Kaeseberg and Blagojevich's other lawyers defended themselves after the brief hearing.

"I stand by the motion -- the motion was absolutely filed in good faith," Kaeseberg said. "Frankly, I'm disappointed because I know we filed this motion in good faith ... I'm proud of the work I've done on this case ... I'm actually proud of the motion."

Kaeseberg has been practicing criminal law since she was sworn in as a lawyer in 2008, she said. As a defense lawyer, she would be negligent if she found out a juror may have committed a rule violation and she did not investigate.

"The issue is trying to resolve whether she has something in her possession that we don't think she should have," Kaeseberg said "We are not allowed to speak to the jurors ourselves. The only way we can really resolve it and find out is by going to Judge Zagel and asking him to have a hearing."

Co-counsel Aaron Goldstein added, "Quite frankly We would not be good attorneys if we didn't file this motion."

Asked if they were prepared to apologize to jury forewoman Connie Wilson , Goldstein said, "We in no way intended to hurt Ms. Wilson in any way."

Asked about the "hare-brained" comment, lead attorney Sheldon Sorosky quipped, "I don't know, I don't have a lot of hair."

Goldstein chimed in: "He doesn't have hair - I don't have a brain."

-Abdon M. Pallasch

By Abdon M. Pallasch

U.S. District Judge James Zagel took a mere three minutes Monday morning to dismiss a motion by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's attorneys as "hare-brained."

Blagojevich's attorneys sought a new trial based on a report that the jury forewoman had displayed a juror questionnaire in a public talk she gave about the trial. Those questionnaires are not supposed to be taken from court, Blagojevich

Just beyond belief, attorney Lauren Kaeseberg argued.

It was unclear whether the forewoman displayed a filled-out or blank questionnaire.

"The motion was prepared without any adequate thought," Zagel scolded Kaeseberg. "You should seek outside counsel ... and send a letter of apology to the juror."

Zagel said he could hold Kaeseberg in contempt of court but was cutting her slack because she was a fairly new lawyer.

"By the absence of precedent, I assume you couldn't find precedent," Zagel said, calling the filing "beyond my imagination."

Zagel two weeks ago sentenced Blagojevich to 14 years in prison on charges of trying to use his office to enrich himself.

By Abdon M. Pallasch
Political Reporter/apallasch@suntimes.com

Reporters are off the hook in the effort to secure a new trial for convicted power broker William Cellini.

U.S. District Judge James Zagel dropped efforts Wednesday to compel reporters for the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune to produce notes of any interviews they conducted with a juror in Cellini's trial who concealed two felony convictions when she was filling out paperwork to serve on the jury.

Cellini still is on the hook for his conviction of trying to extort money from "Million Dollar Baby" Producer Tom Rosenberg so that Rosenberg's investment firm could get a share of the state Teacher Retirement System pension fund.

Juror Candy Chiles, who has convictions for drunk-driving and crack cocaine possession, was not in court Wednesday. Zagel said she had called his office Tuesday to say she was in the hospital and would not be able to attend.

Zagel suspended the hearing until she appears in court, possibly later this week.

Cellini attorney Dan Webb told Zagel he objected to even having a hearing. He said Zagel should skip the hearing and proceed directly to a new trial for Cellini.

"Under the law, you are not eligible to serve on a federal jury ... if you are convicted of a felony," Webb said. "Why would someone lie to get on a jury unless they have some type of bias? What I want to establish is that she knowingly and willingly lied on these questions."

Webb noted the irony that he and the government are now on the opposite sides of where they were in the trial of former Gov. George Ryan, who was also represented by Webb. In that case, prosecutors got a woman thrown off the jury because she concealed her arrest record.

After Cellini was found guilty, Tribune reporter Annie Sweeney wrote about her exchange with the juror in which Sweeney asked her about the felony convictions and the woman refused to discuss them. Sun-Times reporter Maudlyne Ihejirika also interviewed the juror but there was no discussion of the woman's arrest record.

Zagel ruled there would be no benefit in compelling either paper's reporters to appear in court or turn over notes.

"There's no reason to require them to appear," Zagel said, adding that any additional detail Webb might find in Sweeney's notebook about the interview, which she already wrote about, would be "trivial."

Zagel assured Webb that "having seen reporters' notebooks" there was likely little fodder to be found that would help Webb make a case.

Journalism watchdog groups expressed relief Wednesday that Zagel dropped, at least for now, efforts to compel reporters to turn over their notes.

"We are independent witnesses to the news and not arms of the court -- this is an action not only journalists should celebrate but anyone who cares about a free press," said Stephen Franklin, president of the Chicago Headline Club, the country's largest chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Read the rest of the story here: Start drinking

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, flanked by 17 other government officials, reacted to Rod Blagojevich's 14-year sentence, calling it "profoundly sad."

Blagojevich and his wife stopped very briefly in the lobby of the federal building to address the press. He started, as he has been known to do, by quoting Kipling:

"Rudyard Kipling, among the things he wrote was, 'If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same: Patti and I - and especially me -- this is a time to be strong and this is a time fight through adversity. This is a time for me to be strong for my children. To be strong for Patti. This is also a time for Patti and me to go home so we can explain to our kids, to our babies, Amy and Annie, what happened, what all this means, and where we're going from here. We're going to keep fighting on, through this adversity. We'll see you soon."

Blagojevich and his wife and attorneys left without responding to any questions about any plans for an appeal.

-Abdon M. Pallasch

Blagojevich will be home for the holidays. He doesn't have to report to prison until February.
Patti Blagojevich did not cry after the sentence was imposed but put her hand up to her mouth.
The former governor himself slightly sunk his head. He was seated.
After court was over, Patti Blagojevich buried her head in her husband's chest.

"In the United States, we don't much govern at gunpoint," Zagel said. "We require willing ... participation.
This happens most easily when people trust the person at the top to do the right thing most of the time and more important than that to try to do it most of the time. When a state senator takes a bribe, that's one person out of 59.
You are not to be compared with those who hold lesser positions in government. You, as a governor are seen to control all of them, though I concede in practice you don't."

Looking at Blagojevich, Zagel finished, "When it is the governor who goes bad, the fabric of Illinois is torn and disfigured and not easily or quickly repaired. You did that damage."

With that, Zagel sentenced Blagojevich to 168 months -- 14 years in prison. Presuming he serves 85 percent of that, his 15-year-old daughter will be at least 27 when he gets out.

-Abdon M. Pallasch, Natasha Korecki & Lauren Fitzpatrick

Disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was sentenced Wednesday to 14 years in prison after he made a final plea for leniency, acknowledging his guilt and saying, "I am unbelievably sorry. ... I have nobody to blame but myself for my stupidity and actions.

"The harm here is not measured in the value of money and property," Judge Zagel tells Blagojevich.

"The harm is the erosion of the public trust in government; [people's] confidence in and trust in government," Zagel said.

• 'Sorry' Blagojevich gets 14-year prison sentence
• Political reaction: No joy, but he had it coming
• Amy Blagojevich's letter to Judge Zagel
• Key dates in Blagojevich case

Judge Zagel said he was satisfied that Blagojevich accepted responsibility for his actions instead of blaming his aides.

That means less prison-time eligibility

He will also get mitigation credit for All Kids.

"I don't doubt his devotion to his children, bit this is not ... exceptional in my own experience," Zagel said. "I see case after case where good fathers are bad citizens. There is no question that the innocent children of felons suffer. This is tragic. But, as he admits, the fault of this lies with the defendant alone. Now it is too late."

-Abdon M. Pallasch, Natasha Korecki and Lauren Fitzpatrick

Combating a defense argument from yesterday that sentencing corrupt politicians in Illinois up to now has not had a deterrebnt effect, Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Schar told Judge Zagel that's because judges haven't been sentencing them to long enough terms.

"It goes to show that sentences have not been high enough so far," Schar said. "We should not throw in the towel. There is simply a need to increase punishment."

"A message must be sent to this defendant and others that the consequences are higher now than ever before," Schar said

"A sentence of between 15-20 years ins appropriate in this case," Schar said.

Zagel about to rule

Blagojevich left the lectern red-eyed and teary after his address to Zagel, who stared back at him plainly, at times taking notes.
Blagojevich walked over to kiss Patti on the head and she had a pained look on her face. Before his address, he touched her hand and whispered: -"I love you."
During his talk to Zagel, Blagojevich's voice was low, somber and, at times, strained.
A hush grew over the courtroom, and, at times you could only hear the scribbling of pens on paper.

Blagojevich is now standing with Patti and lawyers in noisy courtroom. He's rubbing her back as they wait.

Court is resuming

When the verdicts were being read, Blagojevich told Judge Zagel he knew after the first one that he would be convicted on most of them.

"All I could think about was how soon Patti and I could be home with our kids," he said. "A lot of media surrounds our home during these periods. Patti made it into the house first. Both of my children were, of course, upset. My younger daughter, Annie, was crying. I didn't take us long to calm her down...

"Amy, my teenager, she's 15. She was 14 then. She's a heroine...
"She's number-2 in her class in high school...

"My daughter didn't want to accept it. She begged me to go outside and talk to the media, 'Tell them you didn't do it, that it was wrong.'
"I had to tell her I had my trials, not once but twice.
"I was, under the law, found guilty of these crimes. The fight was over. It was time to accept this -- I needed to accept this and that I couldn't go out and tell the press anything other than what had happened. I couldn't go out and pursue the fight.

"My life is in ruins.
"I'm in no position to earn a living for my children.

"I can't be a lawyer. We have to sell our home.

"I want to thank Patti. She has stood by me in the worst of times, not just the best of times.

"Now my kids have to go out there and know that their dad's a felon. Its not like their name's 'Smith.' They cant hide.

"I accept the people's verdict, Judge, they found me guilty."

-Abdon M. Pallasch, Natasha Korecki & Lauren Fitzpatrick

"I want to take this opportunity to apologize to you for fighting this case in the media," Blagojevich told Judge Zagel.

"I also want to apologize for challenging the prosecutors. I was very keen on your comments yesterday on how I saw it as a 'boxing match. 'I saw it actually that way. I studied Alexander Hamilton, back in the 18th Century... It was inappropriate. It was childish and not productive."

Blagojevich apologized for all his comments he said were "immature...petty...ugly...self-centered...self-absorbed."

"If this case was about being self-absorbed, I would have walked in and plead guilty immediately," Blagojevich said.

-Abdon M. Pallasch, Natasha Korecki & Lauren Fitzpatrick

"There is a line between routine politics, political horse-trading, political fund-raising. How you ask for political funds.
It was always my intention to try to see if I could do those things on the right side of the line.
I thought they were permissible.
I was mistaken.
The jury convicted me.
Those were my actions.
Those were things I did; talked about doing.
I am responsible for that.
I caused it all. I'm not blaming anybody.
I was the governor and I should have known better."

-Abdon M. Pallasch, Natasha Korecki & Lauren Fitzpatrick

"I have nobody to blame but myself for my stupidity and actions and the things I did and I thought I could do. I'm not blaming anybody.

"I never set out to break the law. I never set out to cross lines."

Blagojevich is admitting he's self-absorbed, saying he's sorry for fighting the case in the media. He's is saying he blames no one else and takes all responsibity

Blagojevich "Spent seven days on the witness stands perjuring himself -- he tried to lie his way out of a guilty verdict," Assistant U.S. Attroeny Reid Schar said.

"He testified Lisa Madigan was his first choice for the senate seat. That was a lie," Schar said. "He lied repeatedley. He is incredibly manpulative and he knows how to be. To his credit, he is clever about it."

From press accounts of the jurors, Schar said he could tell that the jurors saw through his efforts.

"Twelve people in a jury box -- he caters to them to get what he wants," Schar said. "The government caught it. I'm happy to see, based on the press reports, that jurors caught it. He managed to hit on things... There was a juror from Boston. Suddenly we heard how he loved the city of Boston. To a juror who had opened a Greek restaurant. [Another worked in a library] He said he loved to study at the library and on the way there would stop by the Greek restaurant to get a cup of coffee."

Judge Zagel laughed at that.

"He wanted to manipulate the audience to help himself."

Blagojevich was cracking jokes up until the hearing started. He told a reporter that her son should get away from studying political science: "It doesn't pay for college." She says that's he's interested in criminal justice and his smile widens. "Let me know if you want me to talk him out of that," he said, heading back to the defense table.

-Abdon M. Pallasch and Natasha Korecki

"The defendant in this case held up funding to every children's hospital in the state of Illinois for 30 days," Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Schar said. "That was a real harm."

"He sat on legislation for ... days that would have helped the entire horse-racing industry," Schar said.

Schar is attacking the defense arguments from Tuesday that Blagojevich's actions were "no big deal" because he eventually signed the legislation. He only signed the horse-racing and legislation and released the money for the children's hospital after he was arrested, Schar said.

He also left Illinois with just one vote in the U.S. Senate while important votes were being taken, Schar said.

The former governor is in court, his eyes looking a bit tired. Black suit. Silver tie.

Patti Blagojevich just turned to Sun-Times Federal Courts reporter Natasha Korecki -- due to give birth next week -- with a request that her water break now

-Natasha Korecki with Abdon M. Pallasch

Rod Blagojevich suffered a punishing first day of sentencing as U.S. District Judge James Zagel rejected virtually every legal argument the defense made, accused him of concocting a story about his plans for a U.S. Senate appointment and raised doubts about everything from whether the former governor really "came from nothing" to whether he was truly an "extraordinary father."

Read today's story, which offers a recap of Tuesday's events in Chicago federal court: click here

By Natasha Korecki
Chicago Sun-Times

Patti Blagojevich is crying as Goldstein reads a letter from Blagojevich to one of his daughters. Another attorney rubs Blagojevich's shoulder as he sighs.

Blagojevich's daughter says having him home every day has made these rough years bearable.

"He's been here to help me with my homework," she said in her letter. "I will not be able to handle my father not being around. I need him here for my high school graduation - I've wanted to go to northwestern since 6th grade... I'll need him when my heart gets broken." She'll need him when her dog gets ill.

"I need my father in my life," Goldstein said, finishing the letter.

"Take into account the side of Mr. Blagojevich that is a loving, caring, dedicated father and husband," Goldstein said. "He doesn't deserve mercy because he has a family but his family deserves mercy."

Judge Zagel challenged Carolyn Gurland on an opinion Judge Ruben Castillo wrote in 2006 sentencing Michael Spano and others looting Cicero's till:

"We need not resign ourselves to the fact that corruption exists in government," Castillo wrote. "Unlike some criminal justice issues, the crime of public corruption can be deterred by significant penalties."

Zagel told Gurland, "Your argument on this issue is in direct conflict with Judge Castillo's thesis. Most judges are not burdened with being elected to office. We do not say, 'We are going to fix this problem so it will never occur again. We are realists. We know there's no way... The policy of sentencing is to make it occur less."

Gurland responded, "We don't disagree with the premise that it's important to consider policies to deter [bad] conduct," Gurland said. "I think the defendants in the Spano case, the conduct was much more egregious. [Blagojevich's] sentence doesn't need to be anywhere near the sentence that is being advocated by the government."

Now they are playing tapes of Blagojevich in which he talked about possibly appointing Lisa Madigan to the Senate seat. Goldstein urged Judge Zagel to see the "unselfishness" of the proposal that never happened and that Zagel had earlier said he did not believe.

What Blagojevich did was so much milder than what former Gov. George Ryan did, Blagojevich attorney Aaron Goldstein said.

Goldstein called Ryan "The second elephant sitting in the room."

Blagojevich deserves lass than the 6 1/2 years Ryan was sentenced to -- not more -- Goldstein said. Goldstein is running through other public figures recently convicted in public corruption cases and explaining why Blagojevich's crimes were less.

Blagojevich attorney Sheldon Sorosky is running through each of the crimes Blagojevich has been convicted of and saying that none of them merits 15 years in prison.

Sorosky said President Obama on a "perfectly proper mission" to go ask Blagojevich "Would Gov. Blagojevich appoint Valerie Jarrett to the senate -- she was a fit candidate -- it was a perfectly proper legal request."

"He asked for a job in return for that," Sorosky said. "That's a fact. That crime does not call for a 15-year jail sentence... I don't know that that's anywhere near "selling a senate seat for $1.5 million.'"

Abdon M. Pallasch & Natasha Korecki