CHICAGO – Rod Blagojevich’s second corruption trial began Wednesday with little of the hoopla that surrounded the first, as potential jurors quietly began filling out questionnaires aimed at weeding out anyone with strong biases for or against the ousted Illinois governor.
Since Blagojevich’s first trial ended last year with jurors deadlocked on all but one count of lying to the FBI, federal prosecutors have simplified their case and dropped complex charges to address previous juror complaints that the evidence was too difficult to follow.
Would-be members of the jury that will decide Blagojevich’s fate this time around started filling out their questionnaires Wednesday morning, court official Donald Walker said. Among the queries is how closely potential jurors followed the occasionally circus-like first trial. Knowledge of the case, though, wouldn’t automatically rule someone out.
Blagojevich still faces 20 charges, including allegations he sought to sell or trade an appointment to President Barack Obama’s vacated U.S. Senate seat for campaign cash or a top job.
The 54-year-old is returning to trial with a scaled-down, more bookish defense team that no longer includes lead lawyer Sam Adam Jr., whose courtroom theatrics in round one often drew the judge’s ire. Blagojevich also will be the lone defendant after
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