Star Attorney's Reputation Is on the Line in Blago Trial (more Fitzmas ?)

AOL News ^ | 8-15-10 | Allen Lengel

[STARWISE]

When he announced the charges in late 2008, Chicago's U.S. attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, came at Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich with all the bravado of Eliot Ness going after Al Capone in the movie "The Untouchables."

He told a throng of reporters that Blagojevich had embarked on a "corruption crime spree" and added, with a touch of the melodramatic, that the Democratic governor's crimes "would make Lincoln turn over in his grave." Blagojevich responded by hitting the talk show circuit, calling the charges unfounded and criticizing Fitzgerald.

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, shown here in June, is seen as a "prosecutor's prosecutor" by other U.S. attorneys.Now, 20 months later, Fitzgerald's bravado and stellar reputation are being tested in the public corruption trial of Blagojevich. After 12 days of jury deliberations, the outcome seems more uncertain than ever.

On Thursday, the jury informed U.S. District Judge James B. Zagel that they had reached agreement on just two of 24 counts, and that they could not reach a decision on 11. To boot, they said they hadn't even gotten to the other 11 counts of wire fraud. The judge directed them to keep deliberating. The jury took Friday off and returns Monday.

To be sure, Fitzgerald, 49, considered a rock star or a "prosecutor's prosecutor" among U.S. attorneys around the country, has had more than his share of victories. In fact, he was the one, as a special prosecutor temporarily assigned to Washington, who convicted I.

Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, in the CIA leak case. And his office brought down Illinois Gov. George Ryan, who is behind bars serving 6½ years on a corruption conviction.

Fitzgerald's name has also surfaced in the rumor mill as a potential candidate to take over the FBI when Director Robert S. Mueller III steps down next year.

While the media, and some in the public, may perceive an acquittal or mistrial in the Blagojevich case as a big blow to Fitzgerald and his ego, those who know him say it won't be a big deal either way.

"If this case doesn't turn into a victory, it might be looked at as a loss for him" in the pubic eye and the media, Chicago native Anthony S. Barkow, a former federal prosecutor in New York who knows Fitzgerald, told AOL News. "But I don't think it will damage his legacy because he's had such success.

"I don't think there's an ego thing involved with him," said Barkow, executive director of the Center on the Administration of Criminal Law at New York University School of Law. "I think he does what the right thing to do is. Pat is a very, very secure person with his perception of himself."

Fitzgerald friend Roscoe C. Howard Jr., former U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, concurs. "He certainly doesn't have that kind of ego. I don't think it will slow him down" if he loses.

"I think you have to applaud Pat for bringing the case," added Howard, now with the law firm Andrews Kurth. "You have prosecutors who worry about reputations and don't bring these kind of cases."

Over the past several weeks, starting in June, the government presented its case, which included secretly recorded FBI tapes of Blagojevich allegedly trying to shake down businesses and sell the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama when he won the presidency.

Exactly what would constitute a win for Fitzgerald is up for debate.

"If you have brought charges and a jury has decided someone has committed two felonies, you've got to think it's good that for the public that you brought something to light, particularly considering the position he [Blagojevich] was in," Howard said.

But, he conceded, "people will judge it as win or loss, no matter what happens. And Blagojevich will spin it in some way, because that's what Blagojevich does."

Barkow says that from a law enforcement standpoint, victory for Fitzgerald would be a "conviction on any of the counts that raises the possibility of prison time."

"Obviously, the general public and the media are going to look at batting averages and calculate how many overall counts resulted in conviction. "

Whatever the case, Barkow insists: "I don't think his will hurt his standing in the public eye. It's pretty well cemented as being well thought of."

A loss, he added, would probably be a "blip" on Fitzgerald's career.

Legal experts say the prosecution could retry on any counts on which the jury was hung. But if there are any convictions, the prosecution might have to weigh whether additional convictions in a second trial would make a difference at sentencing.

"The case is rarely as good the second time around," said Alan M. Gershel, the former head of the criminal division for the U.S. attorney's office in Detroit and a professor at Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Michigan.

For one, he said, the defense has already heard the testimony the first time and has a better chance of impeaching the prosecution's witnesses, who may not say the exact same thing the second time around.

Gershel says it won't be considered much of win for Fitzgerald's office if the government gets convictions on minor counts and not the ones addressing the meat of the case.

"I believe a victory on any major count is a victory," he said.

[STARWISE]

? ? ?

The delusional, blockheaded buffoon, Fitzie. If Blago gets off light, I don't see any way that Fitzie's inherent stubborn resistance to reality would allow him to NOT go back for a retrial. And then, we'll really see Pandora's box of worms, snakes and bugs really open up and the rotting underbelly of the Chicago and IL thug/union swamp patronage machine exposed, 'cause Rezko at least will be called to testify by the defense (if he's still breathing) .. maybe Emanuel and Jarrett as well.

That would be a small measure of karmic payback for the vicious, delusional and demented assault and professional destruction Fitzie gleefully delivered to Scooter Libby.

Why did you stop the Blago investigation short, Fitzie ? Afraid of which powerful co-conspirator would take Blago's bait if you didn't??

[STARWISE]

** Ping!

[hinckley buzzard]

Really, Fitz is a "star attorney?" The legal business must really be sucking wind these days.

[sinanju]

Oh, I wonder about this...

The object of the game here is to protect the King. If Blago knows he’s going to be screwed, then he starts singing.

Don’t think the Chicago Boyz won’t lean on Fitzie to back off—or else.

Obama ain’t Mr. Marquess-of-Queensbury-Rules, kick-me sign-wearing, GWB.

[FroggyTheGremlim]

Fitzgerald is a piece of scum. He deliberately ruined “Scooter” Libby’s life, his career and hurt his family, knowing all the while that it was Armitage who leaked Valerie Flame’s name to Novac.

May Fitgerald suffer for the rest of his life for what he did do a good man.

Although any adult who allows himself to be called “Scooter” can’t be all there anyway.

[Steely Tom]

Star Attorney's Reputation is On The Line in Blago Trial

For what? Did he inadvertently tell the truth? Advise someone to do the right thing?

[ozzymandus]

Fitzgerald never impressed me, especially after the big buildup he was given. He screwed Libby, and Blago will get off light to keep his yap shut. Fitzie is just another Chicago crook.

[STARWISE]

Another interesting layer of the Chicago web of connections I found snooping around.

John W. Rogers, Jr., is extremely tight with the -0’s and Valerie Jarrett. He founded and runs Ariel Investments, with billions managed by the firm, and was one of -0’s BIG bundlers .. raising over 1/2 million+ for the campaign. He also went to school with MO’s bro, Craig Robinson, to Princeton.

His ex-wife is Desiree Rogers, the former WH social secretary scandalized out of that job after the Salahi debacle at the WH state dinner.

**His current wife, Sharon Fairley (they might be in the
process of divorcing) is also a Princeton alum, and an

Asst US Attorney in Patrick Fitzgerald’s office in Chicago!!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~

U.S. Charges 28 Defendants in Alleged Crack Cocaine ...
65k - Adobe PDF - View as html
50 grams of crack cocaine since April 2007, announced, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney ... is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Fairley, Steven ...

http://www.justice.gov/usao/iln/pr/chicago/2008/pr0521_01.pdf

[Cheerio]

kick-me sign-wearing, GWB

LOL - boy ain't that the truth!!!

[screaminsunshine]

His job here is to keep Obama and friends out of trouble.

[Waco]

Plame’s name was in Vanity Fair magazine before anyone else had a chance to leak it, her husband blabbed about it, and she wasn’t covert at the time. How many million$ of taxpayer $$$ were spent on this farce.

[penelopesire]

Remind me again how Rodgers is connected to the Blago stuff (or is he?)

It’s becoming very obvious that Fitz threw this case down the toilet to protect Obama and other dem politicos and for which he expects to be given the top spot at the FBI when Mueller steps down. He is corrupt to the core..just like the rest of them. It’s really very sad to see our justice system go down in flames too.

[SERKIT]

Without being accused of being a conspiracy theorist, isn't it odd that two main characters in the Blago-Saga haven't been heard from...which may lead to a third? Emanuel and Rezko were at the center of this mess, and the public statements from the President don't line up with the apparent story line. Could it be that one or all may have lied to Federal investigators and now are protected so they do not have to testify and none of them will fall into the "Scooter Libby Process Crime" trap?

Combine a weakened case, confusing jury instructions, intertwined charges, and multiple defendants looks like it was a pre-cooked recipe to not only allow Blago to go free (or a wrist slap), but protect the Chicago-Washington transplants. I will be very surprised if Blago really does time. Can you imagine the crap that would spew on appeal, splashing onto the White Crib?

[STARWISE]

Only speculating .. his wife (or divorcing wife)
is an Asst US Attorney in Fitzie’s office. That’s
too rich for my blood.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks STARWISE.

Fitzgerald's name has also surfaced in the rumor mill as a potential candidate to take over the FBI when Director Robert S. Mueller III steps down next year.

[the Real fifi]

He also prosecuted Conrad Black which conviction was just overturned.

[STARWISE]

Hi fifi ... long time .. ;)

FYI .. he’s out on bail.

~ ~ ~

*snip*

The 65-year-old Black has been out on bail since July 23. At the time, U.S. District Court Judge Amy St. Eve refused to allow him to leave the country until he had filed detailed documents that outlined his financial holdings worldwide.

*snip*

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court set aside his multiple fraud convictions based on an improper use of the “honest services” law in his case, but his conviction on a single obstruction of justice charge remains in place.

His next court appearance is set for Sept. 20.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/08/06/conrad-black-canada.html?ref=rss#ixzz0wi4rbSZT

[the Real fifi]

Hi!

Thaks.
Yes, He’s out on bail, because the bulk of hi conviction was overturned. The Trial court now has to decide what, if anything, is left of the case.

I hope Kipnis is out, too. I paid as much attention to the case as i could and cannot find a single thing he did wrong.

[STARWISE]

It’s like Fitzie looks at SOME prominent
folks, and in his fantasy spaceball jammies,
he’s Mr. Crime Fighter USA, and his demented
imagination takes over, and it’s tweaked to
ponder: I wonder what that guy is REALLY up
to.

Then he siccs the us govt on them with its
overwhelming powers and unlimited finances to
dissect every iota he can to satisfy his whims
and delusions about the plots and skullduggery
he’s fantasized in his lame brain.

But this is only done to CERTAIN people over
whom he targets his adolescent obsessions.

It’s possible he had no real idea where Blago’s
and the Chicago Machine’s dirt would lead (and
THAT would be dumb), and then blanched, backed
off and cut the investigation short when he saw
the depths and breadth of all the depravity and
huge spectrum of IL sewage in the govt .. local,
state and federal.

I think he’s really a loose cannon .. a disordered,
misguided nut with severe cognitive issues.

[the Real fifi]

He does seem to prosecute people for offenses that seem invisible to me. Even Blago’s case seems to boil down to TALKING about getting support in exchange for naming person to a vacant seat. I can’t see any steps were made on his part to do anything. In fact, Jesse Jackson listened to his fans offer to pay Blago and he wasn’t charged at all.