As we wait to see if one former governor will ever go to jail for corruption, another who's already serving time is, once again, asking to be let out. Citing the failing health of his terminally ill wife and this year's Supreme Court decision on the Honest Services law, jailed former governor George Ryan has asked the federal judge who presided over his trial for a release. more ›

That's right, he's still looming out there, the great-haired one, biding his time while we crap ourselves about who will be our next mayor, there's still the matter of our former governor. There was a hearing today to set a few things for the Blagojevich retrial, expected to kick off early next year. First of all, names of the jurors won't be released until 24 hours after the verdict, a decision the media has until November 1 to appeal. Judge Zagel also said the new questionnaire heading out to potential jurors will tell them to expect the retrial to last 10 to 11 weeks, shorter than the expected four months of the first trial. He also set a November 15 deadline for the prosecution to file any changes to their "road map" and an October 1 deadline for any shuffling of defense attorneys. A source told Chicago Mag's Carol Felsenthal that the father-son duo of Sam Adam Sr. and Jr. might be split up as Sr. wants to stay on board while Jr. wants out. There's also talk Blago might try to qualify as an "indigent defendant" which qualifies him for taxpayer-funded attorneys though Judge Zagel has indicated if Blago winds up with such a defense, he'll be limited to two attorneys. more ›

While the city came to a standstill over a certain mayoral announcement yesterday, the wheels of justice kept (slowly) turning in the ongoing Asian Carp saga. Yesterday was the first day of testimony in the lawsuit against the state of Illinois to stop the spread of the destructive species. The states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota and Pennsylvania are plaintiffs in the suit which calls for the closing of two locks in local waterways to prevent the spread of fish into Lake Michigan. more ›

There's been a lot of rumor-swirling today after the jury reported to Judge Zagel that it had a question. Attorneys were due in court for a 2:30 p.m. hearing but not much else was known. Prior to that, though, attorneys had a closed-door meeting with Judge Zagel though we still have no idea what that was about. NBC 5's Ward Room reported that Judge Zagel requested Blago's presence in court today, though, signalling... well, we don't know what Earlier today, in spite of the rumors, Team Blago attorney Sheldon Sorosky indicated that, as far as he knew, the question was procedural and likely didn't have to do with a situation such as the jury reaching a verdict on some counts but remaining deadlocked on others. And ABC 7's Chuck Goudie has reported that sources tell him that there's no verdict but the judge does want both Blagojevich Brothers present for the jury's question. more ›

One-time media magnate - and former Sun-Times owner - Conrad Black appeared in Chicago once more yesterday as he attended a hearing that set the terms of his bail. Business man and fancy pants Roger Hertog shelled out the $2 million to spring Conrad from jail after a U.S. Appeals court ruled Black could go free thanks to a ruling earlier this summer by the Supreme Court that limited the honest services law that had previously been used to convict Black. more ›

• The Feds are taking over Broadway Bank, the bank run by the family of Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Alexi Giannoulias.
• Huh, well at least now we know why Bill Brady was so controlling about releasing his tax information.
• Mayor Daley's not at all ruffled about Rahm's mayoral ambitions.

A hearing will get underway today in which a judge will ultimately determine which, if any, hearsay statements the jury will be allowed to hear in the upcoming murder trial of Drew Peterson. Peterson has been charged with the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. The controversial law was passed by the state legislature in 2008. The law is controversial because, well, hearsay is generally not accepted in trials [see Article VIII, page 15 - PDF]. There are exceptions, which this new law proposes to be, but it still seems to walk a fine line and, if Peterson is convicted, will surely be the cornerstone of any appeal, as will the retroactive application (i.e., the ex post facto nature) of the law (as pointed out by readers in the comments of this old post on the story). more ›

James W. Lewis, the lone suspect in the 1982 Tylenol poisoning case, made an appearance in Middlesex Superior Court in Cambridge, Massachusetts earlier this week, the Boston Globe reports [via the Trib]. The hearing was allegedly addressing a grand jury subpoena Lewis was served with, ordering him to turn over DNA and fingerprint samples. Lewis' attorney, David E. Meier, would not comment on if such a hearing took place, saying such proceedings "are supposed to be secret precisely to protect the reputations of innocent people like James Lewis and his wife. To comment further would be irresponsible, unprofessional, and unethical.’’ Seven people in the Chicago area died in the fall of 1982 as a result of Extra-Strength Tylenol tablets tainted with cyanide. Lewis served time in prison for trying to extort money from Johnson & Johnson, sending them a note demanding $1 million to "stop the killing," but has always denied he was responsible for the tainted Tylenol. more ›

An area man accused of stalking and illegally videotaping ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews has pleaded not guilty on one count of interstate stalking. The plea was entered in a federal court in Los Angeles earlier today. The man, insurance executive Michael Barrett, is free on $100,000 bond, an amount that's much higher than the original bond imposed. Barrett was already free on $4,500 bond and U.S. Magistrate Judge Carolyn Turchin was set to raise that to $20,000 but raised it higher after hearing arguments from attorneys in the case. Per the AP: more ›

A police board held a hearing today to determine whether or not Anthony Abbate will remain an officer with the Chicago Police Department. While Abbate has been relieved of duties without pay, FOX 32 reports he's still technically a member of the police force. As part of the hearing, Abbate testified but pled the Fifth nearly 100 times. more ›

A hearing is currently taking place in the case of Anthony McKinney, a man who's been in prison since 1978 for murder that Northwestern's Medill Innocence Project says he didn't commit. While Cook County prosecutors have agreed that McKinney should get a new trial, but have battled the Project to gain access to the students' notes, grades, and other information claiming the work was done by students for good grades and have, thus, questioned the authenticity of the work. The school has fought the subpoena, arguing it has already turned over relevant material pertaining to the case. Medill professor David Protess said, "Prosecutors should be more concerned with the wrongful conviction of Anthony McKinney than with my students' grades." The judge may decide in today's hearing whether or not the Project has to comply with the subpoena. We'll update as we get more information. In the meantime, the Tribune has a nice write-up including more background of the Project and its involvement in the McKinney case. more ›

He just won't go away. And even though he's already started filming on the show, former governor Rod Blagojevich still doesn't know if he'll be allowed on the reality TV show Celebrity Apprentice. Because when you think "celebrity," you think "Blagojevich." Prosecutors allege that the show will interfere with the federal case against him by tainting the potential pool of jurors. According to reports, concerns are over when the show actually airs: it begins airing in March, just a few months before Blago's trial kicks off in June. more ›

After getting in a grueling two-and-a-half days of work in before the Christmas break, the State House committee investigating whether or not the state legislature should impeach embattled Governor Rod Blagojevich is shaking off the egg nog hangovers and getting back to work. Among the items the panel plans to handle are Blago Attorney Ed Genson's expected submission of President-Elect Barack Obama's internal report on the matter as a means of evidence supporting Blago's innocence and awaiting word from U.S. Patrick Fitzgerald as to whether or not they'll get to hear those wiretap tapes. more ›

Cartoon for Chicagoist by Tim Daly more ›