Blagojevich trial, Judge James Zagel, Blagojevich trial judge
From the Chicago Tribune May 17, 2010.
“Blagojevich trial judge regarded as smart, unflappable”
“Do you ever wonder what spins through a judge’s head while lawyers and witnesses drone on endlessly for days and weeks at trial?
In the case of U.S. District Judge James B. Zagel, who is scheduled to preside over the sweeping corruption trial of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich in a little more than two weeks, there’s a good chance those thoughts sometimes drift to grandly larcenous fantasies.
How else to explain “Money to Burn,” the well-received 2002 novel penned by Zagel about a federal judge who masterminds an audacious heist at the super-secure Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago? (Spoiler alert: The judge gets away with millions of dollars.)
Zagel may have an active imagination, but his broad list of admirers in Chicago’s legal community view that as just another example of why he is regarded as one of the smartest and most unflappable jurists at the federal courthouse.
“He is definitely one of those people who can do the job well with half of his attention,” veteran lawyer Joel Bertocchi said of Zagel, who has had parts in two Hollywood movies and whose broad interests range from jazz to target shooting with court security officers.
At 69, and with more than two decades on the federal bench, Zagel boasts a resume to qualify him as one of the most interesting men in Chicago. He helped prosecute mass murderer Richard Speck, twice held state Cabinet posts and was once married to TV investigative reporter Pam Zekman.
As a jurist, he also moonlights on the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that decides whether to issue warrants for electronic eavesdropping on terrorism suspects.
In 1965, after graduating from the University of Chicago and Harvard Law School, Zagel joined the Cook County state’s attorney’s office, where he helped gain the conviction of Speck, the notorious killer of eight student nurses on the city’s Southeast Side.
From 1970 to 1977, Zagel ran the criminal division of the Illinois attorney general’s office. One of his assistants was Jayne Carr, who would later marry Illinois Gov. Jim Thompson. As a colleague, Jayne Thompson said, Zagel was hard-driving, meticulous with the law and possessed of an “encyclopedic memory.”
“He can sit down and write a legal pleading and fill in the citations, including the page numbers, without bringing out a book,” she recalled.
Zagel eventually went to work in Thompson’s administration, first as director of the Department of Revenue and then as head of what was then known as the Department of Law Enforcement.”
“Zagel was appointed to the federal bench in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan, and while his law enforcement background has given him a reputation for leaning toward the government’s view, he is widely viewed by members of the defense bar as predictable and fair.”
“Halprin, who represented mob boss Joey “the Clown” Lombardo, said Zagel did a good job managing a case with colorful lawyers in a circuslike atmosphere — a climate likely to be repeated in the Blagojevich case, which features a star defendant and legal team with flairs for the dramatic.”
“In 2008, Zagel was appointed by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to a seven-year term on the intelligence court.”
“The judge, said Bertocchi, “will want the result of this trial to speak well of the legal system.””
Read more:
Citizen WElls 
Here’s what johah goldberg of the national review said about “birthers” making their case. I think he’s the editor of the publication:
“I’m not sure I’d want them to at this point. Aside from the horror of a Biden presidency, I for one don’t yearn for a constitutional crisis. ”
So, it’s the position of him, and the national review, i presume, that they’d prefer to IGNORE the constitution so they won’t have a constitutional crisis. Isn’t that swell.
When i’m elected president, :), I plan to censor him and all the liberals in this country. If any of them tell me that they are guaranteed free speech in the constitution, I’ll just tell them that I can’t get into that sort of thing because i don’t want to precipitate a constitutional crisis.
goldberg’s entire article at
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZjhkODhlZWFlYWNlYzgyYzgyYWIxNjhjZTAwNjAxOGY=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEl0wMmyZ2Q&feature=player_embedded
This political ad is, in a word, awesome. We can’t believe there is an actual “Agriculture Commissioner” position in state government, but we’re really comfortable with the idea if this guy wins the position. Maybe he’ll even work to abolish the office.
Fisher House near completion; will offer comfort to families of veterans being treated at VA centers
http://www.stlbeacon.org/content/view/102294/143/
Muslims in NYC Planning to Build Second, Smaller Mosque Near Ground Zero
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/05/17/muslims-nyc-planning-build-second-smaller-mosque-near-ground-zero/?test=latestnews
Woody Allen says President Obama should be granted dictatorial powers (seriously)
Is he crazy or insane?
http://entertainment.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/05/17/woody-allen-president-obama-dictator/?test=faces
Kagan: Flag-burning OK
But argued for ban of speech ‘offensive’ to society, government
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=155201
It does not matter how capable, fair and honorable a judge is if the prosecutor brings a case that is DOA.
This has happened time after time with eligibility cases being brought that have little or no chance of success.
As Justice Scalia said to one eligibility lawyer, “Bring your case, I will hear it.” Said lawyer never brought the case, and SCOTUS has never had the opportunity to hear a case that would give them a chance to end this Constitutional Crisis.
http://grandjury.blogtownhall.com
I am proud of Glenn Beck. He may not get the NBC issue, but he certainly has the courage of his convictions. I, for one, know how much courage it takes to stand up to an Attorney General in your own State.
Wake Up America!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghz4_kikLkE
From last night:
“DON FREDRICK, author of The Obama Timeline – call in and ask or comment about Obama’s parents, eligibility, his Marxist mentors and partners, the roles of globalist mega-manipulators, Obama and the CIA, etc.”
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sentinel_radio/2010/05/18/hr-1-don-fredrick-the-obama-timeline-hr-2-jeff-bag
Sharon Rondeau’s response to yo’s comment at “The Post & Email”:
“I think that’s why none of the so-called “conservative” writers at Townhall.com, Ann Coulter, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, etc. will touch the eligibility issue. It’s a very cowardly approach, in my opinion. We have a constitutional crisis, and avoiding it does not make it go away.”
You are wrong Leo, Orly filed the case and the Court Clerk never processed it.
“The judge, said Bertocchi, “will want the result of this trial to speak well of the legal system.””
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If the scale for ‘speaking well of the legal system’ is the last 18 months, we’re in trouble.
Why even bother with a trial?
JJ // May 18, 2010 at 11:33 am
If the scale for ‘speaking well of the legal system’ is the last 18 months, we’re in trouble.
Why even bother with a trial”
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They will have a trial for Blago so that he can get a hung jury or an acquital. Then AKAbo’s cohorts can say, “there was nothing to the charges against Blago. It was just a politically motivated witchhunt.”
The best we Patriots can do now is take the evidence that CW has paintakingly compiled regarding CRIMES COMMITTED BY THE AKAbo CAMPAIGN IN CHICAGO, NASHVILLE & OTHER JURISDICTIONS and form a Grand Jury of 25 Patriots and INDICT, PROSECUTE & CONVICT AKAbo and his cohorts of all the crimes that they have committed.
https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/category/nashville
http://grandjury.blogtownhall.com
yo // May 18, 2010 at 7:45 am
Here’s what johah goldberg of the national review said about “birthers” making their case. I think he’s the editor of the publication:
“I’m not sure I’d want them to at this point. Aside from the horror of a Biden presidency, I for one don’t yearn for a constitutional crisis. ”
So, it’s the position of him, and the national review, i presume, that they’d prefer to IGNORE the constitution so they won’t have a constitutional crisis. Isn’t that swell.
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You know, yo, I have “smelled that rat” for some time. There are probably other factors as well, but it is a ghastly thought to realize that intelligent people can be so misguided in their thinking. They would rather “let the sleeping lion lie”, but the truth is that the LION is doing irreparable damage to our us and the Constitution.
I feel that most Repub lawmakers share the same opinion. They would rather not cause a disturbance at this point because their own political futures could be conceivably at risk. Shame, Shame!! It would almost be like a luxury liner were sinking, but nobody would want to spoil the dance in the ballroom. After all, it could get very nasty if you addressed the “issue”, but we all know that the alternative would sink the ship.
Cabby AZ…………………..
Worse still is the fact that our problem is GETTING WORSE EXPONENTIALLY. There is hardly a day that passes that there isn’t some sort of insane Bill,or XO that is passed BEHIND OUR BACKS. The latest is the misuse of TAXPAYER MONEY to fund the Movement of some 23,000 alleged Palestinian refugees to the United States. If this occurs then we might as well do away with the Northern,and Southern US borders and just let everybody do their thing. Time to strap on a couple of “hoglegs. Some people call them “Peacemakers.” They were originally produced in the calibers 32-20, .38, 44-40,and 45Colt. Start practicing people. If you get good enough then you should contact the Southern Arizona,ranchers,and apply for security positions. That would be todays equivalent of a GUNFIGHTER. Smokeless instead of BLACK. Automatic instead of single action. Single action with 71/2″ barrel. Very accurate weapon. It would seem that one could earn a solid living being a bad ass gunfighter . Unfortunately the persons life expectancy might be somewhat shortened,and probably LLoyds of London would be the only company on Earth who would provide either life, or health insurance.
Old Salt 78 – You are so right about every day being another assault on us! The Palestinian refuge issue is huge, because imo it is a portend of things to come. I just got back from checking e-mails and found this “little gem”:
HOW REPUBLICANS CAN BLOW THE COMING ELECTION
Excerpt:
Pundits are predicting that Republicans could pick up 40 to 100 seats in the U.S. House this November. But Democrats are about to unveil their secret weapon to keep Nancy Pelosi in her catbird seat.
What could be the magic bullet with the potential to discredit the Republican Party as a vehicle for Americans opposed to Barack Obama’s radical changes? The answer is Mexican trucks, a foolish idea left over from the George W. Bush era, and some Republicans are on the verge of drinking the Kool-Aid.
Read on………(by Phyllis Schlafly)
http://townhall.com/columnists/PhyllisSchlafly/2010/05/18/how_republicans_can_blow_the_coming_election?page=2S
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=153941
DOCTOR’S ORDERS
Obamacare hospitals killed: 60, with 200 on life support
Reform law ‘thins the herd’ to line big health-care companies’ pockets
By Drew Zahn © 2010 WorldNetDaily
Excerpt:
Buried in the recently passed health-care reform bill is a new law granting one of the nation’s largest corporate lobbyists what it has been targeting for years: Death to its competition, and, consequently, a heavy blow to patient choice.
Read more………
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Folks, this is just the beginning of the horrendous assault on American health care!
One of the objectives is to drive out the “small operator” and grant huge favors and $ to the big conglomerates. I think I’ll take a reprieve for a few hours. Whew!
There are many anti-Christs that have come and gone to and fro in this world.
The Holy Bible says that ANYONE who denies that LORD JESUS CHRIST is CHRIST THE LORD and GOD THE SON, and GOD THE SAVIOR and the MESSIAH DELIVERER and the REDEEMER of Humanity is an Anti-Christ.
A “son of wrath” is someone who has the wrath of the judgment of GOD resting on them, and a “son of perdition” is a person that is serving Satan the Devil and who is heading to perdition where Satan the Devil was condemned to, because like Satan the Devil did, the “son of perdition” is refusing to obey, honor, serve, and respect GOD, THE MOST HOLY TRINITY’S ALL HOLY & INFINITELY POWERFUL HOLY WORDS, as GOD reigns earth and all Eternity from Eternity where GOD LIVES IN HEAVEN FOREVER LIFE, THE KINGDOM OF GOD, IN ETERNITY.
Heaven = Forever Life In The Kingdom Of God in Eternity.
Perdition = Hell Forever Fire in Eternity, and permanent separation from GOD and from LIFE in torture for all eternity.
Cabby – AZ // May 18, 2010 at 12:06 pm
yo // May 18, 2010 at 7:45 am
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In the meantime said Sleeping Lion has fingers on nuclear buttons and many other things that can INSTANTLY do great harm. The theory to just let his term run out and we can fix it next term – is just plain brain dead and suicidal.
Leo,
Lord Jesus Christ told me to tell people, “The human ideas of “past lives” and “reincarnation” are great errors for humans as “past lives” and “reincarnation” are deceptions of Satan the Devil and they do not exist for any human. I am the Resurrection and the Life and I am The Way, The Truth, and The Forever Life for humanity. Tell humanity that I Am the One and Only Always Faithful and Always True Savior for humanity to The Kingdom of God In Heaven Forever Life In Eternity. Read the Holy Bible, have faith in GOD, and obey the Will Of GOD, and obey the words of GOD that are contained in the Holy Bible,” said Lord Jesus Christ.
Just in case you haven’t seen this…
http://bigjournalism.com/acary/2010/05/19/tony-rezko-barack-obama-the-fbi-mole-and-the-chicago-msm/