"Blagojevich retrial scheduled for January" by Associated Press | August 27, 2010
CHICAGO — Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich is set to go back on trial in early January, but he will stand alone as a defendant this time after prosecutors dismissed all corruption charges against his brother yesterday.
US District Court Judge James Zagel said Blagojevich’s retrial will start the week of Jan. 4. Jurors deadlocked last week on all but one of 23 charges against the former governor and on four charges against his brother....
Some jurors said the panel was close to acquitting Robert. A few said they did not want to see him retried....
Robert Blagojevich worked as his brother’s campaign manager for only four months in 2008. The Republican had been a successful banker and retired Army officer living in Nashville with his wife, but said he went to work for the Democratic governor out of a sense of brotherly love.
Testifying at the trial, he denied allegations that he helped his brother scheme to benefit from his public office. Another witness, pointing out Robert’s relative lack of importance in the campaign, said his desk was the corner of a conference table and faced a sink.
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Related: Blagojevich Jury Seeing Government Set-Up?
Blago Beats Crack Government Prosecutor
And the hero of the case:
"Holdout juror airs her side of the story; Defends role in Blagojevich case" by Michael Tarm and Don Babwin, Associated Press | August 28, 2010
CHICAGO — As attorneys and defendants scanned jurors faces for favorable signs during Rod Blagojevich’s corruption trial, most couldn’t get a read on the pokerfaced grandmother at the far end of the jury box taking meticulous notes.
JoAnn Chiakulas, a retired state employee, turned out to be the lone holdout standing in the way of a conviction of the ousted Illinois governor....
Chiakulas publicly defended her resolve for the first time in an interview published yesterday by the Chicago Tribune, filling out a picture of tense juror deliberations and feeding debate about her role.
Chiakulas, 67, stood by her vote, saying she found Blagojevich’s statements captured on FBI wiretap recordings so disorganized and scattered that his actions did not amount to a criminal conspiracy.
“I thought he was just rambling,’’ she told the Tribune. “I could never live with myself if I went along with the rest of the jury.’’
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In the Tribune interview, Chiakulas said she decided the prosecution had simply not proven its case, and that she had a responsibility to follow her conscience....
I congratulate the old lady!
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Slow Saturday Special: The Blagojevich Media Blitzkrieg
Not now.
Retrial isn't until January(?).
