Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich may have dodged a bullet yesterday after a Chicago jury found him guilty on only count of lying to federal agents. The jury was hung on the other 23 charges against him. After the verdict was read, Blagojevich told reporters, "this jury just showed you ... that on every count except for one, on every charge except for one, they could not prove that I did anything wrong."

In a surprising move, ex-Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich decided he would not testify in his corruption trial. Rob Wildeboer, criminal justice reporter for Chicago Public Radio, believes this was a wise move on Blagojevich's part. "I don't know what he could say to convince jurors about those tapes," he told The Takeaway. The defense strategy has shifted from putting Blagojevich on the stand to trying to prove that the government's case is too weak to find Blagojevich guilty.

Ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is scheduled to take the witness stand this week to testify in his own defense at his federal corruption trial. In the five weeks since the trial began, prosecutors have played many recordings of the former politician using countless expletives in multiple profanity-laced tirades. Now, when Blagojevich takes the stand, law experts say he will have to win over jurors, leave behind his notoriously arrogant attitude and even admit some faults.

Last month, we spoke with Darell Cannon, one of a number of black men in Chicago who claim they were tortured and coerced into confessions during the 70s and 80s by Chicago Police. For men like Cannon, who spent 24 years in prison after being tortured by former police Lieutenant Jon Burge the men he commanded, justice has finally come.

Former Chicago Police Lieutenant Jon Burge was found guilty yesterday on charges of federal perjury and obstruction of justice. He could now face up to 45 years behind bars, after his sentencing hearing in November. Rob Wildeboer, criminal justice reporter for Chicago Public Radio tells us more about the case and the conviction.

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is in court today for the first day of his political corruption trial.

Blagojevich faces a handful of charges including perhaps the most salacious one – the charge that he allegedly tried to sell President Obama’s old Senate seat.  If Blagojevich is convicted, he could be the fourth Illinois governor to head to federal prison in the past 40 years.

After decades of claims by black men in Chicago that they were tortured and coerced into confessions during the '70s and '80s, former police commander Jon Burge now faces trial in federal court on obstruction of justice and perjury charges.

• TAKEOUT: Chicago Public Radio's Rob Wildeboer reports on the difficulty that a Chicago federal court is having as it determines how to prosecute Tahawwur Rana, who was accused of involvement in the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai. Prosecutors have a considerable amount of information that they say will help tie Rana to the crime - but the evidence is classified.
  
• LISTENER TAKEOUT:  Yesterday, we asked whether the American education system could take a lesson or two from highly performing schools overseas. Listeners from around the country called in and posted on the web with your takes on that question. While all of the advice is good, some of our listener's innovations will surprise you.

Disgraced former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is back in the news today. His former chief of staff, John Harris, has plead guilty to fraud charges in a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago. He has also agreed to cooperate with the investigation into Blagojevich, which could be key for the prosecutor's fraud case against the former governor. For more The Takeaway turns to Rob Wildeboer, Criminal Justice and Courts reporter for WBEZ in Chicago.

There's yet another chapter in the tale of ousted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and the Senate seat left vacant by Barack Obama. Secretly taped phone conversations between then State Senator Roland Burris and the disgraced former governor's brother were released to the U.S. Senate Ethics Committee yesterday. Burris, now a senator, still claims that he was not involved in any plan to funnel money to Blagojevich in return for the Senate seat. Rob Wildeboer is a reporter for Chicago Public Radio and he has been following the story closely.

Sen. Burris has been making adamant denials of any wrongdoing:

Senator Roland Burris is promising to fully cooperate with a new investigation into his contacts with the administration of now-ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich. But while he may be talking to investigators, he says he'll no longer be talking to reporters. Especially not at the Chicago Tribune. Joining us now is Robert Wildeboer is a criminal justice reporter for Chicago Public Radio.