THE LUCK OF THE BLAGO..........

The past immediate, former Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagoevich, was charged by federal prosecutors with twenty four counts of corruption and criminal acts,which lead to his removal from office and being put on trial.  After a lengthy trial, the twelve impaneled jurors reached all but a complete impasse over fourteen days of deliberations in their ability to find Governor Blagoevich guilty.  Referring back to the trial Judge for further information, as they struggled to reach decisions on the twenty counts , with which the former Governor was charged, they could finally only agree on his being guilty on one charge - lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, five years ago, about an assurance that he maintained a firewall between his political operations and his duties as Governor.  Earlier this week with the inability to find him either innocent, or guilty, on the other twenty three charges brought by the Federal Prosecutor, the Judge declared a mistrial.   Prosecutors have announced they will move to try former Governor Blagoevich again real soon.  What does it say about the shape and effectiveness of our legal system, when such a notorious set of criminal and corrupt acts with which he was charged - from illegal solicitation of campaign contributions, to the alledged selling of a U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder, cannot be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt to twelve intelligent American jurors ?  Rod Blagoevich is certainly a folksy, and somewhat sympathetic character, who has pulled out the publicity and public relations stops to defend himself, and like a cat with nine lives, seems to possess the ability to live on, poltically and unincarcerated, despite whatever illegalities he and his political operatives, may have committed.  Is the case against him weak, or is he more innocent than guilty of the crimes he is charged with ?  Or is it the luck of the Blago, that he is far from the first, and perhaps no where near the last, Illinois Governor to face criminal prosecution connected to their governance ?..........In The Cause Of Continuous Political Reform And Good Government,   Fr.  Troy