Posted on 08/29/2010 10:25:10 PM PDT by Nachum
CHICAGO (AP) - As attorneys and defendants scanned jurors faces for favorable signs during ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's corruption trial, most couldn't get a read on the pokerfaced grandmother at the far end of the jury box taking meticulous notes.
JoAnn Chiakulas, a retired state employee, turned out to be the lone holdout standing in the way of a conviction of the ousted governor on charges he tried to sell President Barack Obama's old Senate seat.
Nine days after jurors deadlocked on all but one charge against Blagojevich, Chiakulas publicly defended her resolve for the first time in an interview published Friday by the Chicago Tribune, filling out a picture of tense juror deliberations and feeding debate about her role.
Chiakulas, 67, stood by her vote, saying she found Blagojevich's statements captured on FBI wiretap recordings so disorganized and scattered that his actions did not amount to a criminal conspiracy.
"I thought he was just rambling," she told the Tribune. "I could never live with myself if I went along with the rest of the jury."
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
I saw Blago on FNS last week - and he more than answered Chris Wallace’s questions. I found him credible - he was only doing what most politicians do.
“I thought he was just rambling,” she told the Tribune.
Well, madam, tells us, what was he rambling? Rambling is irrelevant in and of itself. What he was rambling is the question. He doesn’t appear to be a raving lunatic. Should justice be denied simply because you failed to recognize and comprehend what he was actually saying?
“I could never live with myself if I went along with the rest of the jury.”
This statement reveals more than the woman intended or realizes.
I was going to post a response...but there are no words...this how America lowered the bar and got Obama....
Look to see a dramatic improvement in her fortunes over the next few years.
Then again, the reverse might just as easily happen. Depending on the final outcome?
“a retired state employee”
Is code for UNIONIST LEACH.
She’s a good little soldier. She’ll get some ‘gifts’.
The Chicago way
Yep.
Are you sure the Chicago machine didn't want a conviction?
As far as I can tell, he always rambles. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him do an interview where he didn’t have to be cut off.
So if he were to try to sell a Senate seat, he would likely ramble that day as much or more as any other, lol.
No. But, there are so many greedy fingers in the till, it seems to make sense. The seem to want to attack Blago, but keep the cash cow intact.
When I was on jury duty, they wanted you to pay ATTENTION to all the testimony. Therefore they did not ‘encourage’ taking notes while in the courtroom. As in NO PENS, NO PAPER ALLOWED.
Maybe it’s different now.
Blago is the sacrificial lamb, designed to keep the ‘higher ups’ from taking the fall.
Nothing happens, like this, unless they want it to, and have ensured the outcome.
I think so. However, something went wrong. Blago is fighting back dirty as them. Seems to be some damage control going on here.
Sorry. ‘Honesty’ is no excuse for being a criminal.
This reminds me of that Strawberry Shortcake juror during the OJ Simpson trial.
If you think Blago did something different from what 90% of our politicians do /would have done, raise your hand.
was it necessary to read past here: “JoAnn Chiakulas, a retired state employee.... ?”
I’m on Blago’s side here. It’s Fitzgerald, the gov’t prosecutor, that should be in jail.
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