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Politics & Government

Skokie on Blago

Viewpoints of residents vary on whether a second trial should occur

With its twists and turns rivaling a daytime soap opera, the Rod Blagojevich saga continues to captivate the people of Illinois.  On a gorgeous late summer afternoon, Skokie residents were passionate -- yet varied -- about what should happen with the flamboyant former governor given the latest chapter in the nearly 2-year-old legal drama.

Federal prosecutors surprised courtroom observers Thursday in announcing they were dropping all charges against Robert Blagojevich. The elder brother of the ousted governor had been charged with four counts of attempted extortion and bribery conspiracy in connection with the case against his brother.

 Last week, the same 12 jurors, who deadlocked on 23 of the 24 charges against the former governor, could not agree on a verdict against Robert Blagojevich, a Tennessee businessman.

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Lead prosecutor Reid Schar said Thursday that it would be "in the best interests of justice" to not conduct a second trial against Robert Blagojevich. 

The decision not to try him again left one resident happy, one angry and another philosophical.

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 "I'm glad they let him go and just because his name is Robert," Bob Katzman, the owner of Bob's Newsstand in downtown Skokie, said with tongue planted in cheek.

But Katzman soon turned serious to state why he thought the decision regarding Robert was correct. 

"At best, the younger brother let the older one astray," he said. "I believe Robert was not able to initiate anything."

Taking a harsher stand against both brothers was Rebecca Trejo, a Skokie resident who works in the photo department of a local drugstore.

"I thought both of them were guilty," she said. "They had good lawyers, but they still did wrong."

Trejo believes an inequality exists for high-profile defendants as opposed to those with scant name recognition.  "I think it is not fair because regular people would be found not guilty, no doubt," she said.

But Benjamin Cormalleth, a freshman at Oakton Community College, viewed the Robert Blagojevich decision as a small part of a large effort to put Rod Blagojevich behind bars.

"I think that is a calculated risk on the part of [U.S. Attorney Patrick] Fitzgerald," Cormalleth said.  "I'm opposed in principle to letting Robert off, but it makes practical sense. The primary focus should be on re-trying those in public office, and we have to hold those people to the highest possible standard."

While his brother may now be free, the state now faces the prospect of a Rod Blagojevich trial 2.0. 

Ruth Blair, a cashier at the Oakton bookstore, does not see a need for another trial.

"It's a waste of taxpayer money," said the Skokie resident. "I'm glad they let his brother off.  The prosecutor didn't have a good case."

Blair was not fazed by the fact Rod Blagojevich was found guilty of lying to federal authorities regarding knowledge of his campaign fund several years ago.

"C'mon now," she said.  "Do any of us really remember what we did in 2005?"

But that viewpoint was thoroughly different from that of Skokie resident Ben Sostrin, a psychology major and political science minor at Dominican University.  The constant media attention Rod Blagojevich craved has annoyed him and Sostrin wants to see an end to the melodrama once and for all.

"I think it is ridiculous he is getting away with 23 counts," Sostrin said. "He should be retried.

"I think it is silly they have the recordings and they still couldn't convict him. I'm tired of him cashing in on his infamy," he added. "It's ludicrous he is not in jail."

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