Attorneys for Rod Blogojevich filed a motion this morning asking Judge James Zagel to keep tapes and transcripts of the government's recordings out of the public eye until after a witness has been cross-examined.
It was the next step in a back-and-forth that had been discussed for days. Zagel ordered yesterday that the tapes could be released at the end of the day that they were played.
But after the judge made that ruling, the defense decided they wanted the tapes kept secret until after their cross-examination.
They argued that if the transcripts were on the Internet, witnesses could read them and better prepare for their cross-examination.
Zagel disagreed.
'I don't think whatever is added by the availability on the Internet of transcripts is any menace at all," he said.
The questioning of Tony Rezko associate Joseph Aramanda is under way.
I think this is a reasonable request just a poor argument...he should have said he didn't want the public to form an opinion about his client without first having the oppurtunity to set the record straight.