Quiet Weekend For Blagojevich Ahead Of Sentencing
It's a quiet weekend for convicted ex-governor Rod Blagojevich and his family, just days before his sentencing hearing.
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It's a quiet weekend for convicted ex-governor Rod Blagojevich and his family, just days before his sentencing hearing.
Federal prosecutors intend to ask a federal judge to sentence former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to a 15- to 20-year prison term. But defense attorneys are seeking a much lighter sentence, arguing Blagojevich never profited from the crimes on which he was convicted and caused no public harm.
The federal judge who will sentence impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich on corruption charges has harsh words for one of the former governor's latest legal moves.
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich is asking to play wiretap recordings that were previously placed under seal when he's sentenced next month.
Springfield power broker William Cellini won't get an automatic mistrial after learning that a juror in his corruption trial failed to disclose her criminal record before being picked for the jury, but a federal judge will hold a hearing on the matter.
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's sentencing hearing has been scheduled for next month.
A federal judge has replaced a juror at the shakedown trial of a clout-heavy Illinois businessman and told the new jury to start deliberations from scratch.
Millionaire businessman William Cellini has decided not to take the stand during his Chicago corruption trial.
An attorney for an Illinois powerbroker on trial in the last case directly linked to a federal investigation of Rod Blagojevich sought in his opening statement Thursday to distance his client from the disgraced former governor.
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's sentencing hearing – originally set for next week – has been delayed indefinitely.
Prosecutors are apparently looking to throw the book at convicted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich – they are estimating that he could get 30 years to life in prison.
Rod Blagojevich may have to wait for his day of reckoning. As it now stands, the former governor's scheduled sentencing date next month directly conflicts with a trial in a related case.
In a move that was fully expected, deposed Gov. Rod Blagojevich is filing an appeal to overturn his conviction on corruption charges.
During a full day of cross-examination at Rod Blagojevich's corruption retrial, federal prosecutors repeatedly tried to use the former governor's own words to discredit him and paint him as dishonest.
Rod Blagojevich's defense attorneys initially planned to begin calling their first witnesses on Monday, but late Friday afternoon, court officials announced the trial will not resume until Wednesday.
If you've been following what news there is about the Blagojevich trial, you must be thinking by now that Blago is going down. Walter Jacobson is thinking that because of how unfair the judge seems to be.
Jurors in the corruption retrial of Rod Blagojevich on Tuesday heard the secretly recorded phone conversation in which the former governor calls the U.S. Senate set he is accused of trying to sell "f***ing golden."
After five days of questioning more than 100 potential jurors, the judge in the corruption retrial of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Thursday that there are enough qualified candidates to take the final step of seating a jury on Monday.
Jury selection was nearly completed Wednesday in the corruption retrial of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich as more than 40 potential jurors have been deemed qualified. The judge said only a few more need to be questioned before the final step of seating a jury.
A federal judge said Tuesday that he would limit the amount of evidence that prosecutors can present about former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's spending on designer suits and other clothes when testimony begins at his retrial.
The judge in the retrial of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Tuesday that it appears opening statements could begin on Monday, while attorneys wrap up jury selection this week.
As former Gov. Rod Blagojevich sat through the second day of jury selection for his retrial on federal corruption charges, many prospective jurors were expressing concern that serving on an extended trial could cost them their jobs, or in some cases, their homes.
Deposed Gov. Rod Blagojevich took another chance to proclaim his innocence Thursday morning, as he headed to court for jury selection in his retrial.
As jury selection got underway Thursday in the retrial of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, U.S. District Judge James Zagel questioned 22 potential jurors, eventually excusing or dismissing half of them from the jury pool.
In stark contrast to the first trial, the first day of former Rod. Blagojevich's retrial started quietly on Wednesday at the Dirksen Federal Building, with all of the action taking place behind closed doors.
A man has been charged in connection with the theft of more than $100,000 worth of merchandise from an upscale resale boutique last year in north suburban Barrington.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will be flying to Rome later in May to meet with Pope Leo XIV, his office confirmed.
A Chicago-area man who ran a business helping people apply for asylum and immigrant visas was recently sentenced to nine years in prison for fraud and child pornography.
A man who was previously convicted of felony drug charges was arrested at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in downtown Chicago on Monday after bringing a loaded handgun into the building.
A retro-style roller rink will be coming to Navy Pier this summer in Chicago.
President Trump said Americans' financial situation isn't motivating him to make a deal, "Not even a little bit," and that he is only focused on preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons.
A month after Mayor Brandon Johnson vetoed an attempt to halt any future scheduled pay hikes for tipped workers in Chicago, the City Council advanced a compromise to instead pause those raises for two years.
The operator of the Dali, a container ship that lost power and slammed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge in 2024, killing six people, is facing federal charges.
Democratic National Committee officials visited Chicago on Monday as the city made its official bid to host the party's 2028 convention – a rare move after having just hosted the event in 2024.
A nonprofit group is suing to block the Trump administration's blue resurfacing of the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
Chatham residents say they're losing a vital resource as Walgreen's prepares to close its store near 86th and Cottage Grove.
According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in Chicago was $5.17 on Friday, up from $3.75 a year ago.
Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas Company customers are likely to see minor credits on their bills for the next three years, thanks to a $125 million settlement agreement announced Thursday by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
Chicago gas prices are spiking as the war with Iran drags on, with regular gas nearing $6 in some spots and premium already selling for more than $7 in some places.
In the legal venue of anti-trust enforcement, the state is not taking on the Trump administration, but rather filling a void that state officials say the Trump administration has vacated.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Wednesday announced an expansion to the city's CARE Program, a specialized team that responds to mental health crises without police.
A Texas couple is filing a lawsuit accusing the AI company of guiding their teenage son in using drugs, resulting in a fatal overdose.
An American on the repatriation flight began showing symptoms of hantavirus and another "tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes virus," the Department of Health and Human Services says.
More than 100 people from a cruise ship dealing with an outbreak of the rare and deadly hantavirus are set to be disembarked.
The largest U.S. health insurer said it will eliminate approval requirements for some treatments, including select outpatient surgeries and other procedures.
Flight attendants at Chicago-based United Airlines have approved a new labor contract, marking their first pay increases in six years.
The Chicago Fire FC announced Wednesday morning that its new stadium in the South Loop will be named McDonald's Park.
U.S. prosecutors allege a man with multiple aliases used the name of the famed Astor family to scam a Mexican billionaire out of $450 million.
Thousands of people marched from the West Loop to Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago on Friday for May Day, with activists calling for workers' rights, stronger labor protections, and increased school funding.
A $170 million-plus plan announced this week will redevelop the Water Tower Place mall on the Magnificent Mile.
David Allan Coe also had hits with "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" and "The Ride" among others.
Some youngsters got a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of making opera Sunday at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Matt DeCaro, an actor who was a familiar face on the Chicago stage for many years, died this weekend.
Jake was at the funeral for one of his closest friends when he learned of his parents' deaths, he said.
Tickets for the 2026 Ravinia Festival season went on sale Thursday morning.
Three people were arrested after an SUV crashed into a building in River Forest, Illinois, on Tuesday night.
Meteorologist Kylee Miller has the extended forecast.
A small plane ended up on the grass at the end of a runway on Wednesday morning at DuPage County Airport.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Wednesday announced an expansion to the city’s CARE Program, a specialized team that responds to mental health crises without police.
Meetings between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to kick off on Thursday. Natalie Brand reports.
A CTA bus was hijacked and the driver held at knifepoint and made to drive for miles overnight, Chicago police said.
A man was killed after a hit-and-run crash on Chicago's Southwest Side on Tuesday night.
The Illinois Department of Public Health said it is investigating a potential case of hantavirus in an Illinois resident, that they said is not linked to the deadly cruise ship outbreak.
A man has been charged in connection with the theft of more than $100,000 worth of merchandise from an upscale resale boutique last year in north suburban Barrington.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will be flying to Rome later in May to meet with Pope Leo XIV, his office confirmed.
People in Lincoln Park and Lakeview have rallied against a plan to build a new industrial ComEd electrical substation in their neighborhoods, pushing local and state leaders to get involved.
Monday marks one year since Illinois enacted Karina's Law — legislation aimed at taking firearms out of the hands of people accused of domestic abuse.
Tenants at a South Shore apartment building said they've noticed their rent fluctuating by hundreds of dollars a month due to a change in how their utility billing system is set up.
A man from the Chicago suburbs lost $69,000 of his savings to a scam by a thief using an AI-generated U.S. Marshals badge to intimidate him.
Illinois lawmakers are trying to decide what should happen when artificial intelligence leads to serious destruction or even death, and two of the most influential AI companies in the world are backing opposing state bills trying to answer that question.
The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox will face off in the first Crosstown Classic series of this summer with three games at Rate Field this weekend.
The Atlanta Braves beat the Chicago Cubs 5-2 on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game set between the National League's top teams.
Chicago has come from behind in nine of its 20 wins. Kansas City has lost four of six following a five-game winning streak.
One of the best high school softball pitchers in the state takes the mound of a small school just south of Chicago.
It's on to the Grand Rapids Griffins, a team Wolves' head coach Spiros Anastas used to work for.
A Chicago-area man who ran a business helping people apply for asylum and immigrant visas was recently sentenced to nine years in prison for fraud and child pornography.
Alex Murdaugh was convicted of his killing his wife and his son at the family's home in 2021.
Chicago police on Wednesday morning were looking for two people who broke into a restaurant in Printer's Row in the South Loop.
One person was killed and two others were seriously wounded in a shooting late Friday morning in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago.
Police across Chicago and the northern suburbs were investigating a string of overnight smash-and-grab burglaries targeting businesses.
