August 17, 2010
— DrewM The big question on all the counts where the Blagojevich jury couldn't reach a verdict was what was the breakdown of the convict/acquit votes? Well, looks like it was a lone holdout.
But one juror said the panel was deadlocked 11-1 in favor of convicting Blagojevich of trying to auction off the Senate seat.Juror Erik Sarnello of Itasca, Ill., said one woman on the jury "just didn't see what we all saw." The 21-year-old Sarnello said the counts involving the Senate seat were "the most obvious."
Other jurors tried to persuade the holdout to reconsider, but "at a certain point, there was no changing," he said.
That so many jurors were convinced of Blagojevich's guilt bodes well for prosecutors, said Joel Levin, a former federal prosecutor in Chicago who won a conviction of former Illinois Gov. George Ryan on corruption charges.
"At the end of the day it signals very strongly they will get a conviction next time," Levin said. "It sounds like the case was lost in jury selection."
I think the only question is whether or not he pleads this out before the retrial (he's apparently out of money for lawyers). Of course, we can only hope that he realizes he's going down and decides to go out in a blaze of glory and calls all sorts of Democratic officials next time. Keep hope alive!
Added: I demand that the Taiwan animation people CGI Blago's hair and the jury deliberations.
Rehash [ace]: Yeah, I don't know if you saw my updates but I became increasingly convinced it was 11-1, with the request for the oath by the 11 to convince the 1 to do her frickin' duty.
I also guessed (not confirmed yet) that she might be a big tv watcher:
Patty Blagojevich appeared on last summer's I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. She wasn't there to win. She was only there to influence the jury pool, to convince people how gosh-darn all-American and sweet she was.I have to admit: I watched this a bit, and did in fact buy into her act. A little.
Then Rod Blagojevich went on The Celebrity Apprentice. He too didn't care if he won or not; his job was to appear human.
He did less of a job than Patty. Pretty much he appeared like an ineffectual jerkoff who, understandably, cursed at his lawyers a lot on the phone. But in the "boardroom," he was all "Mr. Trump this" and "I have the utmost respect for my competitors that."
It was a sales job, two people seizing upon a sad fact of American life: Celebrities are permitted to murder people. If they're allowed to kill other human beings, what's a little graft?
All they had to do was gain some kind of shady, sketchy, bottom-feeding what's-below-the-D-list celebrity status, and some shut-ins and social retards whose only friendship and comfort comes from a glowing box would imprint upon them and deem them "good people."
Is this what happened? Or is it just a political thing, someone either defending sugar-daddy ward-heeler Blago, or defending him because they see past him and worry that if this domino falls then Jesse Jackson Junior or -- God forbid -- the New God Obama could be damaged?
I don't know. Seemed pretty solid to me. Guy was asking for money for a Senate seat. Even in Chicago, that strikes me as over-the-line.
Posted by: DrewM at
06:31 PM
| Comments (99)
Post contains 586 words, total size 3 kb.
Posted by: Jack Bauer's Dad at August 17, 2010 06:33 PM (p0d2a)
Posted by: Timbo at August 17, 2010 06:36 PM (ph9vn)
Posted by: TheQuietMan at August 17, 2010 06:42 PM (GyB9U)
Posted by: Rod B., man of mystery at August 17, 2010 06:48 PM (sVu2f)
That shit actually, really, really does happen in meatworld.
Posted by: Meatworld Bunko Squad at August 17, 2010 06:53 PM (oNj1A)
Posted by: dogfish at August 17, 2010 06:54 PM (aRj8S)
Posted by: Kensington at August 17, 2010 06:54 PM (mEyVv)
Posted by: Kensington at August 17, 2010 06:55 PM (mEyVv)
Posted by: dogfish at August 17, 2010 06:58 PM (aRj8S)
Disclaimer: book, ghost authored by Wm Ayres may already exist but is the perfect way to buy a juror
Posted by: Beto at August 17, 2010 06:58 PM (H+LJc)
Posted by: Druid at August 17, 2010 06:59 PM (9bSMF)
There are plenty of reasons why those are bad ideas too, but when I hear stories about these lone hold-outs (that could have potentially been compromised), I grow to like eliminating the unanimous jury verdict option more and more.
Posted by: Kratos (Ghost of Sparta) at August 17, 2010 07:00 PM (c0A3e)
Posted by: peanut gallery at August 17, 2010 07:02 PM (NurK6)
Posted by: PJ at August 17, 2010 07:03 PM (Fyjeu)
Posted by: Peaches at August 17, 2010 07:06 PM (sVu2f)
Posted by: Free Blago Now! at August 17, 2010 07:10 PM (QBQcg)
Posted by: T.S. Magnum at August 17, 2010 07:10 PM (kcqZS)
No shit. Remember when he was gonna pull Barry's covers and make the world right again? I wonder what his price tag was . . .
Posted by: Peaches at August 17, 2010 07:12 PM (sVu2f)
Posted by: dogfish at August 17, 2010 07:18 PM (aRj8S)
Posted by: Free Blago Now! at August 17, 2010 07:20 PM (QBQcg)
Posted by: Peaches at August 17, 2010 07:23 PM (sVu2f)
You can be too smart to be accepted by the defense attorney too. I have been to jury selection 4 times and I always get eliminated after they ask what my occupation is. They apparently don't like the idea of passing a bunch of bullshit past an engineer. Not that I am a super-fucking-rocket-genius or anything but answering engineer is an automatic "you can go home now".
Posted by: Lemmiwinks at August 17, 2010 07:24 PM (IqfKc)
I like Blago, in a lovable crook sort of way. Dig his foul mouthed, vulgar wife, dislike Fitzgerald...alot, and want this saga to keep going, and capture a few more scalps.
In other words, I'm a happy camper. I want to buy this bought off juror a drink.
Posted by: Delta Smelt at August 17, 2010 07:24 PM (IRwVS)
Posted by: AmishDude at August 17, 2010 07:29 PM (RgyHa)
Posted by: Peaches at August 17, 2010 07:31 PM (sVu2f)
Posted by: AmishDude at August 17, 2010 11:29 PM (RgyHa)
Sounds like a good plan for congress as well.
Nadler sweating and farting, enough to clear out the entire chamber.
Posted by: Delta Smelt at August 17, 2010 07:31 PM (IRwVS)
The lone juror was probably a SUPER DUPER SMART HARVARD grad of Affirmative action background.
IQ. above 50 fo shizzle.
Posted by: gus at August 17, 2010 07:31 PM (bpEWJ)
Posted by: Peaches at August 17, 2010 11:31 PM (sVu2f)
Yeah Blago should get a reality show selling used cars. You know he's a sleaze, a crook, and is ripping you off, but ya just can't resist buying the lemon.
He's very Clintonian in that way.
Posted by: Delta Smelt at August 17, 2010 07:34 PM (IRwVS)
Posted by: Rickshaw Jack at August 17, 2010 07:42 PM (PeMve)
Posted by: eman at August 17, 2010 07:46 PM (Nw/hR)
FYI, When John Cusack dresses in drag he goes by Joan Cusack
Posted by: Lemmiwinks at August 17, 2010 07:46 PM (IqfKc)
This kind of pissed me off as well. In a way I'm kinda glad they had a lone holdout. Maybe that will put the fear of 30 years in fedpen into Blago and he will start singing. Maybe...
Posted by: Rickshaw Jack at August 17, 2010 07:49 PM (PeMve)
Hey, nothing personal, but fuck you.
Posted by: Garbonzo the Garrulous at August 17, 2010 07:59 PM (oL8lS)
A singing Blago has a real short life expectancy.
Posted by: Naan at August 17, 2010 08:00 PM (GARYj)
Rumor has it that Jizzy Jackson Jr. donated generously to the rogue juror's......off-shore bank account he opened up for her.
Constituent services, and all......
Posted by: effinayright at August 17, 2010 08:01 PM (IgnKq)
Posted by: rdbrewer at August 17, 2010 08:02 PM (t0jpM)
Posted by: eman at August 17, 2010 08:02 PM (Nw/hR)
Posted by: rdbrewer at August 18, 2010 12:02 AM (t0jpM)
If Fitz wasn't even questioned by some powerless ethics board over the fact that he brought the federal government to a standstill over a case he KNEW was over before he started it, and yet he continued on, for over a year ... then I think he can pretty much do anything he wants and will never be held to account. Maybe they feel sorry for him, as he's such retarded loser?
Posted by: progressoverpeace at August 17, 2010 08:07 PM (Qp4DT)
Unreal that he gets away with this shit.
Posted by: progressoverpeace at August 17, 2010 08:11 PM (Qp4DT)
Posted by: FlaviusJulius at August 17, 2010 08:11 PM (i6UsH)
Posted by: eman at August 17, 2010 08:12 PM (Nw/hR)
So, they retry the case. The jury foreman is on record as telling the prosecutors to simplify the case. Some of the 11 who wanted to convict seem rather ticked off at the lone holdout who nullified the whole thing.
The hung jury just keeps this trial fresh in everybody's mind, because of the sleaze of the Chi-town bosses almost getting their guy off. This is a rain delay in the trial, it's not the end of the game. Get your popcorn.............
Posted by: Boots at August 17, 2010 08:12 PM (06JTY)
Back off my boy or suffer the consequences, bitch.
Posted by: Eric "Pantha" Holder at August 17, 2010 08:13 PM (sVu2f)
Posted by: eman at August 17, 2010 08:15 PM (Nw/hR)
A juror. Posted by: eman
The fact that others are guilty of worse does not excuse that shit from anything. Cheering the non-judgment is deranged.
Posted by: Garbonzo the Garrulous at August 17, 2010 08:15 PM (oL8lS)
Posted by: Peaches at August 17, 2010 08:17 PM (sVu2f)
Posted by: eman at August 18, 2010 12:19 AM (Nw/hR)
And a mockery.
of a sham ...
Posted by: Garbonzo the Garrulous at August 17, 2010 08:25 PM (oL8lS)
Posted by: Scooter Libby at August 17, 2010 08:25 PM (Nw/hR)
Posted by: Garbonzo the Garrulous at August 18, 2010 12:15 AM (oL8lS)
He was convicted of one count, and he will be retried on the others. Hardly a travesty. If it means others, more crooked, and just as guilty as Blago go down, I'm all for it.
This whole thing has been a joke since Fitz decided to cut short the investigation.
Posted by: Delta Smelt at August 17, 2010 08:26 PM (IRwVS)
Posted by: Free Blago Now! at August 17, 2010 08:26 PM (QBQcg)
Blago is a twisted version of Fielding Mellish.
Posted by: progressoverpeace at August 17, 2010 08:28 PM (Qp4DT)
Posted by: Methos at August 17, 2010 08:30 PM (uiSCx)
I've thought about this for the better part of 15 seconds, and decided the whole shebang is a positive.
Posted by: Meremortal at August 17, 2010 08:32 PM (DffuX)
This whole thing has been a joke since Fitz decided to cut short the investigation.
Posted by: Delta Smelt at August 18, 2010 12:26 AM (IRwVS)
He screwed up this investigation and prosecution at every possible step. And he acted exactly opposite to how he had acted in the Valerie Plame case (which actually was a joke, thereby making the prosecution a real travesty). In that case he publicly went after and LIED about people he knew were innocent (since he knew that Armitage was the "leak"). In the Blago case he avoided and omitted people he knew where guilty - after having sabotaged the investigation to save the Indonesian and then making pretend that his office had nothing to do with anything.
Posted by: progressoverpeace at August 17, 2010 08:32 PM (Qp4DT)
Posted by: BeckoningChasm at August 17, 2010 08:33 PM (eNxMU)
Posted by: progressoverpeace at August 18, 2010 12:32 AM (Qp4DT)
Yup. He sounds power hungry, with an agenda.
Does Andy McCarthy still shill for him?
Posted by: Delta Smelt at August 17, 2010 08:34 PM (IRwVS)
Does Andy McCarthy still shill for him?
Posted by: Delta Smelt at August 18, 2010 12:34 AM (IRwVS)
Don't know. It's a real shame because I like McCarthy and Fitzgerald's criminal duplicity is all too open and obvious.
Posted by: progressoverpeace at August 17, 2010 08:38 PM (Qp4DT)
Posted by: prada sport shoes at August 18, 2010 12:37 AM (b6VCg)
I've got spam stalking me. Better than Glenn Close I spose.
Posted by: Delta Smelt at August 17, 2010 08:38 PM (IRwVS)
Posted by: Scooter Libby at August 17, 2010 08:39 PM (Nw/hR)
Posted by: progressoverpeace at August 17, 2010 08:39 PM (Qp4DT)
Posted by: progressoverpeace at August 18, 2010 12:39 AM (Qp4DT)
lol
Yeah, a mini me. And he wears prada! Impressive.
Posted by: Delta Smelt at August 17, 2010 08:42 PM (IRwVS)
Ugh, I hate this sentiment. Yeah, jury selection where both sides try their best to stack the jury or find folks who will blindly do what the judge tells them.
Posted by: JS at August 17, 2010 08:48 PM (vvckl)
So. Does Blago run for the US Senate? How about Gov of Illinois?
Pass the popcorn and the malt liquour.
Posted by: memomachine at August 17, 2010 09:01 PM (MwCol)
It's like having muslims decide if KSM is "guilty." No muslim on a jury would ever convict him.
In a very real, and shameful sense, I hope they try KSM in New York and make sure they have muslims on the jury. Maybe, just maybe, when the verdict comes back "Innocent on all charges" it just might make some people wake up. Not Liberals, of course, they are already asleep and dreaming. But perhaps some "real people" might wake up and say, "You know, electing Democrats has caused nothing but trouble."
Posted by: BeckoningChasm at August 17, 2010 10:10 PM (eNxMU)
Posted by: steve at August 18, 2010 02:03 AM (2iVD6)
nobody has forgotten Hairdo is a Donk....
that's why we knew he'd walk.
The newsies didn't forget that Hairdo was a sonk either that is why they don't mention his party affiliation.
Posted by: sven10077 at August 18, 2010 02:07 AM (kq1lG)
So Obama's material links to the case were ruled out of court. THAT was really what the whole thing revolved around. Obama wanted monopoly on the kickback after ordering who would get his seat.
Posted by: Memory at August 18, 2010 04:55 AM (H+LJc)
So exactly WHO really was selling Obama's senate seat? The previous owner.
Posted by: Memory at August 18, 2010 04:56 AM (H+LJc)
Posted by: Jim at August 18, 2010 05:03 AM (/Mtjv)
Posted by: diþ beyazlatýcý at August 18, 2010 06:36 AM (AnOMr)
Posted by: ChiTown-Jerry at August 18, 2010 07:10 AM (f9c2L)
94. She was my top suspect when I read the description of all 12 jurors yesterday. The joke is on her if she thought she was helping the cause. The press postmortens on what went wrong in this case will be in the news longer than a conviction story would have been, which will hurt the Democrats running this year. Then sometime next year Fitz will certainly retry the charges that split 11-1 and who knows how long that might drag out.
Posted by: NC Mountain Girl at August 18, 2010 07:36 AM (Rjr+C)
Lets C..... every criminal lies when he says I didn't do it.......
Barry...... Couldn't tell the truth to save his kids...... no death panels, I was sleep n when Rev Wright said that crap, when life begins is above my pay grade (ok so he told the truth there) and on and on.......
And Bill "creamy blue dress" Clinton:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSDAXGXGiEw
roflmao
Posted by: donabernathy at August 18, 2010 09:48 AM (JyJ9T)
Can the one bitch on the jury be stalked?
Posted by: Curmudgeon at August 18, 2010 11:16 AM (ujg0T)
I love the hold-out. Anytime Fitzy gets a wedgie, it's
a good day. He should be out there crucifying the
REAL dangers to America.....like Scooter.
Posted by: grizzlybare at August 18, 2010 08:21 PM (5Zqvh)
Posted by: jordan shoes at August 29, 2010 08:28 PM (sCd8t)
The original designer developed luggage for travelers in Paris starting in the early 1800coach handbags on sale,
Posted by: high fashion handbags at September 24, 2010 10:00 PM (UZVs4)
Posted by: sex izle at September 29, 2010 08:13 AM (zzTjn)
Hide Comments | Add Comment | Refresh | Top
64 queries taking 0.2615 seconds, 227 records returned.
Powered by Minx 1.1.6c-pink.








Posted by: Garbonzo the Garrulous at August 17, 2010 06:32 PM (oL8lS)