Word: blagojevich
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...former head of the Illinois Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. "Holding up sick children and the doctors caring for them seems like an emotional matter that's not going to play well for him before a jury," Lyon says. If that's not heart-wrenching enough for prospective jurors, Blagojevich et al. are also accused of trying to shake down a teachers' retirement fund, withholding state work from firms that would not do business with his wife and trying to extort money from a Congressman looking for funds for a school. That Congressman has reportedly been identified as Rahm Emanuel...
...Blagojevich and his brother pleaded not guilty at the arraignment in Chicago on Tuesday, it had already become clear that this high-profile case was anything but a simple matter. For starters, the charge that has drawn the most attention, his alleged attempt to auction off Obama's Senate seat, may not be one of the strongest charges. A jury may be more susceptible to the allegation that the "Blagojevich Enterprise" tried to shake down officials at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood for campaign contributions. More precisely, an executive at the hospital was urged...
...Blagojevich's defense has a daunting task, especially given that some co-defendants as well as a host of other politically connected officials are reportedly lining up to cooperate with the government. Still, Blagojevich maintained to reporters after Tuesday's hearing, "I did not let the people of Illinois down. That is the beginning of me trying to prove my innocence and clear my name and be vindicated of what are inaccurate allegations." If found guilty of the 16 criminal counts against him, Blagojevich could face up to 20 years in prison and fines in the hundreds of thousands...
...some of the prosecution's choices have left certain legal observers wondering just how strong the case is. The prosecution, for instance, decided not to seek charges against Blagojevich's wife Patti - a fact that surprised many, since she too is named throughout the charges. "It could be seen as the government going too far even if they do have the goods on her," notes Smith, who adds that indicting Patti Blagojevich could leave their children with two jailed parents. "You have to draw the line somewhere, and perhaps dragging in the wife would bring up the sympathy factor that...
...courtroom where Blagojevich was arraigned on Tuesday has also raised questions. U.S. District Judge James Zagel, who is presiding over the case, is a Reagan appointee generally seen as prosecutor-friendly, a no-nonsense jurist who has little patience for allowing his courtroom to be turned into a circus. Some observers wonder if Fitzgerald's team shopped around for the right judge and made sure the case landed with Zagel by marrying Blagojevich's case with that of William Cellini, 74, a downstate businessman and power broker who raised money for Blagojevich and is currently under indictment - and whose case...