Blagojevich guilty on one count: Lying to the FBI

[Ralph Wiggum]

Blagojevich holdout explains vote

Battling stomach pains and fatigue, JoAnn Chiakulas would take the train into the city each morning knowing that her resolve was disappointing some people and infuriating others.

But the 67-year-old grandmother said she also knew that as a juror in Rod Blagojevich's corruption trial, she had a responsibility to follow her conscience and the law. She said she did not believe he or his brother committed a crime with their actions to fill Barack Obama's Senate seat, so she would not find them guilty despite what other jurors, prosecutors and, perhaps, the general public wanted.

If it was going to be 11-1, so be it.

"I could never live with myself if I went along with the rest of the jury," Chiakulas told the Tribune in her first media interview since the trial ended. "I didn't believe it was the correct vote for me."

---- much more at link ------

 

[Lacarnut]

[/i] cash in." His monumental stupidity, arrogance, and sheer selfishness ought to be enough for a 10-year sentence. He'd be out in five, which is about right. Your sentence of only 5 years puts him out in two - that ain't enough for an asshole of Blago's caliber.

You must be confused about the difference between state and federal parole guidelines. You commit a federal crime and you will spend at least 85% to 90% of that time in prison. States let them out much sooner. For example. Ex Gov of LA was sentenced to 10 years in 2002. He is still in prison with one year to go. He gets out a year early with a reduction of 1 year for good behavior. A 5 year sentence for Blago would mean that he would be incarcerated for 4 1/2 years unless he was pardoned, and I don't think that is going to happen.

The facts are that Fitzgerald is an over zealous prosecutor who wanted to put Blago in jail for life and brought 24 charges which just confused the hell out of the jury. BTW, some of the charges were 9 to 3 and 9 to 2; not all were 11 to 1. The Judge sent the jurors 100 pages of instructions to follow. You can blame the asshole prosecutor for this screw up. 

[BlueStateSaint]

Blagojevich holdout explains vote

Battling stomach pains and fatigue, JoAnn Chiakulas would take the train into the city each morning knowing that her resolve was disappointing some people and infuriating others.

But the 67-year-old grandmother said she also knew that as a juror in Rod Blagojevich's corruption trial, she had a responsibility to follow her conscience and the law. She said she did not believe he or his brother committed a crime with their actions to fill Barack Obama's Senate seat, so she would not find them guilty despite what other jurors, prosecutors and, perhaps, the general public wanted.

If it was going to be 11-1, so be it.

"I could never live with myself if I went along with the rest of the jury," Chiakulas told the Tribune in her first media interview since the trial ended. "I didn't believe it was the correct vote for me."

---- much more at link ------

 

This DUmor was a community organizer in the Obamessiah's mold.  Can't let a disciple of Teh Wun get his comeuppance . . . So, I think that Fitzgerald was pretty much going to fail, no matter what, because of this DUmor.

[Lacarnut]

This DUmor was a community organizer in the Obamessiah's mold.  Can't let a disciple of Teh Wun get his comeuppance . . . So, I think that Fitzgerald was pretty much going to fail, no matter what, because of this DUmor.

Kinda making stuff up there. The juror was a retired state employee who worked as a teen counselor. I saw 2 attorneys that were Fox Contributors state that the prosecution had a WEAK case. BTW, they attended the trial.

[Eupher]

You must be confused about the difference between state and federal parole guidelines. You commit a federal crime and you will spend at least 85% to 90% of that time in prison. States let them out much sooner. For example. Ex Gov of LA was sentenced to 10 years in 2002. He is still in prison with one year to go. He gets out a year early with a reduction of 1 year for good behavior. A 5 year sentence for Blago would mean that he would be incarcerated for 4 1/2 years unless he was pardoned, and I don't think that is going to happen.

The facts are that Fitzgerald is an over zealous prosecutor who wanted to put Blago in jail for life and brought 24 charges which just confused the hell out of the jury. BTW, some of the charges were 9 to 3 and 9 to 2; not all were 11 to 1. The Judge sent the jurors 100 pages of instructions to follow. You can blame the asshole prosecutor for this screw up. 

Confused? No. Momentarily forgot about the federal angle? Guilty.

While we disagree about whether or not to continue prosecuting Blago (I say let's make an example out of him and you're saying to let him go with the 5-year rap and that you're tired of the whole thing  ), we are agreed that Fitzgerald is a dufus of the first order and that his ass needs to be fired.

I guess that's something.

[Lacarnut]

Confused? No. Momentarily forgot about the federal angle? Guilty.

While we disagree about whether or not to continue prosecuting Blago (I say let's make an example out of him and you're saying to let him go with the 5-year rap and that you're tired of the whole thing  ), we are agreed that Fitzgerald is a dufus of the first order and that his ass needs to be fired.

I guess that's something.

If they try him again, the cost will be another couple million and the possibility exists that he will get off Scott free. Like I said, the evidence is flimsy. I would rather the prosecution and the defense get together, plead guilty to 1 or 2 other charges, sentence him to 5 to 7 years, put his ass in jail and get it over with. That would be the best outcome as far as I am concerned. Justice is not served when a maniac prosecutor wants to put Blago away for the rest of his life.

[Eupher]

If they try him again, the cost will be another couple million and the possibility exists that he will get off Scott free. Like I said, the evidence is flimsy. I would rather the prosecution and the defense get together, plead guilty to 1 or 2 other charges, sentence him to 5 to 7 years, put his ass in jail and get it over with. That would be the best outcome as far as I am concerned. Justice is not served when a maniac prosecutor wants to put Blago away for the rest of his life.

Gotcha. You've made your point. And by your own account, the jury voted 11-1, 10-2, and 9-3, whatever the vote count was for the roughly 24 charges. That doesn't sound flimsy to me.

And we've already agreed that Fitzgerald is to be fired. Let's get the next less-than-maniacal federal prosecutor in to finish the job that should've been done from the beginning.

As far as I'm concerned, Blago needs to be put away for more than 5 freakin' years, just for sheer stupidity alone. The people of Illinois are screaming accountability and this is one guy whose feet need to be held to the fire long enough to cause 3rd degree burns, not for a minute or two to cause a sunburn.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Blagojevich holdout explains vote

Battling stomach pains and fatigue, JoAnn Chiakulas would take the train into the city each morning knowing that her resolve was disappointing some people and infuriating others.

But the 67-year-old grandmother said she also knew that as a juror in Rod Blagojevich's corruption trial, she had a responsibility to follow her conscience and the law. She said she did not believe he or his brother committed a crime with their actions to fill Barack Obama's Senate seat, so she would not find them guilty despite what other jurors, prosecutors and, perhaps, the general public wanted.

If it was going to be 11-1, so be it.

"I could never live with myself if I went along with the rest of the jury," Chiakulas told the Tribune in her first media interview since the trial ended. "I didn't believe it was the correct vote for me."

---- much more at link ------

 

Really, if she did it for the right reasons I don't have a problem with it, she did find against him on the one count with indisputable proof, and against him on the ones that were not so indisputable.

And Fitzgerald is a prick who uses the limitless power of the Federal purse and resources to relentlessly dig and sling mud until something sticks, unfortunately in the minds of most jurors when the prosecution is allowed to do that they get in a mindset that there really must be something to at least the vaguer charges, and they split the difference and convict on something - if you look at what he did in the Libby trial with his grandiose promises at pressers in advance versus what was ultimately served up, it was a travesty.  His career is a living, breathing example of the fact that if the Government wants to spend enough money doing it, they can eventually nail anyone on something. 

[Lacarnut]

Really, if she did it for the right reasons I don't have a problem with it, she did find against him on the one count with indisputable proof, and against him on the ones that were not so indisputable.

And Fitzgerald is a prick who uses the limitless power of the Federal purse and resources to relentlessly dig and sling mud until something sticks, unfortunately in the minds of most jurors when the prosecution is allowed to do that they get in a mindset that there really must be something to at least the vaguer charges, and they split the difference and convict on something - if you look at what he did in the Libby trial with his grandiose promises at pressers in advance versus what was ultimately served up, it was a travesty.  His career is a living, breathing example of the fact that if the Government wants to spend enough money doing it, they can eventually nail anyone on something. 

Correct. Fitzgerald had FBI agents questioning neighbors, friends and associates whether Blago gambled, cheated on his wife, went to titty bars, etc. That had nothing to do with the charges.

One day, I hope this prick Fitzgerald gets arrested and the Judge throws the book at him. No leniency for you.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Having been a prosecutor, I have to say the excesses of showboating dicks like him on bullshit show trials are what makes it possible for defense counsel in real violent felony cases to legitimately argue about the 'Limitless resources of the government' being focused on their allegedly-poor-victim client who is really a violent sociopathic dirtbag, making it all that much more difficult to put really dangerous people in lock-up. 

[Ralph Wiggum]

This is interesting data from a Chicago Tribune/WGN-TV Poll:

A slim majority statewide, 54 percent, agreed with Fitzgerald's decision to re-try Blagojevich, while 37 percent disagreed. Another 10 percent had no opinion in the survey of 600 registered Illinois voters conducted Aug. 28-Sept. 1. The error margin was 4 percentage points.

In Chicago, 35 percent of voters favored retrial and 51 percent opposed it. But 54 percent of those in the Cook County suburbs and 57 percent of those in the collar counties agreed with the notion that Blagojevich should be retried, the survey found.

As governor, Blagojevich was always more popular in the city than in the suburbs, so the geographic split over the retrial issue may to some extent reflect the pattern of political attitudes forged during his tenure.

By a slight margin, voters who identified themselves as Democrats were more inclined to disagree with the decision to retry Blagojevich, the survey found. On the other hand, more than 7 out of 10 Republican voters surveyed said they backed a retrial.

There was also a stark difference between white and black voters on the issue. White voters were for a retrial by a wide margin: 60 percent to 31 percent. The position of black voters was almost the reverse: 63 percent against a retrial and 25 percent in favor.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/blagojevich/ct-met-tribune-poll-blagojevich-20100908,0,4122999.story

[Zeus]

I say let Blago be. Fitzgerald had his shot at him and failed. They are going to spends millions to prosecute and maybe convict Blago. Not only the millions spent but for what, to send a guy to some minimum security country club Fed Prison for maybe 2 yrs.

[Lacarnut]

I say let Blago be. Fitzgerald had his shot at him and failed. They are going to spends millions to prosecute and maybe convict Blago. Not only the millions spent but for what, to send a guy to some minimum security country club Fed Prison for maybe 2 yrs.

The next go round, the jury might not convict him on any of the counts. I betcha Blago is chomping at the bit to drag Rambo into the second trial. Without his executive privilege  exclusion, he will have to testify. That is when it will get interesting. Send him up the river for a couple of years and be done with it.