to Colorado’s Englewood federal prison. Haircuts are free. The inmate barbers are paid 12 to 27 cents an hour. No hair dryers permitted.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/sneed/9445867-452/source-rod-blagojevich-cant-sleep-without-drinking.html

[TimeStandsStill]

Our Opinion: Blagojevich trying to game the system?   
By Anonymous
The State Journal-Register
Posted Dec 16, 2011 @ 07:00 AM
   
Not even the world’s most accomplished writers of fiction could make this stuff up.

Former governor and convicted felon Rod Blagojevich now claims, through his attorneys, that he may be in need of a residential drug abuse program, which the court should keep in mind as it decides where to send him to federal prison. They did not identity the specific substance, but to be eligible, Illinois’ one-time CEO would have to document a pattern of addiction in the 12 months prior to his arrest in December 2008.

Conveniently, Blagojevich’s preferred choice of future federal housing — at a corrections facility near Denver, Colo. — has just such a program. And coincidentally, the request comes at the same time fellow felon and former gubernatorial aide — to George Ryan — Scott Fawell told the Chicago Tribune that he was able to shave a year off his 6 1/2-year sentence by participating in the treatment offered by the Yankton, S.D. facility where he did his time. Blagojevich is looking at 14 years, though he could get out in 12.

Of course, to think that Blagojevich was high during the time he was trying to shake down a children’s hospital for campaign cash or attempting to sell a U.S. Senate seat — and betraying many of his actions in phone conversations he suspected were being taped — would explain quite a lot. And no one should discount the potentially addictive effects of inhaling all that hair spray the impeached former governor used on that finely coiffed noggin of his. Alas, there was no mention of any such handicap during either of his trials.

Just when you thought the buffoonery could not possibly rise to a higher level, well, let’s just say that Rod Blagojevich really is world class at something.

Meanwhile, it has been troubling to hear some of the governor’s apologists come crawling out of the woodwork, insisting the sentence was too harsh, that his were victimless crimes, etc. They should tell that to the parents of severely handicapped children whose public-supported services have been cut to the bone or eliminated altogether, or those waiting on payment for work they did for the state a year ago, or all those Illinois citizens who in effect pay a corruption tax to a state government where far too often precious revenues get wasted by going to the connected rather than the competent. That’s money that does not go into classrooms or prisons or pensions but somebody’s pockets. Corruption does, in fact, injure real people. Just because a crime is described as “white collar” does not mean it isn’t a violent one.

Maybe the folks who think Blagojevich is getting a raw deal should be seeking treatment, too.

http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x1761816941/Our-Opinion-Blagojevich-trying-to-game-the-system

[TimeStandsStill]

Blago lawyers seek new trial, allege jury foreperson broke court rules
BY STEVE WARMBIR Staff Reporter/swarmbir@suntimes.com December 16, 2011 6:54PM
Updated: December 16, 2011 8:51PM



Defense attorneys for convicted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich are asking a federal judge for an emergency hearing to find out if the jury foreperson broke court rules and improperly has a copy of her own questionnaire.

If so, Blagojevich deserves a new trial, his defense attorneys argue. Citing media reports, the defense lawyers contend that the foreperson, Connie Wilson, of Naperville, recently made a presentation to students at a high school in Aurora, in which she referenced the questionnaire she and other potential jurors had to fill out.

The defense attorneys, in a motion filed Friday, note that no one was able to obtain copies of the sealed, filled-out questionnaires and want Wilson to be questioned under oath about it.

It is not clear from the news accounts, however, whether Wilson has her own filled-out questionnaire or a blank one, which is readily available.

Wilson could not be reached for comment Friday.

Blagojevich was sentenced earlier this month to 14 years in prison for corruption and is expected to report to prison March 15. His defense team argues in the motion that two jurors were dismissed for rule violations, and the court needs to determine if Wilson violated rules as well.

In general, however, the defense faces an extremely high hurdle in getting a new trial because of a juror’s actions or public statements after the jury has announced its verdict in a criminal case.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/9488762-418/blago-lawyers-seek-new-trial-allege-jury-foreperson-broke-court-rules.html

[TimeStandsStill]

Judge slams Blagojevich lawyer for 'harebrained' motion

 
The Associated Press
Posted Dec 19, 2011 @ 10:32 AM
Last update Dec 19, 2011 @ 12:18 PM
    
CHICAGO -- A federal judge has denied what he called a "harebrained" motion by Rod Blagojevich's lawyers over what they claimed was potential misconduct by the foreman at his corruption retrial.

Judge James Zagel threatened Monday to sanction the attorney who drafted the motion for the impeached Illinois governor, who was convicted of charges including that he tried to sell President Barack Obama's old Senate seat.

Blagojevich's team asked Zagel to investigate whether the jury foreman violated the judge's orders by possessing a questionnaire from the retrial and using it in at least one public presentation

The motion had sought a new trial if court rules were violated. Attorney Lauren Kaeseberg said later she would've been remiss by not filing it.

Blagojevich begins his 14-year sentence in March.

 

http://www.sj-r.com/thedome/x2019336444/Judge-slams-Blagojevich-lawyer-for-harebrained-motion

[TimeStandsStill]

Article updated: 12/19/2011 1:05 PM
Judge: Blago lawyers to 'apologize' to Naperville juror

By Kerry Lester

A federal judge gave convicted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's legal team a tongue-lashing Monday morning for submitting a motion suggesting a suburban juror's actions violated court rules.

Judge James Zagel suggested lawyers Aaron Goldstein and Lauren Kaesberg write a “letter of apology” to jury forewoman Connie Wilson of Naperville.

 “How you could have concluded,” Zagel said, “that the juror was lawfully restricted (from sharing information about her jury questionnaire) is just beyond my imagination.”

Blagojevich lawyer filed an emergency motion Friday, following news reports in the Daily Herald and other media of Wilson speaking to students at Metea Valley High School in Aurora.

In the motion, attorneys claim Wilson engaged in misconduct for showing what they believe are copies of her juror questionnaire to students. Questionnaires, the motion states, are property of the court, and must remain “confidential and under seal.”

If Wilson did, in fact, have a copy of her questionnaire, Blagojevich's lawyers said she has violated a rule of court “so severe” that “her violations must result in a new trial.”

Blagojevich, convicted on corruption charges that include trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama, was sentenced to 14 years in prison Dec. 7.

Wilson and her family have so far declined to comment.

Neither Blagojevich nor Wilson were in attendance.

http://dailyherald.com/article/20111219/news/712199858/

[Dazzler]

These are all legal manuevers designed to get Blago an appeal...the attorneys are doing what they are supposed to do  in order to pursue this issue...this Judge Zagel has never been very unbiased as far as this case is concerned.  He's made a lot of bad decisions and never really gave Blago a chance to attempt to disprove the Feds' case against him....Zagel isn't going to rule in favor of Blago when he's trying to show that Zagel is an ass of a judge...

[TimeStandsStill]

Blagojevich’s Lawyers File Notice Of Appeal
December 20, 2011 8:09 PM
  
 
CHICAGO (CBS) – Rod Blagojevich’s defense attorneys have officially taken the first step toward an appeal of the former governor’s conviction on 18 corruption counts.

In a filing Tuesday evening, defense attorneys notified the U.S. Court of Appeals that the intend to appeal Blagojevich’s conviction and 14-year prison sentence.

The filing is only the first step in a lengthy process and does not go into detail about the basis for the appeal. After filing such a notice, defense attorneys will file a lengthy formal appeal detailing any errors they believe led to a conviction. They typically also have trial transcripts, evidence and other documents transferred to the appeals court before a full hearing can be held.

Blagojevich was convicted this summer on 17 conviction counts after a second trial, including allegations he tried to sell an appointment to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama in 2008. Blagojevich’s first trial resulted in only one conviction, lying to the FBI, as jurors were deadlocked on all other counts against him.

Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge James Zagel sentenced Blagojevich to 14 years in prison.

The former governor’s lawyers have been laying the groundwork for an appeal since the early stages of the first trial, filing multiple requests for a mistrial or new trial, arguing Zagel’s rulings were biased and deprived Blagojevich of a fair trial.

For example, the defense has argued the judge prevented Blagojevich from playing tapes of FBI wiretap recordings that would have proved his innocence and prevented him from being able to adequately testify in his own defense at his retrial.

The former governor is scheduled to report to prison on March 15. Although he could seek to stay free on an appeal bond while he takes his case to a higher court, legal analysts have said it’s unlikely such a request would be granted.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/12/20/blagojevichs-lawyers-file-notice-of-appeal/

[TimeStandsStill]

Blagojevich No. 1 Illinois story of 2011


The Associated Press
Posted Dec 27, 2011 @ 01:11 AM
    
CHICAGO — Rod Blagojevich may be bound for prison, where his name will eventually fade from the headlines, but the spotlight-loving former governor may take a kind of solace in knowing he tops The Associated Press' list of Illinois news stories for 2011.

His retrial conviction and sentencing for attempting to auction off President Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat and other corruption crimes was the near-unanimous choice as the year's No. 1 story in the AP's annual survey of its Illinois member editors and staff.

Finishing second was former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel's election as Chicago's first new mayor in more than two decades. The historic enactment of civil unions came in third.

A February blizzard that walloped Illinois, shutting down Chicago's Lake Shore Drive for days, was fourth. Right behind were the deadbeat Illinois government's failure once again to pay billions in overdue bills and the income tax hike signed into law by Gov. Pat Quinn. And rounding out the list were Oprah Winfrey's departure from Chicago and the first murder trial for Nicholas Sheley, who's accused of eight murders in Illinois and Missouri.

But no story seemed to shock and amuse, disgust and captivate, in quite the same way as the impeached governor's legal saga.

A jury convicted him of wide-ranging corruption charges in June. That was followed in early December by his sentencing hearing, during which the ex-governor with the outsized personality and hair to match did something many thought he would never do: Say "I'm sorry."

U.S. District Judge James Zagel responded by handing the Democrat a 14-year prison sentence — one of the stiffest terms ever imposed for corruption in Illinois. News outlets statewide ran photos of a visibly shaken Blagojevich leaving court and returning home to his two young daughters with his tearful wife, Patti.

Blagojevich's fall from grace has taken the No. 1 slot in the top ten list for three years in a row, dating back to his ouster as governor. Illinoisans who have grown weary of his story now may be glad to see him off the front pages and consigned to history books, including one member editor who left him off the Top Story list altogether.

While the ex-governor provided the biggest media spectacle in 2011, other news in the top ten arguably had more immediate impact on people's lives.

A wave of ceremonies across Illinois followed the enactment in June of the civil unions legislation, which provided gay and lesbian couples many of the rights and legal protections of marriage, including the right to inherit their partner's property.

Attending one ceremony in Chicago on June 2, Quinn endeavored to put the civil unions legislation in historical perspective, saying, "This was one of the most important bills that Illinois has passed in anyone's memory."

The state's failure once again to pay billions of dollars in overdue bills affected hundreds of vendors and service providers across the state — from ambulance operators to aircraft repairmen — forcing some companies to borrow money or cut staff to make ends meet. In a joint project, the AP-Illinois and member newspapers turned a floodlight on the state's systematic failure to pay the bills as a budget balancing mechanism.

A change in tax rates may have directly affected a greater number of Illinoisans than any other event in 2011. To help plug the state's budget hole, Quinn signed legislation in January increasing the personal tax rate to 5 percent, up from 3 percent. That means someone who previously owed the state $1,000 in taxes will now pay $1,666.

As she's inclined to do, Mother Nature also made big news.

A fearsome storm dumped some 20 inches of snow on parts of the state, prompting the first declared snow days for Chicago Public Schools in 12 years and grounding planes. It also stranded hundreds of cars on the city's iconic Lake Shore Drive — images which drew national attention in the waning months of Mayor Richard Daley's 22 years in office.

Stories rounding out the top ten included the abolition of the death penalty, which came in seventh. Quinn signed legislation in March abolishing capital punishment, and he simultaneously commuted the sentences of 15 men on death row to life in prison without parole.

The struggling Illinois economy took the eighth spot. The state's economy muddled along, like most of the rest of the country. But Illinois saw more unemployment than many states, with a jobless rate that hovered stubbornly around 10 percent.

The departure from Chicago of the queen of TV talk shows, Winfrey, made the list at No. 9.

Over 25 years, her Chicago-based "The Oprah Winfrey Show" featured around 30,000 guests in some 4,500 episodes — in TV that reflected and defined American culture along the way. Winfrey taped her last shows in spring, pulled up her stakes and left Chicago.

At No. 10 on the AP's list was the first trial of Sheley, who is accused of a killing spree in two states.

It took more than three years for Sheley to finally face a jury, but it took jurors less than an hour of deliberations in September to convict him in the 2008 beating death of 93-year-old Ronald Randall. Sheley still faces charges in the seven other deaths.

Other news that garnered votes included Quinn's veto of gambling-expansion legislation, the induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame of Chicago Cubs great Ron Santo, the conviction of longtime Illinois powerbroker William Cellini on corruption charges and the murder conviction of Christopher Coleman in southern Illinois for strangling to death his wife and their two sons in 2009.

http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1980200574/Blagojevich-No-1-Illinois-story-of-2011

[TimeStandsStill]

Rod Blagojevich’s Facebook message: Happy New Year, we will persevere
Updated: January 2, 2012 2:09AM



Rod Blagojevich, scheduled to report to federal prison this year after being sentenced to 14 years for corruption while governor, wished his supporters a happy new year on his wife’s Facebook page Sunday.

“Patti and I want to wish all of you a Happy New Year. We want to thank you for your unwavering support, for your good wishes, for your prayers and for your continued belief in me. I cannot properly express to you how much your support means to us.

“These are dark and extremely challenging times for our family. Patti, Amy, Annie and I draw strength from the love we have for each other. Your friendship and support makes us stronger and helps us feel less alone.

“Despite the adversity we face, we look to the New Year with hope. We are filing an appeal. And we trust in it. We will endure and we will persevere. Our resolve is strong because of our belief in the truth and because of our faith in God. Happy New Year and God bless you. Rod.”

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/9760064-452/rod-blagojevichs-facebook-message-happy-new-year-we-will-persevere.html

[Angela]

BOLD !!

[TimeStandsStill]

Portion Of Blagojevich Pension Contributions Going To Family
Posted on March 1, 2012 by WUIS - Your Source for News

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich will have $107,367 from his pension to give his wife and daughters as he heads off to prison later this month.
U.S. District Judge James Zagel has ordered Illinois to turn over $21,800 from Blagojevich’s $129,167.86 in state retirement plan contributions to satisfy a $20,000 fine and $1,800 in court costs levied when the Democrat was sentenced on a corruption conviction.
After Blagojevich in December received a 14 year sentence, Attorney General Lisa Madigan issued an opinion that the ex-governor couldn’t collect a state pension. Blagojevich is eligible for the pension he earned during six years in Congress.
Blagojevich was sentenced on 18 corruption-related counts, including charges that he tried to sell or trade the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama.

http://wuisnews.wordpress.com/2012/03/01/portion-of-blagojevich-pension-contributions-going-to-family/

[TimeStandsStill]

Blagojevich to Speak Day Before Prison
3/9/12 @ 1:29:16 pm


CHICAGO (AP) - A spokesman for ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich says the Illinois Democrat will deliver a statement in public outside his Chicago home one day before he begins serving a 14-year prison sentence for corruption. In a news release Friday, spokesman Glenn Selig says Blagojevich "never considered 'sneaking' out of Chicago" without saying goodbye. Selig says the statement will happen Wednesday afternoon, at a time to be announced. He says Blagojevich won't answer questions.

A federal judge ordered the 55-year-old to report to prison next Thursday. Since his December sentencing, Blagojevich hasn't granted interviews. His attorneys say he wants to enter prison "with dignity" and without media frenzy. That had fueled speculation he could leave Chicago days in advance to escape local media.
 
http://www.wjbdradio.com/?f=news_single&id=32209
 
 

[Angela]

 Rod Blagojevich heading to prison

 Blagojevich puts on one last show

 Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich: A glimpse of his prison life to come
 
6:51 a.m. CDT, March 15, 2012
Amid a crush of media and well-wishers, ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich left his Ravenswood Manor home on the North Side early this morning for a prison cell in Colorado.

"Saying goodbye is the hardest thing I've ever had to do," Blagojevich told a crowd of reporters and cameras around 6 a.m. "I'll see you guys soon."

Then, with television helicopters in tow, the former governor took off for O'Hare International Airport for a flight to Colorado, where he will begin serving a 14-year sentence as federal inmate 40892-424.

The one-time golden boy of Illinois politics with a penchant for television cameras is expected to report to a Colorado prison by 2 p.m. to begin his 14-year prison term on corruption charges, marking the state's second governor in a row to be sent to prison for corruption.

[Pamalynn]

Guilty/not guilty - I don't care. I know how hard it was for me to have my husband sentenced and taken away on a 4+ year sentence. We did it privately. I feel so much empathy for his family & him for having to go through this very difficult day publicly.

[TimeStandsStill]

I feel for his wife and kids but the former governor isn't exactly camera shy....

[Forevermah]

The media is to blame too, if they would just STOP ... sick of seeing it all anymore and last night Fox Chicago, even went after his little girl playing outside.. They need to just back off and let the family alone now!!!!!

[Angela]

We as Adults are suppose to Lead by Example, and to be honest the X- Former Governor isn't setting a good example for his child. It is a very sad situation and the children are the ones that suffer from the parents bad choices.

And I would love for someone to please tell me HOW a person could a person live with someone
(be Married to) and not know anything about what is happening in their household /their Loved Ones
Life? I'm not 100% sure she didn't know what was happening.

Come on........ NOW!

I hardly doubt that they are feeling for my LO who is incarcerated for a DUI and yet what Rod B did was just as bad ,as he in the Federal Penitentiary and will be in better living conditions that what our LO's are in. Our Local TV station sent a reporter to Colorado and it just said that Rod was High Five-ing the inmates last night at the chow hall. Seems he is adapting better than what people thought he would.


Please do not take offense to my post I am merely making a statement.

I do agree he is gone let it go......... and focus on improving the State Prisons.

[Forevermah]

Don't know if he is going to have it easier that some of the prisons here, they said it get's VERY VERY hot there in the summer and there is no air conditioning, a guard they were  interviewing said it's a miserable there during the summer, much like some of our prisons here, to me any prison anytime is a miserable time period  .. Come on, no prison is a picnic, I don't care how much anyone says they might be a camp cupcake, it's still prison!

He is going to have to watch his back no matter where he is once he is settled and we all know he will learn that quickly!

[Angela]

                                       FUNNY Mah Camp Cupcake        .


                      You crack me up..... I got to go to work Have a great Day. Angela

[Steadfast]

Prison is prison, even staying in the presidental suite at the Ritz would be punishment if you never got to leave it for 14 years. Whenever one of my friends makes a remark about how "easy" people have it in prison, I suggest they lock themselves in their laundry rooms or walk in closets for one week and only eat canned dog food.  That shuts them up.

[TimeStandsStill]

Blagojevich Ex-Chief of Staff Gets 10-Day Sentence
3/28/12 @ 5:53:21 pm


CHICAGO (AP) - A judge has sentenced Rod Blagojevich's former chief of staff to 10 days in prison for helping his old boss attempt to sell President Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat. John Harris' sentencing came Wednesday at federal court in Chicago - two weeks after the former Illinois governor reported to a Colorado prison to begin serving a 14-year prison term on related charges.

Harris pleaded guilty in a 2010 plea agreement to conspiracy to commit bribery. He faced up to five years. Blagojevich fought the charges against him in the media and courts until his imprisonment. The 50-year-old Harris began cooperating just days after both men were arrested at their homes on Dec. 9, 2008. His cooperation included testifying against Blagojevich. The same U.S. district judge, James Zagel, sentenced both men.

http://www.wjbdradio.com/?f=news_single&id=32584

[TimeStandsStill]

Patti Blagojevich on husband’s prison sentence: ‘What planet’ are we on?
April 2, 2012 7:58PM
Updated: April 3, 2012 2:13AM



Fourteen years in prison for Rod Blagojevich.

Ten days in prison for his former chief of staff.

Same corruption case. Same judge.

“How do you explain that to your children?” Patti Blagojevich asked on her Facebook page.

In a recent Facebook posting, Illinois’ former first lady says she “can’t help but wonder what planet we are on” where one person gets ten days and another 5,110 days.

U.S. District Judge James Zagel last week sentenced former Blagojevich chief of staff John Harris on one count of conspiracy to commit bribery for helping Blagojevich try to sell President Barack Obama’s vacated Senate seat.

Zagel cited Harris’ decision to cooperate with prosecutors, including testifying at Blagojevich’s two trials. In addition brief prison term, Zagel sentenced Harris to two years of supervised release and a $1,000 fine.

Blagojevich faced more numerous allegations, and jurors eventually convicted him of 18 counts

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/11681989-418/patti-blagojevich-on-husbands-prison-sentence-what-planet-are-we-on.html