Ill. Court Nixes Motion to Declare Blagojevich Unfit

Illinois’ top court today rejected the state attorney general’s motion to have Rod Blagojevich declared unfit to be governor due to corruption charges against him, the Chicago Tribune reports, even as his lawyer charged that members of a state House committee looking into impeachment wouldn’t give Blagojevich a fair shake. Attorney Ed Genson also requested a special prosecutor, and that taxpayer money pay for Blagojevich's defense.

Genson asked that three legislators be removed from the panel, and for it to define an impeachable offense before the proceedings began, as the state constitution does not offer specifics. Rep. Barbara Currie turned down all of Genson’s requests, saying that the panel was not bound by usual jurisprudence: “We’re not a court of law. We’re not quite a grand jury,” she said. “We’re not bound by specific rules of evidence.” (More Rod Blagojevich stories.)