In making his decision Zagel said “these are serious crimes that had an impact on the people of IL”.
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U.S. District Court Judge James Zagel ruled Blagojevich, 59, must remain in a Colorado prison, siding with demands by prosecutors that he serve out his original, full sentence through 2024. He looked down briefly when the judge announce his decision but otherwise stared ahead and held a straight face.
Blagojevich was originally convicted on 18 counts of public corruption, including the charge that he tried to sell to the highest bidder the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Obama.
An appeals court ordered Blagojevich to be resentenced after striking down five of his 18 convictions.
Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, with his wife Patti.
A judge upholds Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s original 14 year sentence Tuesday in federal court in Chicago.
Blagojevich has spent the last four years in prison, but some southern Illinoisans haven’t forgotten his reputation, joking he’s “the jerk with the bad hair”.
“I recognize that it was my mistakes and my actions that led me here”, Blagojevich said.
“We speak every night, he helps me with my homework, he knows everything”, Annie said.”I nearly don’t want to grow up because I want to wait for him”.
He said his time behind bars “has put me closer to God”. The first images of Blagojevich confirmed rumors: He is now gray-haired.
Attorney Leonard C. Goodman told a federal judge Tuesday morning that the case the judge will resentence Blagojevich for is “significantly different”. “.Trying to make amends for that”. “I would like to express our thanks to everyone who has reached out to us with well wishes and prayers and thoughts hoping that today was going to go differently than what it did”.
His wife, Patti Blagojevich, also asked for leniency in a letter to Zagel contained in court documents filed Monday.
Patti Blagojevich goes on to note the important events her husband has missed while in prison. “Please let Rod come home and be the father that our daughters need and deserve”. “Please give Annie the chance for a normal happy childhood, that has slipped away for Amy”, she wrote. To third graders touring the Federal Building, he once said, “If I knew you, maybe I would have named you to the Senate seat”.
His wife said the family will continue to fight on his behalf, though she said she’s losing faith in the legal system. It did not give names.
A federal appeals court ordered the resentencing past year after dismissing some of the counts on which Blagojevich was convicted. But the judge said all that is not particularly germaine. They said the people of IL deserve better and Blagojevich deserves his original sentence. The appeals court upheld others relating to soliciting campaign contributions for naming someone to the empty seat.
The former governor, in the fourth year of a 14-year prison term, later sobbed as his daughters addressed the court.
This picture of Blagojevich painted by the letter writers stands in sharp contrast to the former governor at both trials who seemed to work the crowd as though he were campaigning, signing autographs, hugging supporters and boldly declaring his innocence.
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The defense asked for a five-year term, citing the dropped counts and Blagojevich’s exemplary behavior in prison.
