Two Counts Down, 22 to Go in Blagojevich Trial
Jurors have met for 12 days to debate the political corruption charges against former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. During that time, they’ve reached agreement on just two out of 24 counts.
Jurors indicated today that they are deadlocked on 11 counts and haven’t deliberated 11 others dealing with wire fraud, according the Chicago Tribune and the Associated Press. The wire fraud counts are largely based on allegations that Blagojevich tried to sell Barack Obama’s Senate seat.
It’s unknown how jurors decided the two counts and what they entail.
Blagojevich looked as if he were trying to suppress a smile as Judge James Zagel read the jury note, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Former prosecutor Terry Sullivan told AP that lack of consensus is “very good news for the defense so far.”
Zagel told the jurors to go back and deliberate the wire fraud counts.
