Blagojevich asking to keep jurors anonymous

February 16, 2011

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(WBEZ/file)
Rod Blagojevich's attorneys are asking that jurors in the former governor's upcoming retrial be allowed to remain anonymous.

Rod Blagojevich's attorneys are asking that jurors in the former governor's upcoming retrial be allowed to remain anonymous.  In the first Blagojevich trial, Judge James Zagel kept the names of jurors secret until after the verdict.  He said members of the public had already called his office to weigh in on the high profile case and he didn't want jurors subjected to that.

Zagel plans to withhold the new juror's names again in the retrial scheduled to begin April 20th but Blagojevich's attorneys say those jurors should have the choice to remain anonymous even after the verdict.  They say jurors will almost certainly become quote, "media prey" after the trial and don't want deliberations to be affected by jurors who are worried about impending press and public pressure.  They say Blagojevich's right to a fair trial and an impartial jury require that jurors be allowed to remain anonymous if they so choose.

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