BREAKING: Blagojevich Guilty on Only One Count, Hung Jury on 23 Others
by John BambenekAfter 30 days of trial and 14 days of deliberation in the up-and-down Rod Blagojevich corruption trial, the jury has announced it’s verdict.
Of the 24 counts against Rod Blagojevich, the jury found Rod Blagojevich on only one count, the Martha Stewart offense (making false statements to investigators stemming from a 2005 interview). The jury was hung on all other counts. That offense carries a maximum of 5 years and a $250,000 fine.
Of the 4 counts against Robert Blagojevich (his campaign chief towards the end of 2008), the jury was unable to come to any unanimous conclusion on any count.
As a result, the judge has declared a mistrial on the remaining counts enabling the prosecution to try again, which they said in court they will absolutely do. A hearing was scheduled for August 26th to discuss that matter.
In theory, the prosecution could attempt to retry on any counts that came back as hung but they will have time to decide that issue. However, this is good news for Blagojevich and signals that his defense team, despite much criticism, masterfully managed to dodge the bullet for their client… this time.
Despite this verdict (or lack thereof), Rod Blagojevich will never be able to serve in Illinois public office again due to his impeachment (he could run for federal office, however).
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185 Comments
I just heard that on Hannity on the way home. It is absurd!
"Despite this verdict (or lack thereof), Rod Blagojevich will never be able to serve in Illinois public office again due to his impeachment (he could run for federal office, however)."
Oh boy!
That'll be his springboard for the National Stage.
If that sleazeball EVER gets elected to more than dog catcher, there is something bad wrong.
Nitwits!
Now he's finally qualified for higher office. Obama/Blago 2012.
I better send my next property tax payment soon ,…because,……….
the government that is working for me is going to need it for the re-trial.
WHAT were those dumb ass jurors thinking…..?????
That was my immediate thought as well.
A match made in Chicago.
At least now Shepard Smith will have to find something to infatuate himself with, as opposed to his favorite "Planet Blago"……..
Swag……….
In my opinion, there was ample evidence to impeach him, yet a hung jury on 23 counts.
Hung juries are rarely honestly hung.
It only takes one holdout however, with a promise of capital gains, to screw the process. Stranger things than that happen in Chicago.
"It only takes one holdout however, with a promise of capital gains"
Don't forget those sudden deaths by accidental aspirin overdose. The strangest things happen in Chi-Town.
This is only a small and temporary victory for Blago, he gets to go through all of it again. He gets to pay all of his lawyers again. He gets to give all the testimony again, and I'm thinking the DA's office wont' make as many mistakes next time.
Laugh it up Blago, my bet is you are still going down.
I love the pic,, LOL two peas in a pod!!!
Hello my friend. I haven't seen you here for a while.
Pay close attention to Israel right now.
Big things happen in August.
This is a classic example of how pathetic politicians are! It's perfectly OK and permissible for politicians to lie, be dishonest and mistrustful….as long as they are being liars, dishonest and mistrustful to the American taxpayer! But let one politician get caught telling a lie to a government employee like an FBI agent….there's a hissyfit all over the place! So back in 2005 Rod Blagojevich told a lie. Telling lies to the WE THE PEOPLE is just a part of everyday life for these sick and pathetic sad people! But it's ironic though, nobody in America with the exception of a small few gives a damn about the biggest lie ever told in America….that Obama is a Constitutionally valid president! Nobody cares to talk about that!
By the way, this is more bad news for Obama. In fact this is the worst possible outcome for Dear Leader. All the opportunities for the truth to come out concerning how Obama was involved and what he knew, all of that has just renewed itself. This judge kept the lid on all of that but will the next one?
Well, you can say what you want about obama, but we know his friends have convictions.
ANd the reason for President Obama's in the picture?? Total BS!!! This is why the republican party will remain the minority politcal party for a long time. YOU GOT NOTHING!!!!
Found guilty of LYING…hung on the other 23 counts.
Words fail me like that jury failed Illinois.
Well played!
You've only got to buy one juror.
Sounds like another O.J. Simpson jury.
But greater than that, are the obfuscation and cover up by the judge to withhold Obama evidence! The federal courts have become more of a criminal element, than we could have ever imagined.
I thought Imam Obama and Bluto Blago were amigos?
What is wrong with having your photo taking with your closest friends?
Dream on parasite! Oh…be certain to wear a helmet when you go outside.
Activist Judges.
Hey CL. I've been around. Mostly tweaking trolls.
As much as I hate the necessity of it, my hope is that Israel launches their offensive soon, while the Saudis have the air space open for them, and before the reactor is fueled. And if they can hit it while mahmoud and the mullahs happen to be touring the facility, all the better.
You got one thing right: no one cares anymore. Move on.
One count, still makes him a convicted felon, more to come.
…….and I'm sure that is cheap in Chicago.
Jury nullification!
I hadn't thought of that.
You bring up a great point.
Eliminate it on opening day, with tour buses full of dignitaries.
On the count of having awesome hair: GUILTY!
Nothing until the re-trail
you betcha. . .hit the spot; obviously you have experienced the Chicago version of smells like team spirit!
""" YOU GOT NOTHING!!!"""!
hahahahahahaha…….look sweetie, if you took a drill with one of those bits that drill doorknob holes and drilled into your forehead, you will see the ultimate "NOTHING". Nada. Blank dark hole.
My God, you sheeples are so clueless that it boggles the mind. Thanks for the laugh.
Someone got to the jury. There's more to this. I'm certain.
Damn, how many of those jurists can now afford a vacation?
Chicago's very special rendition of SMELLS LIKE TEAM SPIRIT!!!!!
CERTAINLY not in Chicago,…..!!!!!!!
I want to slap that Shep upside the head. It might cure his speech impediment.
Did anyone notice the guy looks like a weasel with several cowlicks in it's fur?
The reason Israel did Syria was because they knew,…….
Bush would support them,………..
things are a tad different this time,………
anyway in three days it will still be August.
Let's hope.
Chicago. Corrupt.
Obama. Corrupt.
Now come on. I believe that's the former governor of a state that Obama helped to…um…"reform".
I was thinking that Kwame Kilpatrick (former mayor of Detroit) would be an ideal running mate for Obama in 2012, assuming he's out of prison by then.
You are known by the company you keep.
btw, most people don't think of 5 months as a "long time".
"ANd the reason for President Obama's in the picture??"
I agree completely!
It's unbelievable that Obama is in ANY picture on the front page of ANYTHING!
Do you think Obama and Rahm wanted things to get quieter? I am guessing so.
LOL … Chicago jury finds Chicago pol guilty of lying. I bet that was a tough call.
Now that I think about it, Blago can't be VP because the Constitution says Pres and VP can't be from same state.
Pesky Constitution.
And now I can watch Martha Stewart every day on my tv. . Poor Blago. . I guess that's in his future now, really bad day-time television. . a fate worse than prison.
My only question is, Why has God forsaken Illinois? What did we do to deserve this? One count? Really?
The man who single handedly drove Illinois too ruin will now get 6 month in "Club Fed" and by this time next year will either be doing political analysis for a Chicago TV news show (ala Dan Rostenkowski) or will be gainfully employed by CNN or MSNBC………………………………………………………
there's even still a glimmer of hope for him to get a job in the "Hussein" White House…………………………..Barry likes them thieves…………
Yep, clean as a whistle.
If the bitter clingers of Utopian mysticism really believed in their crap, did they really think their messiah would come from a cesspool like Chicago? Honestly……
Barry must have forgotten about him. You are referring to Kwame "The Overachiever" Kilpatrick?
The Judge denied the jurors request for the Governments closing arguments. It detailed every charge matched with the evidence. The Judge called it a "road Map".
The prosecutors laughed and Blago's defense cheered. The judge seems to have got what he desired.
It took them two weeks so, I guess it was a tough call…….IN CHICAGO!
Just another black man being kept down by The Man!
Where in the Constitution does it say that?
Article II, section 1:
"No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President;
neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years,
and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States."
Are you referring to an obsolete practice (fixed by the 12th Amendment) of the electoral college?
Obama Campaigning in California stops the already pathetic flow of traffic. Don't we know that they campaign like this "either we will get your money now, or steal it from you later . . so now's the ONLY time you have A CHOICE on whether or not it ends up in our pockets." That's campaigning. . the last ditch attempt to give us, I mean U.S. a chance before they take. .they take. . they take. And here is their schtick "LETS CHANGE THE WORLD, NOW GIVE ME YOUR MONEY!!!" dunder-heads.
Wrong man. Ah ha ha ha
Don't OD: http://i43.tinypic.com/242bl9z.jpg
I wonder how much union money it took to pay off the jury?
"ANd the reason for President Obama's in the picture?? "
He's an aider and abbetor to corruption.
It's the Chicago way.
"This is why the republican party will remain the minority politcal party for a long time."
Check out today's polls.
Itt's the reactionary left that is getting their collective (HA!) ass handed to them.
The Democrats are in full panic meltdown mode right now.
i said from the beginning he will walk. it is not a crime to talk about doing something illegal, the crime is doing something illegal. he is a scumbag, and will find something outside of illinois, and we will all forget about him, and his deals with rahm, obama, jessie jackson jr, and all. the fix was in from the beginning, when the judge wouldn't allow anything to do with obama, anywhere near this trial. and the judge wouldn't allow the jurors the transcript of the trial. end of story, perhaps he will get a job on cnn, or msnbc.
Gotta love Chicago….
John, I wholeheartedly agree…..thump the ones that need a thumping….however, I just read an enlightening piece off Drudge….. http://www.infowars.com/the-ecstasy-of-empire/
Also…..I read a piece from the Ludwig von Mises Institute a while back….in it they claim that war will be the last resort for nations before/after economic systems collapse…. and after they printed the absolute limit of currency before hyperinflation kicks in.
Don't get me wrong…..I believe war is a necessary evil in the protection of good over evil….I simply want to express my fear that the real shit is about to hit the fan.
I'm ascared!
Here's one suitable for framing, Spanky2:
http://www.mvass.com/2010/01/01/and-your-grade-is...
Charles Rangel and Maxine Waters must be estatic.
So, did the Federal Government not have enough tape on Rod Blagojevich, or is it legal to sell a U.S. Senate Seat now?
(It has been legal to buy one for years, or so it seems)
I'd also like to know why a Jury can be Hung, but, a Condemned Person turns out to be Hanged?
Why do people keep saying the Convicted pleaded Guilty, and not that the Convicted pled Guilty?
Overachiever:
http://www.mvass.com/2010/01/01/and-your-grade-is...
You trying to state that the picture was photoshopped?
Hate to say it folks, but Blago is the most honest politician to come out of Illinois for some time. Prosecutor Fitzgerald is the one that ought to be tried and convicted. The Obama camp blew thewhistle on Blago because he refused to have Obama force feed him his preferred senate appointee.
And a horse's arse in the white house.
Ridge runner. . are you sure that's not fence runner? BLAGO . . ? HONEST? IN ONE SENTENCE? I knew he would get off when I heard them say on the news that he asked folks to "pray 4 him, b4 today's verdict"
Oh, you're right —- what was I thinking ????????
Just how much dirt does Blogo have on everyone anyway?
I smell a payoff.
From following the case a bit I'm not surprised. Remember, the main prosecutor is Patty Fitzgerald, the guy who somehow got a jury to condemn Scooter Libby of perjury in the Valerie Plame affair, despite the fact that he had no reason to lie. The only liars were Plame and Joe Wilson, and the administration had every right to call them on it. The whole trial was based on how evil Cheney and Rove were, and the Leftist lunatic jury went along with it because Libby was the only one whose testimony to the Grand Jury had some holes in it.
Fitzgerald sank this case on his own incompetence and ego, and couldn't use eeeevil Dick Cheney as a bogeyman. A competent prosecutor would have waited for slimeball Blago to appoint the Senate replacement, and could have gotten real proof of corruption. At least he got nailed for perjury, as a crime was most certainly committed and Blago had every reason to lie. Lets hope they retry the other charges with a competent team.
Not sure where… but I remember it came up in 2000 cuz someone claimed Bush and Cheney were both from Texas.
Look—
Blags is the most honest Chicago pol in decades. It's a damnable shame that the best the Feds could get was the "we can lie, cheat and steal but you can't" conviction.
Makes you wonder whether Blags is more corrupt than the goofs trying to try jim.
For ALL his faults, I think Blags is more reputable.
Heh.
Look for him to run for President…..lol
Look—again . . .
I'm be more concerned about Fitzgerald's competence than the Blags. Chicago hasn't had a true honesty campaign since Prohibition, which was the biggest gummint FU next to this one (well, maybe the Kennedy election excepted).
If Fitz has any brains, he'll ask for a transfer to Billings, Montana, and learn to STFU.
All he got was the lie to the FBI bullshit ("Martha Stewart gee get him on sumpin for crying out loud")–which the FBI, when it realizes its bag is full of fecal matter, does to citizens like they breathe. Fitz ought to be tried for incompetence, and the FBI agents involved for bearing false witness.
Ya think?
What a joke. And the gummint intends to re-try matters? Sorta kinda like trying to re-fry the fish already burned on the grill.
Screw sushi. . .I'll take twice fried
This photo of Blago and The Presidential Ass says more than a 900 page book. Look at that arrogant jerk and tell me he has any respect for the American Citizen and our heritage. I wish him nothing but bad luck and 900 miles of bad road. He will go down as the worst president in the history of our country and his family will have to hide in shame.
Oh, someone tell him to tighten his tie. Looks like his blind neighbor dressed him.
Yes, and VP Cheney moved something – perhaps his voting registration? – to Wyoming.
And that is the really good news. Another trial and another crack at a real judge and more witnesses without pussyfooting around Obamas big fat umbrella of secrecy.
There is no Constitutional restriction preventing the P and VP coming from the same state. The three criteria are as listed above. Someone misled you in 2000.
There is a restriction about members of the Electoral College not being able to vote for both a P and VP in their own state, but at most that would affect the Electors from only one state and would not prohibit two inhabitants from one state being elected P and VP.
12th Amendment:
"The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves;"
LOL, theres nothing better than seeing a half baked trial go down to a hung jury so it can be done again with a better judge and the knowlege beforehand of how the game was played.
I have been saying that for two years. It isn't enough to clean out congress, the bench needs wiping off too.
Yeah, you're right, marrob – they should've had their good buddy Tony Rezko included.
Aren't Democrats doing a GREAT job!
"US Says Bankruptcies Reach Nearly 5-Year High"
http://www.cnbc.com/id/38744090
It's because they so want to HELP!!!!!! US!!!!!
Copper- one very fine suggestion, lol
"the man who single-handedly drove Illinois to ruin? …" Aw, com' on! I was in Illinois before anyone ever heard of Blago, and the road to ruin was already well-defined and mapped out long before I got here.
Umm, a couple of things.
1) The pictures file name, and the presence of President Obama in it.
Rod-Blagojevich_Barack-Obama-June20-08-Corruptio_Meye.jpg
It seems more like you're trying to indict Obama as being a correspondent with Blagojevich's actions. Guilty by association, if you will. I spent some time trying to see if there was any other reason to use that picture as opposed to any other picture with Blagojevich alone than attempting to damage Obama's reputation further. There isn't.
2) The other 23 counts against Blagojevich were considered mistrial, so he can be tried again for those crimes. Assuming the indictments are true, he will eventually be convicted of those crimes. Even if they aren't, the one count against him that did stick would make it near impossible for him to be elected into any office, and I doubt anyone would back him at this point.
On the plus side, if he ever needs a toupe it'll look like his own hair!!
I.m.o, A deal was struck to protect Rham Emmanuel, Valerie Jarrett, and arrogant Obama the Socialist.
I was hoping that crazy Blago would take them ALL down with him, but they fixed it to protect them all. All progressive & socialist Dems, and RINOs and progressive repubs have to go! We need real Americans back in office and get the Radicals of ALL stripes OUT!
This is not a shocker to me. I told people he would get nothing on this and they didn't believe me. Can't expect anything different with who he was associated with and the administration we have now. This is just the beginning for the next "movie drama" coming to a theatre near you starring Charlie Rengel and Maxine Waters. Then the stars for that sequel are yet to be determined. What a bunch of crooks! Go America and take back our country!
STRIPES R OUT. . . .build a web site My friend! Stars and Stripes are out of the CLOSET!!!!
It sounds like this Fitzgerald’s MO, when he went after Scooter Libby, every hack in the MSM pounded “W” …and guilt by association was there narrative, turn about’s fair play.
You're scared?
I've been scared three times in my life.
The first two times I was getting shot at.
I am scared now as well.
Kevin.
Thanks!
That was funny.
I loved his "Mr. T Starter Set."
Two words
Marion Berry
Anything is possible when you are talking about libs/dims/socialist when it comes to voting for criminals.
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