Blagojevich won't participate in impeachment trial

[TallBill]

http://uk.reuters.com/article/.../idUKTRE50M67J20090123

By Andrew Stern

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, charged with trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by President Barack Obama, said on Friday he will not take part in an impeachment trial that could remove him from office.

Blagojevich said the trial scheduled to start on Monday in the state Senate was unfair and violated his Constitutional rights because he was barred from calling witnesses involved in the criminal case against him.

He was impeached on January 9 by the Illinois House of Representatives for wide-ranging abuse of power. If convicted by the Senate, the two-term Democrat would be removed from office.

"It's a scary thing if they get away with doing this, with a process like this. Then what kind of impact will this have on future governors?" Blagojevich said at a news conference.

"If you can throw a governor out with mere allegations ... then no governor will be able to take on the General Assembly the way I did," he said.

Without any defense, the trial could last a week and is expected to conclude with his ouster, experts said.

Blagojevich has denied wrong-doing in the criminal case, in which prosecutors captured him on FBI wiretaps talking about trading official acts, including naming Obama's successor in the U.S. Senate, for campaign contributions and jobs.

Blagojevich subsequently named Roland Burris to replace Obama, and Senate Democrats seated him after initially saying they would not.

Blagojevich has already been cut off from national intelligence briefings. In Washington the U.S. House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee voted to prevent him from touching any of the $50 billion Illinois is expected to receive from the economic stimulus package working its way through Congress.

At this point it seems like he's toast. Illinois needs some change, big time.

 

[frostedflakes]

Blagojevich is such a joke, the sooner he's gone the better.

 

[StageLeft]

THIS guy should be in Gitmo, what a shameless fvck.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I wonder what the details are on his allegation that he is being "barred from calling witnesses involved in the criminal case against him." I think he's a joke and should have resigned weeks ago, but if true, that does sound a little questionable.

 

[daishi5]

His lawyers refuse to represent him because they do not follow courtroom law in the Senate. Therefore he really can't defend himself in the Senate, and it is probably a good choice because anything said or done there could be used against him in the court of law. In the courts, its much more likely he can get evidence thrown out and weasel his way around some of the allegations. However in the senate, I don't think any of that will work, and I doubt he will last long from what little we know of the evidence.

 

[daishi5]

Originally posted by: Don Vito Corleone
I wonder what the details are on his allegation that he is being "barred from calling witnesses involved in the criminal case against him." I think he's a joke and should have resigned weeks ago, but if true, that does sound a little questionable.

He is not being tried in a criminal court, therefore he does not have all of his constitutional rights, they are not actually convicting him, and the rules of the court can actually change if the Senate votes for it.

*Note: this is all second hand information from talking with a few lawyers, but I do not think this is really their area of expertise, and I have not followed it closely so take it with a grain of salt.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: daishi5
His lawyers refuse to represent him because they do not follow courtroom law in the Senate. Therefore he really can't defend himself in the Senate, and it is probably a good choice because anything said or done there could be used against him in the court of law. In the courts, its much more likely he can get evidence thrown out and weasel his way around some of the allegations. However in the senate, I don't think any of that will work, and I doubt he will last long from what little we know of the evidence.

exactly.

this is not a court of law (yet) this his impeachement trial.

 

[ScottMac]

When the Machine is behind him, everything's "no problem"
When the Machine is against him, it's suddenly a problem.

BHO might have the same issues some day.

 

[jman19]

Originally posted by: ScottMac
When the Machine is behind him, everything's "no problem"
When the Machine is against him, it's suddenly a problem.

BHO might have the same issues some day.

You're a joke.

 

[compuwiz1]

Originally posted by: ScottMac
When the Machine is behind him, everything's "no problem"
When the Machine is against him, it's suddenly a problem.

BHO might have the same issues some day.

I doubt it. Do you really hate him that much?

 

[ChunkiMunki]

what an ass, hopefully everyone knows his spin is all BS, but I doubt it. "you just don't give it away"

 

[palehorse]

While I certainly believe that Blago is a worthless d*bag, it is a little screwed up that he can't call any witnesses in his defense. I know that impeachments are not the same as criminal trials, but perhaps a fair defense should be an attribute of both...

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: palehorse
While I certainly believe that Blago is a worthless d*bag, it is a little screwed up that he can't call any witnesses in his defense. I know that impeachments are not the same as criminal trials, but perhaps a fair defense should be an attribute of both...

Impeachment is a political process. To talk about a fair impeachment is pointless it will never be fair and fairness really should not be a goal. Expedience should be the goal of any impeachment proceeding. No one is being prevented from calling witnesses. Blagojevich choose not to call anyone because it would screw his defense at a criminal trial.

Personally I think that prosecution should call Blagojevich to the stand and if he refuses add that as an additional impeachment charge.

 

[kylebisme]

Blagojevich is flagrant shyster, anyone who falls for his chicanery is a feebleminded dupe.

 

[palehorse]

Originally posted by: smack Down
Impeachment is a political process. To talk about a fair impeachment is pointless it will never be fair and fairness really should not be a goal.

gee... that sure sounds like a system we should be proud of!

Originally posted by: smack Down
Expedience should be the goal of any impeachment proceeding. No one is being prevented from calling witnesses. Blagojevich choose not to call anyone because it would screw his defense at a criminal trial.

wrong.

This:

Blagojevich said the trial scheduled to start on Monday in the state Senate was unfair and violated his Constitutional rights because he was barred from calling witnesses involved in the criminal case against him.

 

[Drift3r]

Daishi5 pointed it out correctly. Why should he allow himself to be incriminated in a political impeachment trail and then later have it be used against him in a criminal court? Legally speaking he is doing the correct thing if he wants to avoid providing a DA in a criminal case against him with extra ammo.

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: palehorse

Originally posted by: smack Down
Impeachment is a political process. To talk about a fair impeachment is pointless it will never be fair and fairness really should not be a goal.

gee... that sure sounds like a system we should be proud of!

Originally posted by: smack Down
Expedience should be the goal of any impeachment proceeding. No one is being prevented from calling witnesses. Blagojevich choose not to call anyone because it would screw his defense at a criminal trial.

wrong.

This:

Blagojevich said the trial scheduled to start on Monday in the state Senate was unfair and violated his Constitutional rights because he was barred from calling witnesses involved in the criminal case against him.

You highlighted the wrong part. How do you propose to make impeachment fair? The jury and judge is made up of partisan politicians who's conviction is final. Again impeachment was meant to be quick process.

 

[ScottMac]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1

Originally posted by: ScottMac
When the Machine is behind him, everything's "no problem"
When the Machine is against him, it's suddenly a problem.

BHO might have the same issues some day.

I doubt it. Do you really hate him that much?

I don't hate him at all. I disagree with him a lot.

Now go prostrate yourself before BHO the Great and bask in His omniscient glow, maybe he'll throw you some crumbs of wisdom.

 

[palehorse]

Originally posted by: smack Down
You highlighted the wrong part. How do you propose to make impeachment fair? The jury and judge is made up of partisan politicians who's conviction is final. Again impeachment was meant to be quick process.

You're wrong again. This isn't just something Blago made up. You need to read THIS.

The fairness of the process is still very much in question, as it should be.

 

[AFMatt]

The rule says he cant subpoena any witnesses that are on the list of names that could jeopardize the separate criminal corruption trial against him. It does not say he cant call ANY witnesses. The rule also doesn't say those people can not come in voluntarily and testify on his behalf. Blago had the opportunity to submit written requests for witnesses and documents to be allowed this past week, but he didn't. He chose to try and create a media frenzy over how bad he is being treated instead.

Besides, this is a political trial, not a criminal trial. In a nutshell, it is a trial to determine whether or not someone is fit to hold the office they are appointed. And these rules are nothing new. They were adopted from the impeachment hearings for Clinton and Mecham. Blago's attorneys could have filed motions objecting to the rules as they were being developed, but they didn't do that either.

In the end, this is just a ploy by a nut case to create more problems. He is so full of himself that he probably intentionally avoided the process in order to help create this BS image of injustice. Oh, and now he's trying to convince people this is just the government's way of getting him out so they can raise taxes in Ill. Seriously?

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: palehorse
While I certainly believe that Blago is a worthless d*bag, it is a little screwed up that he can't call any witnesses in his defense. I know that impeachments are not the same as criminal trials, but perhaps a fair defense should be an attribute of both...

Yeah, well in Illinois we voted for a constitutional convention this last election, and a 75% vote was needed. We fell short. Ironically it was the current administration that urged people to not vote for a re-write.

 

[abaez]

http://blogs.usatoday.com/onde...01/ap-blagojevich.html

"Impeached Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich tells The Associated Press that his Dec. 9 arrest on corruption charges 'is what Pearl Harbor Day was to the United States.'"

:shocked:

This guy is off his rocker.

 

[alien42]

Blagojevich is going to be taking calls on Larry King Live on Monday, should be quite entertaining.

 

[TallBill]

What a moron, he's going on tv to defend himself. He is toast.

 

[Lemon law]

Well maybe Blago will be on some talk show when the news comes in that he has been removed from office, and as such is no longer Governor of Illinois.

The trial in the Senate may go on for two weeks or may end in just a few days because the legislators feel disrespected by Blago.

But in terms of properly defending himself, Blago has no real protections of law, and when he is tried by the Feds later, he may beat the rap as he invokes those rights.

But many are speculating that is the Blago ploy all along, he knows removal from office is inevitable, and is taking aim at the coming Federal criminal trial.