Blago Lawyer: 'He's a Celebrity Idiot'; Judge: Juror IDs Secret Until After Trial
To reduce the potential pressure on jurors to consider Internet material sent to them by outsiders about Rod Blagojevich, a federal judge in Chicago today said that juror identities will be kept secret from the public until after the former Illinois governor’s upcoming corruption-in-office trial is completed.
At this point, the jury hasn’t even been selected: A mailing has been sent out to help compile a list of potential jurors who might be available for a public corruption trial expected to begin in early June and last 15 to 17 weeks. However, U.S. District Judge James Zagel is planning ahead, and said in a hearing today that neither juror identities nor juror questionnaires would be released until after trial, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Blagojevich has maintained an unusually high profile after being charged in 2008, regularly appearing on national television, and one of his lawyers, Sam Adam Jr., tells Chicago magazine, that this is part of his trial strategy. “He’s a celebrity idiot,” says attorney Sam Adam Jr. of his client. “That has a purpose to it, and the purpose is to get out here and yell, ‘I didn’t do it.’”
Meanwhile, Zagel earlier rejected a defense request to delay the trial until after the law on so-called honest services fraud is clarified and the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week held that the trial-delay ruling isn’t appealable until after the Blagojevich trial is held. However, the defense team said it intends to appeal this issue to the U.S. Supreme Court, reports the Arlington Heights, Ill., Daily Herald.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “An Honest Debate”
ABAJournal.com: “Despite Court-Ordered $110/Hour Limit, Ex-Ill. Gov’s Legal Defense Bill is Likely to Top $3M”
