Blagojevich Asks Judge to Cancel Retrial

[Zephie]

Source: AP

CHICAGO—The impeached former governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, asked a judge on Wednesday to cancel his retrial and promptly sentence him on the sole conviction from his first trial, arguing that money woes prevent him from mounting an ample defense.

A five-page motion filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago says Mr. Blagojevich isn't conceding guilt, including on the conviction of lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. That is the lone count jurors agreed on at his otherwise deadlocked trial last year.

The motion says the former governor, whose legal bills are supposed to be paid by the government, wants to forgo a retrial on grounds that none of his lawyers have been paid for months of pretrial preparations.

"Should this motion be granted...funds for the second trial would no longer be necessary," the motion says. An added bonus, it continues, would be "no further cost to taxpayers."

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704132204576190151427234710.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

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Aww look, he's thinking of the taxpayers! :sarcasm:

[NV Whino]

1. Why the hell were the tax payers paying for this in the first place?

And you can bet if the lawyers were getting any money, the trial would go forward.