Prosecutors begin Blagojevich cross-examination

[alp227]

Source: WBEZ

The prosecution has begun an aggressive cross-examination of Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich at the ousted Illinois governor's corruption retrial.

Prosecutor Reid Schar asked Blagojevich if he was a convicted liar. Blagojevich answered yes. The courtroom quickly decended into mayhem and confusion as Schar as pointed questions requiring yes and no answers and Blagojevich gave long-winded responses. Schar would repeat his questions over Blagojevich's answers and over top of all of that were several of Blagojevich's attorneys shouting "Objection!"

Blagojevich steamrolled over his attorneys objections leading defense attorney Aaron Goldstein to raise an objection and as the governor continued speaking Goldstein said, "Objection Rod!" As Blagojevich steamrolled over another question he turned to his lawyers and asked, "Why are you objecting to me? Judge James Zagel told Blagojevich that he would have ruled in his favor had the governor not talked over him. And Zagel told defense attorneys that he'll consider Blagojevich's answers to be a waivers of the objections.

Prosecutors likely relished the chance to grill Blagojevich. At his first trial last year - in which he was convicted of lying to the FBI - the ousted governor never took the stand and prosecutors never had a chance to cross-examine him.

Read more: http://www.wbez.org/story/prosecutors-begin-blagojevich-cross-examination-87325#

[former9thward]

1. Blago made a good decision to testify at this trial.

The prosecutors have an incredibly weak case. The prosecutors and their allies in the media have been trying to poison the jury pool in Chicago against Blago for three years now. Blago may be a goof but that is not illegal. And no there has not been the slightest bit of evidence presented that Blago tried to "sell" the Senate seat. That was a charge prosecutors tried to smear him with since 2008.