Results tagged “trial”

Former governor Rod Blagojevich's motion to move back his trial has been denied. The motion was filed because Blago's lawyers claim a trio of cases before the Supreme Court for rulings could have implications on parts federal mail fraud law and, therefore, could affect aspects of Blago's federal trial. Judge James Zagel disagreed, saying that either way the current start date of June 2010 should give both sides plenty of time to prepare. [WBEZ]

Attorneys for former governor Rod Blagojevich are lobbying to have the ex-gov's federal trial pushed back from its scheduled June start date until September. The reason? They claim a Supreme Court ruling on the "honest services" provision of the federal mail fraud statute expected in the Spring might affect Blago's case. The Trib explains:

Former Chicago Police commander John Burge, arrested last year on charges of obstruction of justice and perjury, has successfully postponed his trial for the third time. The Chicago Sun Times reports Burge has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and will be undergoing radiation treatment in Florida when his January trial is scheduled to begin. Burge’s lawyers requested the postponement, saying that it was “nonsense” to imply he is using his illness to further stave off the trial. In fact, Burge’s legal team appeared disappointed in not beginning the trial, with one of his lawyers saying he “would have loved a Christmas jury with a cancer patient. That’s a combination for an acquittal.”

• With property tax bills set to arrive in mailboxes over the next several days, it looks like they're going up by double-digits, even higher than previously expected.
• John Ambrose, a deputy U.S. Marshal accused of leaking information to mob members involved in the Family Secrets investigation, has been sentenced to four years in prison. When he was convicted in April, it was reportedly the first breach of the Witness Protection program.
• Former Chicago Bear Tank Johnson testified today in the murder trial of Michael Selvie, charged with shooting and killing Johnson's boyhood friend Willie Posey at the Ice Bar in December 2006.

"No longer is the boogeyman a fairy tale," said Thomas Nicarico to the jury gathered at the DuPage County courtroom on Friday.

James Degorski, who was found guilty yesterday on seven counts of murder for his part in the 1993 Brown Chicken's killings, has been ruled eligible for the death penalty by the same jury that convicted him. The next phase begins tomorrow; prosecutors will try to persuade the jury to sentence Degorski to the death penalty while the defense will argue for life in prison. [Sun-Times]

After a little over a week, the jury for the second Brown's Chicken Murders trial - for suspect James Degorski - has been selected. The jury of six men and six women was finalized on Friday and four alternates were chosen yesterday to complete the process. According to the Sun-Times, the jury's racial make-up breaks down like so: "Nine of the jurors are white, two are African-American and one is Hispanic. The alternates are two black men, a Hispanic man and a white woman." Opening statements will begin as planned on August 31. In 2007, Juan Luna stood trial for the killings, resulting in a conviction on all seven counts of murder and a life sentence. The big break in the case came in 2002 when Degorski's then girlfriend, Anne Lockett, finally gave in and told police Degorski had admitted committing the shootings to her. The Daily Herald has an extensive archive of stories on the murders.

An episode of NBC's Dateline show has prompted lawyers for Marni Yang to request a gag order in the case as well as a change of venue due to concerns the segment, which aired last week, might taint the potential jury pool. According to the Tribune, one of Yang's lawyers argued the segment delved into evidence and witnesses that has yet to be reviewed in court. The presiding judge requested a copy of the episode and a hearing on the matter has been scheduled for late September. Yang is accused of the 2007 murder of Rhoni Reuter and her unborn child; prosecutors allege Yang was jealous of Reuter's relationship with then-Chicago Bear Shaun Gayle. You can watch the Dateline piece in segments here. Part 1 is below.

John Harris, Blago's former Chief of Staff who was arrested along with the ex-governor back in December, is expected to plead guilty to fraud charges at a noon hearing today. Indications are that Harris has been cooperating with prosecutors and plans to testify against Blago at his trial next summer. [WBEZ]

    

It's been an eventful end of the week for the Blagojevich family. First, Patti returned from the wilds of Costa Rica after being voted off the reality show I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here. Husband Rod, daughters Amy and Annie, and sister State Rep. Deb Mell were at O'Hare to greet Patti upon her return. When asked about the experience, Patti said, "It was nice to go down there and meet people that didn't have an agenda with me, that became my friends and it helped restore my faith in people." Rod added, "She's a heckuva lot more popular [than him]."

Tom Tuduj, who was convicted in January of killing his boss, Gary Poter, was sentenced today to 45 years in prison. The murder happened in 2006. Prosecutors alleged Tuduj was enraged over a poor work review and pay reduction by Poter, though Tuduj claimed a toxic mix of medications caused him mental issues. Tuduj was also convicted of attempted disarmament of a police officer because he tried to grab an officer's gun while in police custody.

Embattled alderman Ike Carothers appeared in federal court this morning and pleaded not guilty to four counts of wire and mail fraud, one count each of accepting a bribe, and one count of filing a false federal income tax return. Carothers was released on a $4,500 signature bond. The Trib's Jeff Coen has more and you can catch up with our previous posts on Carothers.

Both the Trib and Sun-Times are reporting Chicago Police officer Anthony Abbate has been found guilty on one count of aggravated battery. He originally faced 15 felony counts of aggravated battery in a public place, communication with a witness, intimidation, conspiracy and official misconduct.

Before we continue with the post, we invite you to first re-watch the surveillance tape video that's been repeatedly shown across the country over the last 2+ years.

It seems former governor Rod Blagojevich's federal trial might get underway come April 2010. At a status hearing this morning, U.S. District Judge James Zagel said he prefers for the trial to start by next April and by July 2010 at the latest. Zagel also floated the idea of an anonymous jury. Blagojevich defense attorney Sam Adam Jr. said, "If that's what the judge orders I'll be ready."

The case of a Chicago Police officer who was caught on tape beating a Chicago bartender finally gets underway today. 12-year CPD vet Anthony Abbate stands accused in the February 2007 beating of Karolina Obrycka at Jesse's Short Stop Inn, a beating that was caught by the bar's surveillance camera. Abbate allegedly attacked Obrycka after she refused to continue serving him drinks. If this is the first you've heard of the case in a while, it's because the presiding judge, Circuit Judge John J. Fleming, issued a gag order in the case last May. Abbate faces 15 felony counts of aggravated battery in a public place, communication with a witness, intimidation, conspiracy and official misconduct which could add up to five years in jail if convicted

The effects of former police commander Jon Burge's arrest last fall in connection with torture charges is now being felt. On Friday, a Cook County Judge ruled that Victor Safforld, a.k.a. Cortez Brown, will get a new trial after he determined a trio of officers under Burge's command - James O'Brien, Anthony Maslanka and John Paladino - tortured Brown into confessing. If a new trial is pursued against Brown, his alleged confession will most likely not be admitted. Brown was convicted of two murders in 1990 and sentenced to death though that sentence was later commuted to life. While Brown admitted he was a gang member, he said he had been beaten into confessing, claiming, according to the Trib, "the detectives punched him, beat his legs and hands with a metal flashlight and slapped him in the head for a half hour until his will was broken."

Drew Peterson formally entered a plea of "not guilty" this morning on two charges of first-degree murder related to the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. Meanwhile, the Will County prosecutors are asking for a new judge to hear the case.

Five men accused of plotting to team up with al-Qaida and blow up the Sears Tower, as well as federal buildings in Miami, were found guilty today while another was acquitted; a seventh man originally charged, Lyglenson Lemorin, was acquitted in 2007. It was the third trial for the group, the previous two having fallen apart due to dead-locked juries. According to the Miami Herald:

As attorneys for ex-gov Rod Blagojevich attempt to deal with a ridonkulous amount of evidence the prosecution plans to use, the defense also learned today how many attorney's they'd be allowed to use in the case (for now). U.S. District Judge James Zagel ruled Blago could hire three attorneys to take the case to trial, though his lead attorney Sheldon Sorosky asked for four trial lawyers and three additional lawyers to help tackle the evidence. [Sun-Times]

The John Ambrose trial - the case of a former deputy U.S. Marshal who was accused of leaking information to the Chicago Outfit - has come to an end and Ambrose has been found guilty of one count of theft of information and one count of illegal disclosure of information; he was also acquitted on two charges of lying to federal authorities.

If you wish "The Sopranos" were back on the air, tune into the John Ambrose trial. It has all the action, intrigue, betrayal and violence that the show used to have, except for one plot twist: This is all real. It's like "The Departed," if everyone hadn't died at the end of the movie and instead went to court. To get you up to speed, read below--

The trial of Alfred Sanchez, former commissioner of streets and sanitation, has begun. Sanchez has been charged with fraud in connection with the Hired Truck scandal. Also on trial is Sanchez's aide, Aaron Del Valle. Jury selection should wrap up and opening statements are expected to be issued today. At the time of Sanchez's indictment, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald's office issued a statement detailing the charges [via Capitol Fax].

It's good to be Edward "Fast Eddie" Vrdolyak. Facing a potential sentence of between three and four years in prison for his role in a kickback scheme, Fast Eddie walked out of the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse yesterday a free man, sentenced to five years probation and fined $50,000, and declaring for reporters, "God is great." In spite of calls from prosecutors to come down heavy on Vrdolyak, U.S. District Judge Milton Shadur called the prosecution's case against him "serious overkill" when announcing the sentence. Vrdolyak pleaded guilty last fall to his role in the kickback scheme, but had refused to cooperate with the feds in any of their additional investigations. Per the Trib:

• Rev. Steve Wu, the pastor of Willow Creek Chicago - part of the megachurch Willow Creek Community Church, has resigned due to acts of "sexual impurity."
• The strange, terrible saga of Lockport, Illinois soldier Sgt. Michael Leahy Jr. continues.
• Well, it's no Miracle on the Hudson, but props to the pilot of a small plane who managed to make an emergency landing on the frozen Gray's Lake yesterday.

Another day, another sentencing in the Family Secrets Trial. Today was James "Little Jimmy" Marcello's turn to be be sentenced to life. Marcello had been convicted of racketeering and the 1986 murders of brothers Anthony "Tony the Ant" Spilotro and Michael Spilotro. Marcello also chose not to testify in his own defense unlike the other defendants in the trial. He was acquitted of the 1981 murder of Nicholas D'Andrea.

Governor Rod Blagojevich's impeachment trial gets underway on Monday and things are, what else, a hot mess. So what's going on in the World of Blago as the trial approaches?

Tom Tuduj was convicted yesterday by a Cook County Judge Jorge Alonso for the 2006 murder of Gary Poter, Tuduj's boss at the time. Prosecutors allege Tuduj was enraged over a poor work review and pay reduction by Poter, though Tuduj claimed a toxic mix of medications caused him mental issues. Tuduj was also convicted of attempted disarmament of a police officer because he tried to grab an officer's gun while in police custody. Tuduj faces up to 60 years in prison.

Never one to make a fuss about anything, impeached Governor Rod Blagojevich will today make his first appearance at the State Capitol since his arrest on December 9. Blago is on hand to preside over the swearing in of newly elected state senators, something he is required to do by law. Still, we're expecting him to receive a chilly reception at the high noon ceremony. Also occurring at noon will be the swearing in of new House members by Secretary of State Jesse White; the House will then re-vote on the impeachment of Blago, a technicality because of the newly sworn-in members. After the new senators are sworn in, Blago will then preside over the roll call vote for the Senate President, who we already know will be Chicago's John Cullerton. Cullerton will then address the senate and it's expected Blago will exit stage left, though without the traditional escort of senators.

The trial of Tom Tuduj (pictured left), accused of stabbing his boss to death after a bad performance review, got underway this week. Gary Poter (pictured right) of Poter Construction & Development Co. was killed in May 2006 after giving Tuduj the poor review and docking him $10,000 pay.