Blago Aid Pleads Guilty: The Chief of Staff for former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has pleaded guilty to a single count of wire fraud and agreed to testify against his former boss, according to this AP story by Legal Affairs Writer Mike Robinson. John Harris admitted in his plea agreement that he repeatedly talked with Blagojevich about exchanging the Governor's appointment to fill President Barack Obama's Senate seat for money - like trading the seat for a high paying job. In one conversation, Blagojevich allegedly told Harris the he wanted to receive a candidates entire campaign fund in exchange for the appointment. "I have never met a person who is going to be a better witness than John Harris is going to be," Harris' attorney told reporters.
Virginia Murderer Claims Double Jeopardy: A man convicted of the murder and attempted rape of a 16-year-old girl has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to halt his execution. This AP story reports that Paul Warner Powell was originally convicted and sentenced to death for of the murder of Stacie Reed. He was also convicted, and sentenced to three life terms, for the abduction, rape and attempted murder of her 14-year-old sister. In 2001, the Virginia Supreme Court overturned the capital murder conviction, holding that the state had failed to prove the robbery aggravating circumstance against Reed. It also held that the rape and murder of her sister did not qualify Powell for capital murder. Thinking that he could not be tried for capital murder again, Powell wrote the prosecutor a obscenity-laced letter explaining in detail how he had attempted to rape Stacie before he killed her. Armed with new evidence, the Commonwealth's Attorney promptly sought and won a conviction and death sentence against Powell on the new charges of murder and attempted rape. Powell's claim of double jeopardy has since been rejected by every court which has reviewed it, most recently in an opinion from the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on habeas corpus. Barring a stay by the Supreme Court, or clemency by Virginia's Governor, Powell will be electrocuted (his choice) on July 14.
Virginia Murderer Claims Double Jeopardy: A man convicted of the murder and attempted rape of a 16-year-old girl has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to halt his execution. This AP story reports that Paul Warner Powell was originally convicted and sentenced to death for of the murder of Stacie Reed. He was also convicted, and sentenced to three life terms, for the abduction, rape and attempted murder of her 14-year-old sister. In 2001, the Virginia Supreme Court overturned the capital murder conviction, holding that the state had failed to prove the robbery aggravating circumstance against Reed. It also held that the rape and murder of her sister did not qualify Powell for capital murder. Thinking that he could not be tried for capital murder again, Powell wrote the prosecutor a obscenity-laced letter explaining in detail how he had attempted to rape Stacie before he killed her. Armed with new evidence, the Commonwealth's Attorney promptly sought and won a conviction and death sentence against Powell on the new charges of murder and attempted rape. Powell's claim of double jeopardy has since been rejected by every court which has reviewed it, most recently in an opinion from the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on habeas corpus. Barring a stay by the Supreme Court, or clemency by Virginia's Governor, Powell will be electrocuted (his choice) on July 14.
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