Blago GUILTY!

[IceHogsFan]

Rod Blagojevich lawyer: Former governor's actions were crimes





CHICAGO — Rod Blagojevich's attorneys have admitted for the first time that the former Illinois governor is guilty of corruption, saying today at his sentencing hearing that he accepts the verdicts against him but the prison term requested by prosecutors is too harsh.



Those comments are in stark contrast to Blagojevich's public statements, in which he adamantly maintained his innocence through two trials since his arrest three years ago.



Attorney Sheldon Sorosky told Judge James Zagel that it was illegal for Blagojevich to ask for a job for himself in exchange for his naming of a replacement for President Obama in the U.S. Senate.



"There's no doubt this is a crime to do this in relation to the Senate seat, we accept that," Sorosky said. "I am just saying that does not call for a 15 to 20 year jail" term.



Sorosky made the same argument when he talked about the other crimes for which the former governor was convicted — shaking down a racetrack executive and a hospital executive, as well as lying to the FBI.







Much more to read here http://www.rrstar.com/news/x695856866/Rod-Blagojevich-sentencing-hearing-in-Chicago-begins

 

[winos5]

His crony Rezko got 10 and change. I predict Blago gets 12-15 years.

 

[IceHogsFan]

Cases such as his restore some of my faith in the judicial system.

 

[Tater]

After today, 4 out of the last nine Illinois governors went to prison.



Brutal and embarrassing.

 

[R K]

14 years for being a Politician and a Douchebag. Pretty sad for multiple reasons. Then again as the tax payers we get to pay for those 14 years, while those who molest little children are out in 2-3.

 

[R K]

Cases such as his restore some of my faith in the judicial system.

Yea and that rapist let out on good behavior, only to rape again does what? Our system is quite the joke actually.



Oh and he was tried twice, of which it cost us double the money. Awesome!

 

[IceHogsFan]

Yea and that rapist let out on good behavior, only to rape again does what? Our system is quite the joke actually.



Oh and he was tried twice, of which it cost us double the money. Awesome!

So, in other words, we should have stopped after the first trial and let him walk, right?



IMO, the end justified the means.

 

[MassHavoc]

If he gets a large enough sentence to put every politician on notice that this shit has to stop or they will be held accountable, then yes, it was worth every dime. I hope they give him a full 15 and his only visitors are other corrupt politicians to hear the tales of how he has a new husband.

 

[Tater]

Luckily, it is a very strict no-nonsense judge this time that will give him a long sentence.

 

[IceHogsFan]

If he gets a large enough sentence to put every politician on notice that this shit has to stop or they will be held accountable, then yes, it was worth every dime. I hope they give him a full 15 and his only visitors are other corrupt politicians to hear the tales of how he has a new husband.

Exactly Mass



Now some will say it has not stopped them yet by looking at our past but it is certainly better then the alternative which would be to just turn a blind eye and say that is just the way it is. There were some even here that were against his trials saying he did not break the law, it was a waste of taxpayer dollars, it was politically motivated, blah, blah, blah.



Bottom line is that another asshat is going behind iron in Illinois and maybe eventually the people of our state will wake up...

 

[R K]

So, in other words, we should have stopped after the first trial and let him walk, right?



IMO, the end justified the means.

NO, we should have paid for an entirely new trial until one of them found him guilty. You know if the 2nd hadn't the vendetta would have requested a 3rd. This was more the Fed being pissed off by him, more than anything he did.



Sorry you see it as "Justice", I see it as political bullshit. And you and I get to pay for it for the next 8-10 years or so.

 

[R K]

If he gets a large enough sentence to put every politician on notice that this shit has to stop or they will be held accountable, then yes, it was worth every dime. I hope they give him a full 15 and his only visitors are other corrupt politicians to hear the tales of how he has a new husband.

Not a chance. I suppose 90% of the politicians doing the same type of manuevers should be in jail then.



Our Criminal Justice System is pretty fucked.

 

[R K]

Exactly Mass



Now some will say it has not stopped them yet by looking at our past but it is certainly better then the alternative which would be to just turn a blind eye and say that is just the way it is. There were some even here that were against his trials saying he did not break the law, it was a waste of taxpayer dollars, it was politically motivated, blah, blah, blah.



Bottom line is that another asshat is going behind iron in Illinois and maybe eventually the people of our state will wake up...

Some of us are leaving Illinois! You can pay for the idiocy.



Blah, blah, blah.....



And tiny FYI he's going behind the Iron in Indiana. We can pay for him there too. I suppose it should all come out of your pocket since you are so "happy" about paying for it.



Meanwhile that child rapist who lives around the corner is out on good behavior. Lock your doors, or unlock them the big bad criminal Blago is going to jail. You are safe once again.



BLAH FUCKING BLAH!



<I do agree he's an asshat, but then so are the GOP Canidates, the guy in the White House, and almost ALL of Congress, it doens't mean being and asshat is illegal>



But you retry him enough someone will eventually find him guilty. You too for that matter.

 

[MassHavoc]

Looks like 14 years it is.



http://www.cbsnews.c...ears-in-prison/



He'll be 69 before he gets out, a number he should become very well acquainted with.

 

[R K]

The punishment doesn't fit the crime, if there really was a crime. The Criminal Justice System is so out of whack it's not even funny.



Ryan recieved monitary compensation.

 

[BiscuitintheBasket]

The punishment doesn't fit the crime, if there really was a crime. The Criminal Justice System is so out of whack it's not even funny.



Ryan recieved monitary compensation.

The sentence is a byproduct of the current anti-political climate. Giving him a lesser sentence would seem too easy. However I agree that based on past rulings with people what have done far worse, the 14 years seems too harsh IMO.



Also, he might not have had the hard "save my ass" info as he inferred.

 

[mikita's helmet]

Looks like 14 years it is.

Will he serve the whole sentence or will he end up serving half his sentence, ala Conrad Murray, M.D., when they start emptying the prisons due to budgetary restraints?

 

[Tater]

Will he serve the whole sentence or will he end up serving half his sentence, ala Conrad Murray, M.D., when they start emptying the prisons due to budgetary restraints?

Early pardon by the next governor (before he gets locked up too of course)?

 

[BiscuitintheBasket]

Early pardon by the next governor (before he gets locked up too of course)?

Hell, Quinn is corrupt enough to pardon him before he gets elected out in the next election.

 

[dlrob315]

Can a Governor pardon a federal conviction? I know the President can only pardon federal convictions and not state convictions.