By Allan Lengel
ticklethewire.com
Oprah trumps all!
As you might recall the other day, a prospective juror in the retrial of ex-Ill. Gov Rod Blagojevich wanted off jury duty because she had four tickets to a May 10 taping of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” In May, the legendary show, which is taped in Chicago, is finished.
Earlier in the week, the judge and attorneys talked about possibly accommodating her by changing the court schedule that day. Then again, the judge expressed some skepticism about the importance of making it to the taping.
Well, the point is now moot. The juror, known only as Juror 137, got her wish. She’s won’t be serving, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The Tribune reported that prosecutors and defense lawyers agreed to drop the woman known as Juror 137 “without any public discussion of her alleged hardship.”
The Tribune reported that the never-short-of-words defendant Rod Blagojevich said afterward that he envied the woman for not having to sit through his retrial.
“No, I would say eff-ing golden,” joked Blagojevich.
Jury selection, which entered Day 5 on Thursday, is winding down. Opening statements are expected on Monday, the Trib reported.
