"Ryan Lawyers Plan Supreme Court Appeal This Week" 1/21/08

[orleans]

Regine Schlesinger Reporting

CHICAGO (WBBM) - Lawyers for imprisoned former Ill. Gov. George Ryan plan to file their appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court this week. But, WBBM's Regine Schlesinger reports it's a long shot that the court will hear the case.

Ryan began serving his six and a half year sentence for corruption in the federal prison in Oxford, Wis. in early November.

Another former Illinois governor, Jim Thompson, who heads his defense team, says Ryan is adjusting to prison life as well as possible. Thompson talks to him by phone a couple of times a week and has visited. He says Ryan is walking alot but doesn't appear to have lost any weight.

Ryan's last hope rests with the U.S. Supreme Court. His lawyers will argue that the irregularities with the jury denied him a fair trial.

After two jurors were dismissed during the deliberations, instead of declaring a mistrial, the judge started the deliberations all over again with a reconstituted jury.
Legal experts say while it was a rare case, it wasn't the kind of unprecedented issue that the Supreme Court normally takes.
http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/1514427.php?

[mopinko]

1. it will be interesting

i will be very pissed off if they take this case. they just have no case.

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

2. They might not take it, but I figure Chimpy's going pardon him in

January anyway. I'm sure 'Big Jim' has it all arranged.