Supreme Court refuses to hear Blagojevich appeal News
Supreme Court refuses to hear Blagojevich appeal

The US Supreme Court on Monday declined [order list, PDF] to hear the appeal of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and left in place the 14-year sentence [JURIST report] imposed by Judge James Zagel of the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Blagojevich was convicted in 2011 on corruption charges [JURIST report], including one count of attempting to sell the US Senate seat vacated by then-president Barack Obama.

This is the second time Blagojevich has petitioned the Supreme Court to take his case. The first time was in 2016 to appeal [JURIST report] the sentencing from the jury. In his petition [text, PDF] to the Supreme Court, Blagovich asked whether the government must prove he “made an ‘explicit promise or undertaking’ in exchange for the contribution” in regards to campaign contributions.

Blagojevich currently has served six years of his sentence and is expected to be released in 2024.

THIS DAY @ LAW

International Day Against Fascism and Anti-Semitism

November 9 is the International Day Against Fascism and Anti-Semitism [UNITED factsheet]. On November 9, 1924, American gay activist Henry Gerber and several associates formed the Society for Human Rights, the first gay rights organization in the United States. The Society received a charter from the State of Illinois in December but was disbanded in July 1925 after a police raid which led to Gerber's arrest and trial (albeit not conviction). Pay a virtual visit to Henry Gerber House, now a registered Chicago landmark.

Supreme Court strikes down Massachusetts anti-draft law

On November 9, 1970, the Supreme Court voted 6-3 in Massachusetts v. Laird not to hear the case of the state's anti-draft law. Massachusetts had passed a law, which allowed its citizens to decline to fight in any undeclared war, even if the person was drafted. The law was passed in opposition to the draft and the war in Vietnam. The First Circuit found the war constitutional and thus struck down the law.