Geez, hope he can fit it in between his reality TV gigs...Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich appears headed to trial in June after the judge overseeing his corruption case refused Wednesday a defense request to delay the proceedings until November.
In seeking the delay, Blagojevich's defense team cited a pending U.S. Supreme Court decision on the "honest services" fraud law and an avalanche of evidence handed over by prosecutors in recent weeks. Attorney Sheldon Sorosky told U.S. District Judge James Zagel that it would be "almost silly" to go ahead as scheduled on June 3.
But the judge disagreed, saying the defense has had more than a year already to prepare, regardless of what the nation's highest court does with the statute, which has been criticized as too vague. Justices have signaled they may throw out some or all of the law that grants the public the intrinsic right to have elected officials carry out their duties honestly.
Zagel said the jury will be concerned with the facts of the case as the trial begins, not the possibly shifting law. "There will not be opening statements on the law," Zagel said. "The evidence is what the evidence is."
Zagel also held that Blagojevich will likely be able to play whatever recordings he believes corroborates his claim that he did nothing wrong. The recordings would be played while Blagojevich testifies from the witness stand — subject to objection by prosecutors on relevance grounds. Blagojevich, who has vowed to testify, has publicly demanded the playing of all recordings secretly made by investigators of his conversations in late 2008.
Oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please ...
After court, Blagojevich's lawyers called Zagel's pronouncement on the playing of recordings a victory for the defense. Attorney Sam Adam Jr. said the more recordings the public and the jury hear, the more Blagojevich's innocence will become clear. Many of the recordings will demonstrate Blagojevich was not a criminal but a governor simply "doing political acts."
Which in Illinois are one and the same ...
Adam said he expects people will think a mistake was made when Blagojevich was impeached and realize "not only did we get rid of him, I'd vote for him again," drawing laughs from reporters at an impromptu news conference at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse.
Sure hope Mr. Adam got a fat retainer ...