George Ryan found guilty

[never cry wolf]

Guilty on all counts...

George Ryan found guilty

Tribune staff report
Published April 17, 2006, 12:22 PM CDT

A federal jury in Chicago has found former Governor George Ryan and businessman Larry Warner guilty on all charges after a five-month trial in federal court.

Details to come.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/custom/newsroom/chi-060417ryantrial,0,4525779.story?coll=chi-homepagepromo440-fea

on edit: WTG Fitz!!! I hope you next big name case meets with as much success!

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. w o w

Impressive.
This should send a message to the White House. The same dogged approach is being used in the Libby matter. By the same prosecutor.
You go, Fitz!

[Coventina]

2. Let's buy him a coffee mug that says "World's Best Bottom"

:D

[AngryAmish]

5. rape isn't funny

[SammyBlue]

33. Dude, calm down. It was a joke. Get a sense of humor!

I hope he loves prison! International Orange is such a good color on Republicans.

[dysfunctional press]

40. when it happens to a convicted corrupt repug, it is...

or ANY white collar criminal, for that matter.

[FredScuttle]

13. There's a "My Name is Earl" fan!

Great cameo by Jon Favreau

[Coventina]

48. Hee hee! Stolen material, I admit

:thumbsup:

[BuyingThyme]

3. An oldie but a goodie:

An arraignment on the charges has not been scheduled. If Ryan were convicted on all 18 counts, he could face to 95 years in prison.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-12-17-ryan_x.htm

[napi21]

4. Let's hope Fitz is on a winning roll!

That's great news! I must say I was getting worried when deliberations were taking so long!

[ChairmanAgnostic]

12. those two jurors who were kicked off apparently pissed off everyone

They were the only hold-outs. Then it was learned that they lied on their juror information sheets. (their "bad", especially in federal court. Their extremely very incredibly "bad") Once those two were gone, the entire deliberations took only 10 days. For a complex, detail-driven and paper trail case like this, with more than 150 pages of jury instructions alone, 10 days is not unreasonable.

Plus the jury did not know that Ryan was getting a free defense at close to $1000 an hour for almost a year. I saw a figure that called it a $20,000,000 free donation from one of the most connected GOP lawfirms in the country. (and they have a lot more to answer for than simply this gift of a free defense)

[lovuian]

14. Woohoo!!! Fitzy!!!

:woohoo:

[napi21]

29. So that connected to the GOP law firm isn't that great huh?

Either that, or Ryan was so obviously guilty Perry Mason couldn't have saved him!

[ChairmanAgnostic]

31. they have had many successes, mainly for the largest of the large.

Some of their dealings for the GOP nationally really stink bad, and they have come close to being sanctioned for illegal and unethical behavior on behalf of GOP (or their financiers) several times.

They are the epitomy of a large, silk stocking connected lawfirm that has made its bed with the current power brokers. They are extremely powerful and often very good at what they do - it is just that what they sometimes do would make you puke and prevent you from seeing a mirror the same way ever again.

[sofa king]

32. I've never heard about that before! Will you tell me more, please?

I'm highly interested because two lying holdouts on one jury has jury tampering written all over it--something I expect the Bush Administration to attempt virtually full time this summer and fall.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

34. Original deliberations were going on for 5 weeks.

Several times, the jury sent out complaints about one or the other hold outs. Each time, the judge sent a note back, instructing them to read the instructions and follow the law. Finally, things were getting to a breaking point, and it caused additional scrutiny by the court and prosecutors. Turns out two of the jurors lied on their juror data sheets (I avoid fed court like the plague, so I do not know the chapter and verse of what sort of violation that is) and those were the jurors who were causing the problems. Are those two things related? dunno yet, but I guess that they are. Especially since in 10 days, the newly revived jury, with two alternates goes through 150 pages of jury instructions, 6 months of trial, and finds George guilty on all counts.

[sofa king]

35. Thank you very much, antifaschits

With your description I ran across this page, which I think I'm going to need to read.

http://www.sj-r.com/extras/ryan/ryantrial.asp

"Witheld information about their criminal backgrounds" seems to be the only explanation offered.

[cal04]

6. August 4th sentencing

was just announced on CBS news Chicago
They are talking about lifting the gag order so they can talk to the jury , but they are now back in the jury room

[DS1]

19. August 4th?

What's wrong with 4 o'clock?

[marmar]

7. Cheers!

:toast:

And may there be many more Repug convictions to come.

:think: I didn't see once mention that Ryan is a Republican in the story. I'm sure that's a well-known fact in Illinois but perhaps not by the masses everywhere.

[Dogmudgeon]

8. Is he Jeri Ryan's ex?

So many Republican criminals, so few cells left in my poor, suffering brain.

--p!

[madrchsod]

10. no that guy is JACK ryan

that`s how he campaigned in illinois

[Dogmudgeon]

15. I knew it was a crooked midwestern Republican "Ryan"

Of course, it's becoming difficult to NOT name any Republican criminals.

--p!

[Inland]

36. Jack Ryan wasn't crooked. Quite the opposite.

According to his divorce papers, he asked his wife, Jeri Ryan, to accompany him to a club where they could have sex in front of strangers. She objected, they never went.

Jack Ryan was dropped as a republican candidate for senator despite the least interesting sex scandal ever. I mean, the guy still wanted to have sex with this own wife. How lame is that?

And he honest to god quit his big time job to be a schoolteacher.

His replacement as republican candidate for senate: Alan Keyes.

So it's hardly the same. George was known to be a crooked old crocodile when he was elected governor, and it took an investigation to get republicans to turn on him. Jack was booted for trying the wrong thing to spice up his sex life.

Now, JIM Ryan was another shit.

[Thor_MN]

38. He was sleeping with Jeri Ryan and needed to spice things up?

I'm sorry, but there has to be something very wrong if sharing a bed with Jeri Ryan is not enough...

[Inland]

39. Well......

Seriously, I don't know exactly what the story is, but I'd do her in the middle of Times Square just because otherwise nobody would believe me.

[EST]

17. Ex-governor of Illinois

There was a huge scandal with all the usual republican kick backs, plus they were selling truck driver's licenses to unqualified and convict applicants, and money laundering having to do with campaign finance bribery.
Then, with typical Fitzgeraldian thoroughness, he has also been convicted for not accounting for the illicit income he derived from the bribes, etc.
Jim Thompson, another (ex-governor) repug crook, of 911 commission fame, was part of his defense team.
Ryan's big good deed was the death penalty moratorium.

[Demeter]

9. It Was An Awfully Quiet Trial

No daily blabs or anything...no national interest? Or just good management?

[madrchsod]

11. it was a pretty big story here in illinois

no national interest that is a given

[Inland]

27. Gag orders.

And it was really long and boring, and then weeks of deliberation. The only fireworks involved replacing jurors.

[pinniped]

16. WGN Chicago keeps talking about this.

Where the hell is Magnum P.I.?

[EST]

18. They are desperately trying to rehabilitate him, aren't they?

[pinniped]

21. Ryan or Selleck?

Someone over at WGN sure likes MPI. It's been on twice a day for a while now.

I don't mind if the Cubs play and one episode gets axed, but they just showed the newz at 10:00am PST.

[EST]

24. Oops! Sorry. Ryan, of course.

This is an absolute thrill--another corrupt repuke bites the dust. Sorry about the pre-emption of Magnum P U, but I have to forgive 'em, this time.
The good guys win one.

[DemReadingDU]

20. Tom Sellock?

[pinniped]

22. Yes, I hate it when newz takes precedence over a regularly....

scheduled program, unless it's going to be the issuing of indictments for evil members of the * crime cabal.

[greatauntoftriplets]

23. WGN is a Chicago-based television station.

Ryan's conviction on all counts is a big story and one that came as a surprise to many.

[arikara]

25. The dominos are falling

:D

[Inland]

26. An astounding victory for Fitzgerald in U.S. v. George Ryan.

I think the conviction on all counts just beat all the odds anyone was giving. Scooter must have dropped a brick when he heard, and yes, he was paying attention.

[Jemmons]

30. Did anyone email this to the Whitehouse? n/t

[never cry wolf]

28. Mods, the headline in the link changed after I posted

It's too late for me to edit it now, sorry.

[DanCa]

37. I am so proud of my big blue state today.

Of course politics aside corruption of any public official, in any compassity, regardless of party, should not be tolerated.

[mucifer]

41. Ryan isn't as evil as the bush administration repubs

He did start the death penalty moritorium here in IL and is a bit of a moderate. Just thought I'd point that out. Compared to abramoff and cheney and bush and rummy this guys is a saint. That said some children might not have died had a truckdriver not gotten his driver's liscence through a bribe to Ryan's office when he was head of IL's DMV.

[mopinko]

42. drop that death penalty thing, eh? please?

he did that after it became apparent that he was going to die in prison. no political courage or morals involved AT ALL. it is making me puke to hear that constantly spouted.
george ryan drove the last nail in the coffin of the equal rights amendment back in the day. illinois was the last possible state, the deadline was looming, the votes were there, and george, then floor leader, refused to allow it to come to the floor. he is an ass, a hypocrite, and a crook. that is, he is a typical thug, with no redeeming qualities. except maybe living in a less than knuckle dragging state. if he was from alabama, he would be as bad as any of them.

[mucifer]

43. I did prison activism when I lived in SF

Mo, what you are talking about is termed "compassionate release" we were fighting for it for people with diseases like AIDS in prison who may for example die there with a 3 year sentance for stealing a pair of jeans. Ryan as far as I know wasn't working on any "compassionate release" issues and he is not eligable for the death penalty.

[mopinko]

44. i'm just saying

he pulled the whole death penalty "my conscience was bothering me" schtick to distract from the fact that he is a crook, they were coming for him, he wanted to have something stuck to his name beside "convicted felon". and it worked. i have heard it over and over. death penalty opponent. neatly pushing "republican" out of contention for adjective of choice. and what a great way to suck up to the guys that he would be spending his golden years with.
greedy bastard. i will enjoy seeing him go away for the rest of his pathetic life. i only regret how much it is going to cost illinois' tax payers to care for his rotting, soft, fat carcass.

[Critters2]

45. As a new Illinoisan

I can't see how one party, or even one politician, is better than the other. this must be the corruption capital of the world. He just got caught.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

52. no kidding. we are an equal opportunity criminal state, far worse

than most others. Both sides of the aisle should be indicted.

[Bushies gotta go]

47. If he was convicted

in Federal court, it won't be Illinois taxpayers paying his room and board, it will be all of us.

But that's okay, I'd be willing to pay for a whole bunch more (* for one)

[American liberal]

46. It sickens me to think that what on the surface of it looked like

a real forward thinking decision (death penalty moratorium) was really just a ploy to aid in his defense if he were ever indicted. And the shameless defense team DID try to use the moratorium as a means to sway the jury. Either WGN or Fox (can't remember which) got an exclusive interview with Ryan's "poor" wife who was clearly instructed by the lawyers to use the death penalty moratorium to the defense's advantage. It was a pitiful, pitiful display and really made me sick that I had been took so badly to actually give that creep the benefit of the doubt as to his guilt.

Justice was served today! I hope it's the first of a long string of successes for the special prosecutor!

[davsand]

50. Yep, his motives sucked, but he still stopped the death penalty.

Yep, Ryan was a corrupt POS, and his motives for stepping up and putting the moratorium on the Illinois Death Penalty were probably personal. The bottom line remains the same, however-- he did stop it. That by itself is worthy of some small respect. He deserved the verdict yesterday, and I have no problem with that. I also figure that Ryan did save a few lives, and that is worth noting here.

-----

Something else to think about here:

Ryan was not terribly well liked by a lot of the IL GOP even before the death penalty moratorium, and the smell of corruption was already on him before he was elected. Remember, Ryan won his race for Governor, in part, with some help from Illinois Women who could/would not vote for Poshard who was anti-choice. I know Dem women who crossed over and voted for Ryan based on that one issue, and it is demonstrable based on returns coming out of strong Dem areas that went for Ryan.

I do hope that lesson is not lost on Illinois Dems in this upcoming Gubernatorial election.



Regards.


Laura

[ElsewheresDaughter]

49. i concur!

[chill_wind]

51. Party ID games- Time magazine and AP reportage

When democratic politicians get into trouble, it's because of party. It makes the first paragraph. When Republicans do it---

well, it's hardly worth mentioning party affiliation.....

see:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2006_04_16.php#008245