Blago Trial

[Jenksismyhero]

Surprised no one else has started up a thread on this. What does everyone think the outcome will be?

 

I'm guessing guilty, but I wouldn't be shocked if there's a hung jury and it needs to be retried. The defense is basically going to have to say that Blago was using the seat for political deals, not personal deals, and the fact that he's poor and in debt supports that. There's the one demand for 1.5 million, but maybe they can spin that as him joking around and not being serious. His testimony is going to be great theater.

Edited June 9, 2010 by Jenksismybitch

[NorthSideSox72]

Teh defense has been a circus before the trial, and from what I am reading, the opening statements have continued down that road. The lead defense attorney apparently did a lot of shouting, whispering, fist-pounding, and going off on wild tangents.

 

And by the way, I've had my avatar since his arrest, and pledged to keep it until the case was resolved. I might need a new avatar soon.

 

[Jenksismyhero]

Teh defense has been a circus before the trial, and from what I am reading, the opening statements have continued down that road. The lead defense attorney apparently did a lot of shouting, whispering, fist-pounding, and going off on wild tangents.

 

And by the way, I've had my avatar since his arrest, and pledged to keep it until the case was resolved. I might need a new avatar soon.

 

Yeah apparently he's known for doing that. But he makes a good impression. Reports were that he got the jurors attention and even made a few of them laugh. I'm sure it's a bit different than the dry and serious tone the government took.

 

I thought it was interesting that as a defense Adams basically said that Blago used the seat in order to get his Illinois legislation passed. Blago tried to cut a deal with Obama/Rahm to put pressure on Mike Madigan to pass his legislation here at home. As a threat, he said he was going to appoint Jesse Jackson Jr, who the White House knew wouldn't get re-elected. So I guess Rahm calls Mike Madigan and basically says to pass Blago's stuff and he'll appoint Lisa Madigan to the senate seat. The following morning Blago was arrested.

 

The timing seems a little fishy to me. I wonder if the Feds decided to pounce before a grand conspiracy (involving every major Democrat in Illinois and the White House) really got rolling.

[NorthSideSox72]

Yeah apparently he's known for doing that. But he makes a good impression. Reports were that he got the jurors attention and even made a few of them laugh. I'm sure it's a bit different than the dry and serious tone the government took.

 

I thought it was interesting that as a defense Adams basically said that Blago used the seat in order to get his Illinois legislation passed. Blago tried to cut a deal with Obama/Rahm to put pressure on Mike Madigan to pass his legislation here at home. As a threat, he said he was going to appoint Jesse Jackson Jr, who the White House knew wouldn't get re-elected. So I guess Rahm calls Mike Madigan and basically says to pass Blago's stuff and he'll appoint Lisa Madigan to the senate seat. The following morning Blago was arrested.

 

The timing seems a little fishy to me. I wonder if the Feds decided to pounce before a grand conspiracy (involving every major Democrat in Illinois and the White House) really got rolling.

Lisa Madigan didn't even want that seat. Also doesn't seem like the typical Rahm move - he would have handled that differently, I think. If Rahm did indeed make that call, and it was recorded, he'd be under investigation or headed for trial now.

 

[southsider2k5]

Yeah apparently he's known for doing that. But he makes a good impression. Reports were that he got the jurors attention and even made a few of them laugh. I'm sure it's a bit different than the dry and serious tone the government took.

 

I thought it was interesting that as a defense Adams basically said that Blago used the seat in order to get his Illinois legislation passed. Blago tried to cut a deal with Obama/Rahm to put pressure on Mike Madigan to pass his legislation here at home. As a threat, he said he was going to appoint Jesse Jackson Jr, who the White House knew wouldn't get re-elected. So I guess Rahm calls Mike Madigan and basically says to pass Blago's stuff and he'll appoint Lisa Madigan to the senate seat. The following morning Blago was arrested.

 

The timing seems a little fishy to me. I wonder if the Feds decided to pounce before a grand conspiracy (involving every major Democrat in Illinois and the White House) really got rolling.

 

Seeing the actions of this administration to try to manipulate races, it could introduce a seed of doubt. All though I have no doubt Blago is about as dirty as they come.

[NorthSideSox72]

Seeing the actions of this administration to try to manipulate races, it could introduce a seed of doubt. All though I have no doubt Blago is about as dirty as they come.

ITs certainly all relative. There's dirty politics, there's Illinois politics, and then there's Blago.

 

[Jenksismyhero]

Lisa Madigan didn't even want that seat. Also doesn't seem like the typical Rahm move - he would have handled that differently, I think. If Rahm did indeed make that call, and it was recorded, he'd be under investigation or headed for trial now.

 

I thought he was, and for what? It's not illegal to make political deals.

[NorthSideSox72]

I thought he was, and for what? It's not illegal to make political deals.

Its illegal to offer employment - a senate seat in this case - in exchange for legislative action.

 

[DBAHO]

The Celebrity Apprentice just wasn't the same when he got fired.

 

Wonder if he has learned how to use a cell phone or a laptop since then...

[Jenksismyhero]

Its illegal to offer employment - a senate seat in this case - in exchange for legislative action.

 

I doubt he's dumb enough to come out and say "here's the deal!" It was pressure from the White House to stop blocking Blago's stuff, followed with an "oh yeah, and he plans to name your daughter to the Senate" wink, wink.

 

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2010/06/th...gle_in_the.html

 

 

Clearly that has to be proven, but still.

 

 

[kapkomet]

Its illegal to offer employment - a senate seat in this case - in exchange for legislative action.

 

 

Why isn't our president being impeached then? Oh, because money wasn't involved?

[StrangeSox]

He wasn't offering a Senate seat for legislative favors.

[kapkomet]

He wasn't offering a Senate seat for legislative favors.

 

Really? He was just offering cabinet positions for people to GET OUT of Senate races. That is different, I guess.

[StrangeSox]

Well, yeah, it is. It's still slimy as hell, but it is distinctly different and probably not illegal. So that's why he or his admin aren't being charged with anything.

[southsider2k5]

Yeah apparently he's known for doing that. But he makes a good impression. Reports were that he got the jurors attention and even made a few of them laugh. I'm sure it's a bit different than the dry and serious tone the government took.

 

I thought it was interesting that as a defense Adams basically said that Blago used the seat in order to get his Illinois legislation passed. Blago tried to cut a deal with Obama/Rahm to put pressure on Mike Madigan to pass his legislation here at home. As a threat, he said he was going to appoint Jesse Jackson Jr, who the White House knew wouldn't get re-elected. So I guess Rahm calls Mike Madigan and basically says to pass Blago's stuff and he'll appoint Lisa Madigan to the senate seat. The following morning Blago was arrested.

 

The timing seems a little fishy to me. I wonder if the Feds decided to pounce before a grand conspiracy (involving every major Democrat in Illinois and the White House) really got rolling.

 

 

He wasn't offering a Senate seat for legislative favors.

 

If the boldest is true, he kinda was.

[Balta1701]

Really? He was just offering cabinet positions for people to GET OUT of Senate races. That is different, I guess.

Part of the legal complexity there though is...if you're offering them a job to get them out of a senate race...you're offering them a job, so at the same time, they can't plausibly campaign for another job, because then they'd be failing at the job they were hired at.

 

I had a job offer here and a job offer in Houston. Accepting both of them just wasn't an option.

[Balta1701]

Seriously?

Quoting a refrain from “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,” attorneys for Rod Blagojevich in his corruption trial Sunday filed a 41-page memorandum in support of a motion for acquittal.

 

“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data,” the motion quotes author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. “Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.”

 

Quibbling with the conspiracy charges against the former governor, his attorneys write: “Attempt to conspire (conspiracy being an inchoate offense) is not a crime. Likewise, conspiracy to attempt is not a crime.”

The motion was denied.

[Jenksismyhero]

Seriously?

The motion was denied.

 

really grasping at straws there.

 

i've slowed down a bit on paying attention to the trial, but apparently Robert Blago has been really good on the stand, distancing himself from his brother as much as possible.

[Balta1701]

The defense rested rapidly today, with Blago choosing not to take the stand.

[Balta1701]

The jury is currently deadlocked on several issues.

[greg775]

Surprised no one else has started up a thread on this. What does everyone think the outcome will be?

 

I'm guessing guilty, but I wouldn't be shocked if there's a hung jury and it needs to be retried. The defense is basically going to have to say that Blago was using the seat for political deals, not personal deals, and the fact that he's poor and in debt supports that. There's the one demand for 1.5 million, but maybe they can spin that as him joking around and not being serious. His testimony is going to be great theater.

 

Wow, you know your s***. First post on the thread may be right about the hung jury.

For us novices ... please summize.

What did Blago do that was illegal in non corporate mumbo jumbo? Did they prove the case against him?

Is the jury star struck? I thought Blago was cut and dried guilty. Please tell us what is goin on?

[NorthSideSox72]

The jury is currently deadlocked on several issues.

Seems like they will probably go guilty on some counts, but not others, when its all done.

 

[Balta1701]

Is the jury star struck? I thought Blago was cut and dried guilty. Please tell us what is goin on?

I think this case really became much, much harder for the prosecution to win when the Supreme Court declared that "honest services fraud" was not a legitimate charge you could bring against a public official a few months back. The old usage basically allowed prosecutors wide leeway to go after people who were clearly acting corruptly but who hadn't actually finished committing a crime.

 

Without that, especially since they stepped in and arrested Blago before he'd actually taken the bribe on the Senate seat, the wiretaps they have of him became all the evidence they had, and it's much more plausible to believe a Blago defense of "he wasn't going to sell the seat for personal gain but he wanted to trade it for things that benefited Illinois like any good politician" defense since there's no actual check with Blago's name on it.

[Balta1701]

Here's a much more detailed and legalist description of what exactly the jury is probably struggling with.

[Jenksismyhero]

Here's a much more detailed and legalist description of what exactly the jury is probably struggling with.

 

Yeah I can't imagine that's the case. Those instructions are not that complicated (perhaps being a litigation attorney helps when reading this stuff, but really it's just about seperating clauses and taking it one at a time) and if i recall correctly the jury had a pretty good selection of educated people.

 

I think the main issue is that most of the evidence the government provided was circumstantial. There's no check with Blago's name on it. There's some small amount of money Patti got, but not much of a trace to how it got there. You just had a lot of evidence of Blago talking and how he worked as governor. No doubt they established that Blago sounds like a corrupt, dirtbag politician (like they all are). I thought it was brilliant for the defense to use the tactic - "yeah, he talked about this stuff, no denying that. but you know this guy. you've seen him on tv before. he talks and boasts about EVERYTHING. doesn't mean he meant what he said."

 

But is that enough to say that he actually committed fraud or conspired to commit fraud? There's a real fine line there. It's not illegal to say that the power to appoint someone to the senate is f***ing golden. The government had to link that to actual benefits recieved, or at the very least an attempt to recieve. Dunno if they did enough to prove the first, but I think there's probably enough for the second. (though admittedly I did not follow the case every day like I thought I would)

 

I'd imagine the issue is that on most counts the jury agrees that he's guilty, but on some of the harder counts, the juror(s) holding out don't think there is enough there.