Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was found guilty Tuesday of one count of lying to federal agents, but jurors deadlocked on the 23 other counts against him in the political corruption trial, prompting the judge to declare a mistrial on those charges.

That means Blagojevich was not found guilty of the case's most significant allegations -- that he tried to sell or trade President Obama's old Senate seat and leverage the power of his office for personal gain.

Blagojevich showed no emotion as the verdict was read, neither smiling nor grimacing. But he vowed afterward to appeal the verdict.

"I want the people of Illinois to know I did not lie to the FBI," Blagojevich told reporters. "I told the truth from the very beginning. This is a persecution."

After Judge James B. Zagel said he plans to call a mistrial on the remaining counts, federal prosecutors said they would retry Blagojevich "as quickly as possible."

Zagel set a hearing for Aug. 26 to decide the manner and timing of the retrial. He also said Blagojevich's bond will stay the same.

News broke later Tuesday that there was just one holdout juror blocking a conviction on the charge of trying to sell the Senate seat. The jury deadlocked 11-1.

Another juror, Erik Sarnello of Itasca, Ill, said the holdout, a woman, "just didn't see what we all saw." Sarnello, 21, said the counts around the Senate seat were "the most obvious."

Blagojevich faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for lying to agents investigating the corruption allegations. Jurors unanimously agreed that Blagojevich provided two false statements -- one in which he said he tried to maintain a firewall between politics and government, the other in which he said he does not track or want to know who contributes to him or how much they are contributing to him.

Robert Blagojevich, who faced four charges in the case -- the jury deadlocked on all four -- said he felt bad for his brother. But he said he wasn't sure whether he could afford to endure another trial.

"I have lived through the most surreal experience anyone could live through," he told reporters. "I have felt like this has been a slow bleed from the beginning, both financially, emotionally, and otherwise. But I can tell you I feel strong, I feel confident and I don't feel in any way deterred in my ability to articulate my innocence."

Jurors deliberated for 14 days, sending four notes with questions that gave early indication that that they could not reach consensus on all counts.

"Say a prayer for us," Rod Blagojevich said as he walked into the courtroom Tuesday holding wife Patti's hand.

Before jurors came in, a somber-looking Blagojevich sat with his hands folded, looking down, picking nervously at his fingernails. After the verdict was read, defense attorney Sam Adam Jr. rubbed his own forehead and mouth, appearing to shake his head in disgust.

Patti Blagojevich showed more emotion throughout. Right after the verdict was read, she leaned over in her chair, shaking her head.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/17/attorney-lawyers-blago-case-summoned-court/



Me think's there was jury tampering. The was an open and shut case. Anytime there is audio and video your sunk.

Plus if Blago was smart he would try to deal with the Prosecutor about doing the whole 5 years on the one count and paying the fine and make the other charges go away since they carry over 400 years in Prison.

One juror.

That was all it took to keep a jury from convicting former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich of trying to sell the Senate seat formerly held by President Obama, according to another juror in Blagojevich's federal corruption trial.

Instead, Blagojevich was found guilty Tuesday of just one lesser count of lying to federal agents, as jurors deadlocked on the 23 other counts against him, prompting the judge to declare a mistrial on those charges.

Blagojevich showed no emotion as the verdict was read, neither smiling nor grimacing. But afterward, he cast the outcome as a victory and vowed to appeal the one guilty verdict.

"I want the people of Illinois to know I did not lie to the FBI," Blagojevich told reporters. "I told the truth from the very beginning. This is a persecution."

After Judge James B. Zagel said he plans to call a mistrial on the remaining counts, federal prosecutors said they would retry Blagojevich "as quickly as possible."

Zagel set a hearing for Aug. 26 to decide the manner and timing of the retrial. He also said Blagojevich's bond will stay the same.

News broke later Tuesday that there was just one holdout juror blocking a conviction on the charge of trying to sell the Senate seat. The jury deadlocked 11-1 on that charge, according to another juror, Erik Sarnello of Itasca, Ill.

Sarnello, 21, said the holdout, a woman, "just didn't see what we all saw." He said the counts around the Senate seat were "the most obvious."

Blagojevich faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for lying to agents investigating the corruption allegations. Jurors unanimously agreed that Blagojevich provided two false statements -- one in which he said he tried to maintain a firewall between politics and government, the other in which he said he does not track or want to know who contributes to him or how much they are contributing to him.

Robert Blagojevich, who faced four charges in the case -- the jury deadlocked on all four -- said he felt bad for his brother. But he said he wasn't sure whether he could afford to endure another trial.

"I have lived through the most surreal experience anyone could live through," he told reporters. "I have felt like this has been a slow bleed from the beginning, both financially, emotionally, and otherwise. But I can tell you I feel strong, I feel confident and I don't feel in any way deterred in my ability to articulate my innocence."

Jurors deliberated for 14 days, sending four notes with questions that gave early indication that that they could not reach consensus on all counts.

"Say a prayer for us," Rod Blagojevich said as he walked into the courtroom Tuesday holding wife Patti's hand.

Before jurors came in, a somber-looking Blagojevich sat with his hands folded, looking down, picking nervously at his fingernails. After the verdict was read, defense attorney Sam Adam Jr. rubbed his own forehead and mouth, appearing to shake his head in disgust.

Patti Blagojevich showed more emotion throughout. Right after the verdict was read, she leaned over in her chair, shaking her head.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/17/attorney-lawyers-blago-case-summoned-court/

This is definately a case of jury tampering. I wonder how much she got to deadlock?

Good...after Blago left office Illinois turned into absolute ****. Chicago is full of dirty politics, he just didn't do what they wanted him to so they turned on him.

He was actually a very good Governor...and Pat Quinn ****ed up a lot of things in Illinois.

Good Governor? He wen't on a corruption crime spree!

It's CHICAGO ... of COURSE there was jury tampering ...

Vote the way they say or decide which body part you wanna try living without ...

And you are nowhere near Illinois. Read your tabloids and news, I don't give a ****...I lived there for three years, two of them he was governor...in one year Quinn ****ed that state sideways. Blagojevich did an awful lot of good for that state until he went sideways politics wise and everything that every single other governor has done (and is currently doing) came out on him.

Every governor in that state has been crooked as hell since the mob. At least he did a lot of good for the people of the state while he was governor.

But again, you don't live there, don't know if you ever have...but it is **** under Quinn and was a hell of a lot better under Blagojevich.

And just think, that's where Obama learned the political game.

Same can be said about all those Pro-Illegals.

Don't live there and never been close to it so, how can they know more than what the Obamedia wants them to know.

Different topic for a different thread. And again, I'm absolutely clueless to whatever point you were trying to make.

As to the jury they shouldn't find guilt unless they really believe he is guilty.

Just because society found him guilty before he had a trial doesn't mean society was right.

They had audio and video of the guy engaging in illegal activities. It doesn't get much better then that.

Thiis reminds me of the several times the Government tried to get John Gotti and there was always a single holdout vote and there was always a connection to Gotti.

Same thing here. Different town, same game.

Again just because society found him guilty before the trial doesn't make them right.

The audio evidence alone is pretty convincing.

He promises to have Emanuel and Reid subpeona'd in the next trial! Maybe they can get caught lying under oath like Slick Willy.