Famous Industrial Designs Honored on New Stamp Set
A "stunned" Rod Blagojevich and wife Patti hugged in the courtroom after a federal jury in Chicago this afternoon convicted the former Illinois governor of attempting to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated when President Obama was elected in 2008, among the 17 guilty counts against him. His wife could be heard saying to him, "Let's just go home."A sentencing date has yet to be set but former federal prosecutors who have experience in federal sentencing guidelines say he's likely to get 7 to 10 years.
Leaving the courthouse, Blagojevich said he was "frankly disappointed" and "stunned." He was met by a small chorus of "boos" outside.Blagojevich was acquitted of soliciting bribes in the alleged shakedown of a road-building executive, according to the Associated Press. The jury deadlocked on two charges of attempted extortion related to that executive and funding for a school, the AP reported.Purchase on line wireless hidden spy camera.
The jurors told the judge this morning they had agreed on 18 of 20 counts, of which the most serious charges each carry a 10-year sentence.The verdict was announced this afternoon as dozens of people lined the streets outside the federal courthouse.Outside the Dirksen Federal Courthouse in downtown Chicago, a horde of media had been joined by dozens of Illinoisans, many with their cellphone cameras at the ready, according to the AP.
This is the second trial for the Democrat. A previous trial ended with a jury hung on all but one charge, although he has maintained his innocence. But federal prosecutors elected to bring the case again. The jury in the new trial -- eleven women and one man -- reached its decision after nearly 10 days of deliberation. Federal prosecutors streamlined their presentation after the first jury complained of an overly complex case. Last year's result was a hung jury on 23 of the original 24 counts, convicting Blagojevich on a single charge of making a false statement to the FBI.
No comments:
Post a Comment