By Danny Fenster ticklethewire.com Chatty ex-Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich may have gotten an added stretch of freedom when a federal judge in Chicago decided this week to delay his Oct. 6 sentencing date. But legal observers are convinced the reprieve is only temporary and that he’ll get some serious prison time. Predictions range from 8…
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com Oct. 6 won’t be a pretty day. That’s the day U.S. District Judge James Zagel of Chicago has set for sentencing for the ever-chatty ex-Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich, according to court records. In his retrial, Blago was convicted of 17 or 20 counts. He alos faces sentencing for the one count…
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com It’s the moment of truth. Jury deliberations in Blago II — the retrial of ex-Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich — begins Friday. Don’t expect a quick verdict. The jury will have to plow through 20 counts, which should take some time.
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com The FBI in Chicago has dealt with some pretty heady issues in the past few years, from international terrorism to the high-profile indictment of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Now comes the case of the missing puck. The FBI’s forensics experts in Chicago have been helping to try and locate the puck…
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com Just when you thought you’d get a break from some Rod Blagojevich news. The latest: The Chicago Tribune reports that the ex-Illinois governor’s lawyers have asked the judge who presided over the trial to dismiss the one conviction for lying to the FBI. The Tribune reports that the lawyers filed a…
Update: Thurs. 6:10 p.m.– The Chicago Tribune reports that the jurors are done for the day and will return Monday. By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com Jurors in the corruption trial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich have come to an agreement on two of 24 counts, the Associated Press reported Thursday. The judge instructed them to…
By Jon Perkins tickethewire.com Indicted ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a die-hard Democrat, has clearly been an embarrassment to his party. But what’s often lost amid the salacious allegations is that the “Blagojevich Enterprise” – a cynical term dubbed by the prosecution in the April 2 indictment — has been a bi-partisan affair, an equal opportunity for…
Whether he’s done anything wrong or not, Sen. Roland Burris’ name is increasingly being associated with a not-so flattering word: “scandal”. Can he hold on to the coveted Senate seat he sought? By John Chase and Jeff Coen Chicago Tribune CHICAGO — U.S. Sen. Roland Burris was interviewed by federal authorities for several hours Saturday…
