By Steve Rhodes
The Burge trial will not resume again until Monday because Judge Joan Lefkow is tending to another case. Of course, you won’t learn this from the papers. I found out from a friend. In the papers, the Burge trial will just disappear for a few days, and then reappear somewhere behind RIchard Roeper’s column or just before the obits.
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Nonetheless, John Conroy found something worthy to write about today. From his post “What If It’s Torture But Not Perjury?”
“In raising the question of whether perjury actually occurred, [defense attorney William] Gamboney was playing to a broad audience. He told the jury that they’d have a hard time believing the criminals who were going to claim torture. Of course if the jury didn’t believe the men scheduled to testify, then they couldn’t conclude that perjury had been committed. But just in case some member of the jury did indeed think the abuse had taken place, Gamboney opened the door to a ‘not-guilty’ verdict by arguing that the government would not be able to prove that Burge was sworn to tell the truth on the interrogatories. Thus you could think Burge was a torturer and a liar, but if you didn’t believe he had taken an oath to tell the truth on these particular documents, then he could have lied throughout and you couldn’t convict him of perjury.”
Blago Trial Preview
Oh yeah, that other thingie.
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I would never argue that the Blago trial isn’t a big friggin’ deal. Of course it is. But is it bigger than the Burge trial? Think about it – in one you have a governor accused of trading political favors for campaign cash, in the other you have a former Chicago police commander accused of perjuring himself about allegations that he (and his so-called Midnight Crew) systematically and sadistically coerced confessions out of criminal suspects, some of whom ended up on Death Row.
And no one wants to talk about race, but if the tortured suspects where white folk – from Lincoln Park, say – this whole thing would’ve gone down differently from the start.
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If only Burge were a clown. Because coverage of the Blago trial isn’t just about a governor in the dock; as much as vast swaths of the media doth protest, they love the circus that has come to town. Love it. It sells papers, ratchets up the pageviews, and gooses the ratings. Blago is a money-maker; Burge is not.
The Daley Show
Mark Brown’s writing is not exactly muscular, but he pretty much hands the mayor his lunch with today’s reality check of Richard M. Daley’s latest nonsense.
But does it ever really matter? Is there anything Daley could say that would result in any real repercussions? Claim Obama isn’t a citizen? Deny the existence of Lake Michigan? Declare himself ruler of the airwaves?
Red Flag
“Hard To Boycott Arizona: Aldermen angry at Grand Canyon state, but that’s where city gets red-light cameras.”
No wonder only Hispanics are getting tickets.
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“In a move sponsors acknowledged is largely symbolic, City Hall departments are being urged not to sign new contracts with Arizona companies under a resolution that two City Council committees adopted Wednesday,” the Tribune reports.
The resolution will be filed right next to the council’s symbolic ethics reform ordinance.
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Better or worse than this? “Cook County Board Approves Arizona Boycott, Then Awards Arizona Company Red Light Contract.”
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We’re willing to go along with a boycott, as long as we don’t have to stop buying stuff!
Governor Reneges
“Quinn: Teamsters’ $75K didn’t influence my veto.”
Angry Teamsters ask for refund.
Silver Lining
Ofman: The Blackhawks did us all a favor.
RockNotes
The Jayhawks, Jesus, M.I.A. and Queen.
Beachwood Summer Reading Guide!
From the Hoover Dam to the Facebook Effect.
Electro-Motive Breath
Straight outta LaGrange.
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Big Unit
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Lift us up.
Posted on June 3, 2010