Blago Says His Law School Roomie Lied on Stand, But Judge Nixes Gag Order, For Now
The jury has been promised that Rod Blagojevich will testify in his own defense when the time comes in his public corruption trial.
But meanwhile federal prosecutors are fuming about public comments the impeached former Illinois governor is making about the case. In a 16-page filing they made today seeking a gag order from U.S. District Judge James Zagel, the feds cited Blagojevich’s claim that his former law school roommate and chief of staff, Alonzo Monk, who is a lead government witness, lied on the stand during his testimony, reports the Chicago Tribune’s Blagojevich on Trial blog.
The judge, however, nixed the request to bar Blagojevich and his counsel from making public comments about the Chicago trial, saying that this would be a last-resort option, reports the Associated Press.
Instead, he asked the parties to agree among themselves over the weekend about appropriate ground rules for further public comments.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Blago Can’t Tweet About Trial, But Defense Lawyer Tells Jury He’ll Testify”
