Shock in the courtroom today, as the verdict was read: “Guilty”…but only on one of the 24 counts against him.  After 14 days of deliberating, the jury agreed he was guilty of lying to the feds.  And that’s all.  The jury is “hung” on the other 23, so the judge had to declare a mistrial on those 23 counts.  Lying to the feds can be punished with up to five years behind bars, but sentencing will likely wait until everything is all over–which may not be for quite awhile, because the prosecution says its going for a retrial.

All this is over an alleged plot to sell Barack Obama’s former senate seat.  ”I want the people to know I did not lie to the FBI, I told the truth from the very beginning” the former Illinois governor and reality show star said.  ”After 18 months, the government couldn’t prove its’ case” said defense attorney Sam Adam junior “You’re going to find out he’s a fundamentally non-corrupt individual”.   Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald was much less emotional when he said “The jury did its’ job, but we’re going to retry this case”

The first trial is estimated to have cost about $25-30 million of taxpayer money.  Defense lawyers argue that a second trial wouldn’t be worth doubling the cost to the public.

Blago is vowing to appeal the one charge he was convicted on.  Cheers went up from the crowd outside the courtroom as the former governor left.  ”Fans” of Blago’s have lined up there nearly everyday of the trial, some yelling “free my governor!”.