Rod Blagojevich shot down again by federal appeals court

The federal appeals court in Chicago said Monday it would not hear again from former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, meaning the imprisoned Democrat is quickly running out of legal options nearly a year after his 14-year prison sentence was reinstated.

The decision was not unexpected. And it set Blagojevich’s attorneys up to make one last pitch to the U.S. Supreme Court. Blagojevich, 60, is not expected to get out of prison until May 2024.

If his lawyers fail at the Supreme Court, Blagojevich’s only hope for an early release may be his pending commutation petition before President Donald Trump. The two men met when Trump was a reality TV show host on the set of “Celebrity Apprentice.”

It took a three-judge panel from the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals just three days this spring to affirm Blagojevich’s 14-year prison sentence. Blagojevich’s attorneys then sought an opportunity to argue before all active 7th Circuit judges, but they were denied in an order filed Monday.

Read more: http://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/rod-blagojevich-shot-down-again-by-federal-appeals-court/