Little-Known Chicago Lawyer Accompanies Ill. Gov. to Court

Updated: When Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich appeared in court on political corruption charges Tuesday afternoon, he was accompanied by a little-known Chicago criminal defense lawyer.

Blagojevich stands accused of attempting to sell the Senate seat held by Barack Obama and offering millions of dollars in aid to the Chicago Tribune if it fired critical editorial writers. His lawyer, Sheldon Sorosky of Kaplan & Sorosky, talked to reporters outside Blagojevich’s home after his client was freed on a $4,500 personal recognizance bond, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Blagojevich is “sad, surprised and innocent," Sorosky said.

Sorosky is a former prosecutor in the state’s attorney’s office who has been in private practice since 1972, the National Law Journal reports. Sorosky has known Blagojevich for decades, but he may not be his permanent lawyer in the case. Experts said Sorosky may have been tapped to represent the governor until more high-profile counsel can be found.

The Am Law Daily speculates that Sorosky’s replacement could be Winston & Strawn chairman Dan Webb, who has “carved out a niche for himself in recent years defending politicians in legal trouble.” Webb represented former Illinois Gov. George Ryan and ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

Another Winston & Strawn partner, Bradley Lerman, represented Blagojevich as recently as March, “but the two have now parted ways,” the NLJ story says.

In 2004 Sorosky won an acquittal for Blagojevich’s sister-in-law, who had been accused of knocking down a police officer at a gay marriage rally.

Crain’s Chicago Business lists other past clients of Sorosky’s. One is a traffic court clerk convicted in the Operation Greylord investigation of Cook County courts. Another is a city employee accused of obstructing justice by taking a juvenile to Tennessee who had accused U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds of having sex with her. The employee was acquitted. A third is a priest accused of drug possession.

Updated at 12:30 p.m. CT to include information from Crain's Chicago Business.