April 14, 2010
By Mara Zimmerman
An Illinois federal judge has given three news organizations immediate access to a previously sealed document in the case against former Governor Rod Blagojevich, the Associated Press reports.
The Associated Press, the Chicago Tribune, and the Chicago Sun-Times had recently asked Judge James B. Zagel to unseal the so-called “Santiago proffer” — the document that outlines the government’s case against Blagojevich. The proffer is thought to contain undisclosed evidence that prosecutors used to develop the actual charges.
Attorneys for Blagojevich argued that releasing the document would taint the jury pool for Blagojevich’s trial, which is scheduled to start on June 3. Judge Zagel disagreed, stating that the public would not remember articles or broadcasts “in significant detail.”