Rod Blagojevich Not Leaving Jail Early

By Victoria Robertson on August 12, 2016

Rod Blagojevich attempted to reduce his 14-year sentence to no avail on Tuesday, much to his, and his family’s disappointment, according to The Chicago Tribune.

All attention turned to the family at such a verdict — the members in tears, Blagojevich himself taking a seat in defeat. He has a wife, Patti, and daughters (Amy, 20 and Annie, 13) that couldn’t keep it together upon hearing the news.

In the brief meeting between Blagojevich and his daughters, he told them“I heard what you said,” in regards to their pleas to the judge for mercy, and continued in saying, “Thank you. You looked so nice.”

Blagojevich’s defense was an apology, as well as a claim to being a “changed man” and a “model prisoner” during his sentence to date.

Still, Judge Zagel imposed the same sentence originally given back in 2011. He claims, “I do not doubt that he is a loving father and that his children miss him deeply in his absence, but as I said four years ago, the fault lies in the governor.”

Blagojevich, now 59 years old, will now be forced to finish out his sentence through May 2024.

After the court adjourned, Amy gestured towards Zagel’s bench and claimed, “He stole my childhood!”

Patti spoke with anger to reporters as well, claiming “Quite frankly, I’m dumbfounded and flabbergasted. This was unusually cruel and heartless and unfair … Somehow, we will get through this. We love Rod. And we’ll be here for him as we continue to fight.”

So what is this long sentence being served for?

Back in 2011 Blagojevich was convicted of misusing his powers for multiple different reasons. The most notable was his attempt to sell a U.S. Senate seat — Barack Obama’s — in 2008 when he was elected president.

During the initial trial, the jury was deadlocked on all but one count. The conviction came less than a year later.

An appeals court threw out five counts against Blagojevich last year on technicalities, though they still referred to the evidence against him as “overwhelming” and stated his sentence was completely within reason.

Though it was predicted Zagel would shave a year or two off of this sentence, on Tuesday, he completely put these ideas to rest.

According to Jeffery Cramer, a former federal prosecutor, “In the end, Judge Zagel remained steadfast in his view of the crimes and this defendant.”

This is frustrating for Blagojevich, especially since he’s waited nearly four and a half years for this day in court.

Blagojevich’s lawyer, Leonard Goodman, told the judge that the remaining charges against Blagojevich were “significantly different” and that he never profited, despite his attempts.

According to Goodman, “we believe he is ready to come home.”

Goodman asked for the sentence to be lessened to five years. His daughters also made their pleas, appealing to an emotional side.

According to Annie, “I almost don’t want to grow up because I want to wait for him to come home.”

Amy, however, is already in college, which she alluded to in her plea. She said it “kills” her father that he can’t meet the new people in her life. She says, “the longer my father is gone, the more and more estranged my sister and I become from him.”

Blagojevich was given 15 minutes for remarks, during which he apologized, but didn’t state the crimes for which he was convicted. He said, “I recognize it was my actions and my words that led me here. This can be a beginning to make amends for the past.”

Prosecutors, however, claimed the ex-governor hadn’t changed at all. They claim he never took responsibility, and his actions prove nothing has changed.

According to Attorney Debra Bonamici, “As long as the defendant is unable or unwilling to accept responsibility for what he actually did and what he actually meant when he did it, there can be no rehabilitation.”

According to Zagel, “He sees himself as less morally culpable, but I don’t draw such a clear moral distinction. As in many cases, political and personal gains were very much intermingled here.”

After the hearing, Blagojevich conveyed his disappointment at the verdict to reporters.

Despite a large show of familial support and the reading of letters written by prisoners that befriended Blagojevich during his sentence, the ex-governor ultimately failed to show any tangible change — especially in his inability to address his charges head-on and accept his responsibility.

However, this technically isn’t the end. According to Goodman, he could still appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court at this point; however, they have already declined to hear the case in March — so it’s unlikely they’re going to change their minds now.

Ultimately, saying that you’re reformed — apologizing with meaninglessness — isn’t going to get you out of jail. So if, by some miracle, the Supreme Court picks up his case, Blagojevich is going to need a serious change of heart, or he’s likely going to serve out the entirety of his 14-year sentence.

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