Blagojevich trial verdict possible today, August 12, 2010

A verdict in the Rod Blagojevich trial may come today. A note sent to Judge James Zagel from the jurors indicated they may be deadlocked on some of the counts. John Kass of the Chicago Tribune, who has been openly critical of Blagojevich and Obama for some time, provides some commentary.

“Despite all the theories tossed about after the jury delivered the note Wednesday to U.S. District Judge James Zagel, here’s the thing.

Nobody knows what it means. I don’t. Rod Blagojevich doesn’t. Certainly the lawyers don’t.
“We don’t know what it means,” said Michael Ettinger, lawyer for Rod’s brother and co-defendant Robert Blagojevich. “The judge doesn’t know what it means. I assume they are hung on my client, but I don’t know.”

So nobody knows. And you don’t, either, unless you’re a juror, and if you are, then you better stop reading this right now or Judge Zagel will get medieval on you.

So after getting all high and mighty and criticizing my TV colleagues for speculating, it would be most unfair for me to engage in speculation.

Or would it?

According to my own speculations, here’s what we do know:

In the annals of human history, there have been only two times that the impish grin has been wiped completely from the face of Rod Blagojevich.

First, there was that time when the FBI called him about 6 a.m. to tell him they were coming through his bungalow door to arrest him. And he thought it was his good buddy, then state Sen. Jimmy DeLeo, D-How You Doin?, making a practical joke.

Jimmy? Is that you? Jimmy?

No, it was Rob Grant, the special agent in charge of the Chicago FBI office.

And the second time the grin was wiped off was Wednesday, when he got the call to get down to the courthouse immediately because the jury had something to say.

By the time he arrived, he had been able to force at least half the smile back on his face. Walking past reporters, he wisecracked, “Missed you guys.”

But inside, without a jury to play to, the infuriating grin was gone. Instead, he patted his head a number of times, running his fingers over the back of his prodigious mane. But nervously, not like Mr. Cool.”

“Lawyers were told to return to court at 11 a.m. Thursday. That’s going to fuel even more speculation by us gum flappers who don’t know any more than do you.

Notwithstanding the “deliberated without rancor” line from the Perry Masons on the jury, Zagel had kind words for the panel.

He told the lawyers that the jurors were “exceptionally disciplined” and that he hadn’t once heard them fighting in the jury room.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ctc-met-kass-0812-20100812,0,420740.column?page=2&track=rss

Applicable to this trial and other things to be commented on soon,

Things are not always as they seem.

Also, He who laughs last, laughs loudest.

Wells