Legal Commentary

Blagojevich Opening Arguemts to Begin

By Jeralyn

The jury in the Rod and Robert Blagojevich trial will be picked this morning.

Then, opening arguments will begin. The prosecutor is execpted to be low-key and to the point. Team Blogo lawer, Sam Adams likely will take longer, and he'll tell a story. The opening argument is like the preview of coming attractions in the movies. It's what you expect the evidence to show. Adams will be fired up. He's a story-teller.

If I lived in Chicago, I'd try to attend every day. it will be interesting, particularly when the co-operators testify, all of whom got sweetheart deals in exchange for testimony that sinks Blagojevich.

I'm rooting for Blago. And his brother Robert. Among the things you might not have know about Blago's accomplshments in office: [More..]

He raised the minimum wage (angering some business groups), provided state-subsidized health insurance to every child in Illinois, banned discrimination of gays and lesbians, increased education spending, won approval to expand preschool and increased mammogram and cervical cancer screening for uninsured women.

He also opened a prison solely for drug offenders that stressed prevention and re-entry program. From his 2003 State of the Union Address:

Illinois leads the nation in drug-related crimes. We should lead the nation in drug crime prevention. Today, I am announcing that we will re-open Sheridan prison as a national model institution aimed solely at deterring drug crime. Drug addicts return to the streets - only to land right back in jail - after finding new victims and committing new crimes. Since more criminals are in Illinois prisons for drug-related offenses - the more we reduce drug crime, the safer our streets will be.”

The press constantly portrays him as a crook, an incompetent, an absentee Governor, a man only into the job for what he could get out of it, it's nice to know he wasn't as one-sided as he comes across.

He's not a fingers in every pie kind of guy. He doesn't micromanage (His assistants should earn their pay and report back to him.)He calls himself a "big picture kind of guy." I like him more every time I see him unscripted, which usually is after a press conference or on Celebrity Apprentice. Patty did the "I'm a Celebrity Get me Out of Here reality show. She was the best persons on it.

The deck is certainly stacked against Blago, perhaps for good reason, perhaps not, but I'm keeping an open mind and going to report on things that develop during trial I find curious or unfair.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on June 08, 2010 (boomark / email).