Father-son lawyers claim rift at trial, elder prevails to keep ex-Ill. governor off stand
By Mike Robinson, APThursday, July 22, 2010
Father-son lawyers claim rift at Blagojevich trial
CHICAGO — Father apparently knows best.
After former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Wednesday that he wouldn’t testify at his corruption trial, defense lawyers Sam Adam Sr. and Sam Adam Jr. wasted no time explaining why: Sam Sr. told him to.
Sam Jr. says he wanted Blagojevich to take the stand but it came down to an argument between “an old bull and a young toad.” He says his father, the old bull, won.
Blagojevich has claimed for months that he wanted to testify. He insisted Wednesday that he was leaning toward Sam Jr.’s argument but reluctantly accepted the elder attorney’s counsel.
Blagojevich says Sam Sr.’s most compelling argument was that prosecutors actually proved his innocence of allegations that include trying to sell Barack Obama’s former Senate seat.
