CHICAGO (AP) — The latest on a federal appeals court indicating Wednesday that the full court won’t rehear an appeal by former Illinois Gov. Blagojevich of his corruption convictions (all times local):
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2:15 p.m.
Rod Blagojevich’s lawyer says he’ll appeal the imprisoned ex-governor’s corruption convictions to the U.S. Supreme Court, after a lower court refused to rehear his appeal.
The Illinois Democrat’s attorney, Leonard Goodman, said in a statement Wednesday that he’s disappointed the full 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to rehear the case.
The original July ruling by a three-judge panel of the court tossed just five of Blagojevich’s 18 convictions. Blagojevich is in a federal prison serving a 14-year sentence.
Goodman says he’s hopeful Blagojevich can prevail if the high court takes up his appeal.
But the Supreme Court tends to accept cases if they raise weighty issues and ones that courts nationwide disagree on. It’s not clear if they’ll spot any such issues at stake in Blagojevich’s case.
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12:30 p.m.
A legal observer said it isn’t a surprise that a full federal appeals court won’t rehear an appeal by former Illinois Gov. Blagojevich of his corruption convictions.
Former federal prosecutor Phil Turner says the 7th Circuit very rarely grants rehearings. He says he doesn’t think other judges wanted to challenge the three judges’ original finding. And he says with Blagojevich, it’s possible many judges just don’t like him.
Blagojevich had hoped the full court might overturn more of his 18 convictions than the five counts a three-judge panel tossed in July. But the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals posted a notice Wednesday indicating there would be no rehearing for the imprisoned Democrat.
The remaining option for Blagojevich is to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to hear his appeal.
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11:35 a.m.
A full appellate court in Chicago will not rehear the appeal of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s corruption convictions.
The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals posted a notice Wednesday indicating there would be no rehearing for the imprisoned Democrat.
Blagojevich had hoped the full court might overturn more of his 18 convictions than the five counts a three-judge panel tossed in July.
Blagojevich’s only remaining option for more counts to be overturned is an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The 58-year-old is serving a 14-year prison sentence in a Colorado prison for multiple corruption convictions. They included his attempt to sell or trade an appointment to President Barack Obama’s old U.S. Senate seat.