Current and former govenor - Illinois
Blagojevich faces up to 5 years in prison. The former governor pursed his lips and shook his head slightly.
Patti rested her head on the chair in front of her and shook her head no several times.
Blagojevich looked at her with an annoyed look on his face.
As
jurors filed out, Patti collapsed into her seat and the former
governor's attorney, Sam Adam Jr. moved next to Blagojevich and put his
arm around him, rubbing his back.
The verdict was announced shortly before 4:30 p.m. after 14 days of deliberation.
"I intend to declare a mistrial" on the other 23 counts, U.S. District Judge James Zagel said. He gave the prosecution until Aug. 26 to decide whether to retry Blagojevich and his brother.
But prosecutors said they didn't need that long to decide. "It is absolutely our intent to retry this," said Assistant U.S. Atty. Reid Schar. "We could be here tomorrow."
After the judge left to the call of "all rise," Patti didn't stand up and looked angry with her head down, staring at her lap.
In the lobby, Robert Blagojevich said jurors saw him as "an innocent target of the federal government."
Blagojevich and his wife arrived at the courthouse for the announcement around 3:45 p.m.
"God
bless you, God bless you, I didn't let you down," Blago said as he
shook hands with admirers. He also high-fived spectators.
Patti laughed as Blagojevich kissed her on the cheek.
As he entered the courtroom on the 25th floor, he said: "How are ya' doin'? Say a prayer for us."
Robert Blagojevich arrived with his wife and son around 3:55 p.m., waiving to people and reporters gathered in the lobby.
U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald and Robert Grant, head of the FBI in Chicago, were also in the courtroom for the announcement.
Jurors asked for two things today: a copy of the oath they took
when they were sent to deliberate; and instructions from the judge on
how to fill out a verdict form when they can't agree on a specific
count.
"Do we leave it blank or report the vote split?" the note asked.
Zagel agreed to send a copy of the oath to jurors and said he would
also instruct them to write on top of the verdict form if they cannot
reach a consensus on a count.
Here is the oath the jury took
just before deliberations began: "Do you and each of you solemnly swear
that you will well and truly try and a true deliverance make between the
United States and ______, the defendant at the bar, and a true verdict
render according to the evidence, so help you God?"
Last week, in an earlier note, jurors said they had deliberated for
many days "without rancor." The request for a copy of the oath could
signal that the harmony in the jury room has begun to fray.
This was the jury's 14th day of deliberations.
On Monday, Zagel agreed to hand over the transcripts of former deputy
governor Bradley Tusk's testimony after jurors asked for them. They're the first witness
transcripts jurors will have with them in the jury room since they started deliberating at the end of July.
Tusk
told the court in June that Blagojevich planned to hold up a $2 million
grant to a school in then-Congressman Rahm Emanuel's district until his
Hollywood-agent brother, Ari, held a fundraiser.
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