Judge Urged to Reject Rod Blagojevich Trial Delay
There's no time to lose as federal prosecutors continue to a urge a judge to reject ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's request to delay his corruption trial.
According to the Associated Press, Rod Blagojevich has asked a judge to reschedule his trial that is set to begin on Jun 3.
His attorneys are requesting that the trial be pushed back five months until November. They claim they will need more time to prepare and will not be done reviewing case loads of documents by June.
As previously discussed prosecutors are hoping that the upcoming decision by the U.S. Supreme Court on honest services fraud does not delay the Blagojevich trial. They're also concerned that some of the charges against Blagojevich will be wiped out after the ruling and he could actually find himself in a better legal position.
Honest services statues make it a crime for public officials to deprive the public or the government of the right to have public officials perform their duties honestly.
The honest services fraud law is a part of Blagojevich's original indictment. However, he was recently reindicted and charged with racketeering conspiracy.
The public interest in the case warrants a speedy resolution, prosecutors say.
Blagojevich was removed from office after an alleged attempt to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama and other alleged efforts to leverage the powers of his office, as previously discussed.
Prosecutors say the arguments made by Blagojevich's defense attorneys don't justify moving the trial date.
Ultimately, the judge will have to be the one to decide.
- Feds urge judge not to delay Blagojevich trial (Associated Press)
- Prosecutors Against Blagojevich Trial Delay (Mystateline.com)
- Blagojevich re-indicted on corruption charges (Chicagobreakingnews.com)
- Steps in the Federal Criminal Process (provided by Joyce & Bittner)
- Criminal Law FAQ (provided by The Roberts Law Firm, P.C.)