The former IL governor thanked the judge for the chance to have his 14-year sentence reconsidered.
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A federal judge on Tuesday upheld Rod Blagojevich’s 14-year prison sentence on corruption counts, setting aside pleas for leniency by the former IL governor’s wife and daughters during his resentencing hearing.
Blagojevich, known as Inmate No. 40892-424 since he went to prison in 2012, appeared on a courtroom video in prison-issued clothing, his once dark hair now white.
Inside the courtroom, both of his daughters burst into tears. She said, unless Blagojevich can accept responsibility for breaking the law, “there can be no rehabilitation”. Prosecutors decided not to retry the former governor on those charges, and now his legal team is asking U.S. District Judge Zagel to reduce the sentence.
After the hearing, Patti Blagojevich said she was “dumbfounded” by Zagel’s decision, despite her daughters’ pleas.
An appeals court later struck down five of his 18 convictions and ordered he be resentenced.
Blagojevich spoke on behalf of himself, telling the judge about his regrets and detailing how he’s spent his time in prison teaching GED and history classes for inmates and conducting mock job interviews for some as they prepared to be released.
Their father will not be eligible for release from prison until May 2024, according to the Bureau of Prisons.
“I nearly don’t want to grow up because I want to wait for him”, she added.
“I recognize that my words and actions have led me here”, he said. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his case.
Speaking without notes, Blagojevich said he had been too ambitious and recognized he erred by fighting too many battles in public. They said some of Zagel’s sentencing calculations were in error, to Blagojevich’s advantage.
As Zagel announced his decision around noon, after a morning of testimony, Blagojevich, who appeared in court via streaming video, shook his head. She added that Blagojevich was the “same man” he was when he was convicted in 2011. She said it’s hard to talk with him about private things because strangers are always listening.
In her two-page letter, she described the pain of Blagojevich’s absence and how he has missed the graduations and piano recitals of the couple’s two children. “I thank you for the opportunity to speak”, he said.
Blagojevich, listed in the Federal Prison system as Inmate No. 40892-424, is serving his sentence at FCI Englewood in Jefferson County.
Blagojevich’s attorney, Leonard C. Goodman, urged the judge to take a “fresh look” at the case. The first images of Blagojevich confirmed rumors: He is now gray-haired.
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In tossing those counts, however, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals also noted that “it is not possible to call 168 months unlawfully high for Blagojevich’s crimes”. He paid for his own clothes, his daughters’ schooling, even baseball tickets, the lawyer said.
