Blago Jury Selection: Corporate Lawyer Disses Pols, Woman Calls Ex-Gov a ‘Nutcase’
Nine potential jurors were dismissed for cause on Thursday in the retrial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich on corruption charges, but a former prosecutor who had a negative view of politicians wasn’t one of them.
The man, a corporate lawyer, had worked in the State’s Attorney’s office in suburban Lake County and in the Illinois Attorney General’s office, the Chicago Tribune reports. In his jury questionnaire, he wrote that he had a mostly negative view of public officials.
When U.S. District Judge James Zagel asked the potential juror if he could disregard those opinions, the lawyer answered, “I honestly think, in this instance, that would be difficult to do.” That wasn’t enough to get him kicked off the jury for cause. The lawyers have not yet used their peremptory challenges.
Most of those excused for cause had cited financial hardships, according to the Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times. Juror questionnaires revealed an uphill battle for Blagojevich. One potential juror called him a “nutcase.”
“If you take that literally, that does not mean guilty,” Zagel said.
The Tribune spoke to a jury consultant, Bill Grimes, who worked for Blagojevich in his first trial. He said a bad impression of politicians isn’t a negative for the defense. “The defense is looking for people who are cynical about the [political] process, those who think that’s the way it’s always done,” he said.
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