Pre-trial hearing set for Blagojevich retrial

[December 02, 2010]  CHICAGO (AP) -- There's a status hearing set in impeached Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's corruption case.

Many key issues in his upcoming retrial have already been resolved. That includes setting a trial date for April and slashing the size of his defense team from around a dozen lawyers to just two.

So it isn't clear what issues prosecutors or defense attorneys might raise at Thursday's hearing in Chicago before federal Judge James Zagel.

Jurors in August convicted Blagojevich on just one of 24 counts -- lying to the FBI. He'll be retried on the deadlocked charges.

Among the charges jurors disagreed on was whether Blagojevich tried to sell or trade an appointment to President Barack Obama's old U.S. Senate seat for a top job or campaign cash.

[Associated Press]

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