Blagojevich trial early January 2011, Update, Attorneys Adam Sr and Jr may represent Blagojevich pro bono

From the Chicago Tribune August 26, 2010.

“The judge who presided over Rod Blagojech’s corruption trial says he’ll likely set the retrial for early January and reiterated that he probably won’t allow the former governor to have more than two taxpayer-funded lawyers.

Judge James Zagel said today he would be open to allowing more attorneys if they volunteered their time, or allowing attorneys paid for by a benefactor.

Zagel said the trial date will likely be the first week of the new year, but not on Jan. 3, just after the New Year’s holiday.

If that process started immediately, opening statements would be given in October and  jury deliberations could run into the holidays, Zagel said.

“We have a certainty that we’re dealing with deliberations in the last half of December, and that’s a bad time to do it – a distracted jury,” Zagel said.

A delay until January also will allow some of the publicity surrounding the case to die down, he said, and will lead to a jury pool that includes people who have a general memory of the case but not a specific one.”

Adam Sr. said he, his son and the other lawyers representing Blagojevich would discuss the makeup of the legal team for a second trial with their client, but allow him to make the final call on who stays and who goes.

Adam Sr. said everything would be on the table, including the possibility of seeking a plea deal, though he acknowledged that wasn’t likely since Blagojevich has said in recent media interviews that he would not do so.

“I have never discussed a possible plea with the government,” he said, stressing that prosecutors have never broached the idea of a deal either. “But I’ll discuss anything.”

“It’s up to him,” Adam Sr. said of Blagojevich. “He’s the client. Whatever he thinks is best we’ll do.”

And Adam Sr. said he would even consider remaining on the legal team and working for free if Blagojevich asked him to. “I’m prepared to do anything the client wants, including working for free. He’s our friend and he’s our client. ”