Rod Blagojevich judge sets sentencing date; ex-governor plans to testify

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Convicted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich will face sentencing at a hearing beginning Oct. 6, a federal judge in Chicago said Monday. | Sun-Times file

Updated: November 2, 2011 4:19PM

Convicted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich will face sentencing at a hearing beginning Oct. 6, a federal judge in Chicago said Monday.

The sentencing hearing could last two days, U.S. District Judge James Zagel said in setting the sentencing date, depending on the number of witnesses Blagojevich’s lawyers call to testify to his character and his accomplishments as governor.

Blagojevich, who wasn’t in court Monday, plans to testify at his sentencing hearing, according to his lawyer Sheldon Sorosky.

Blagojevich would likely report to prison a few months later.

Blagojevich was “a good, honest governor who tried to help the people of Illinois,” Sorosky said. “He cared about the ordinary guy.”

Blagojevich was convicted last year of a single charge of lying to the FBI, with a mistrial declared on other charges he faced. At his retrial, which ended in June, he was convicted of 17 charges.

After declining to testify at his first trial, he took the stand in his own defense at his second trial, testifying over seven days.

Blagojevich could face a sentence of up to 300 years behind bars for crimes including his effort to sell or trade an appointment to the U.S. Senate to fill the seat vacated by President Barack Obama.

But legal observers says it’s likely Blagojevich will be sentenced to somewhere between the six-a-half-year prison term given to his predecessor, former Gov. George Ryan, and 15 years.

Before Blagojevich can be sentenced, Zagel first must rule on a 158-page defense motion for a retrial in which Blagojevich’s lawyers argue that he didn’t receive a fair trial because Zagel didn’t allow him to testify about his intent in the corrupt deals.

Zagel said after a quick read of the motion, “it doesn’t seem to me that anything new is raised.”