Jumping Ship

Lead Lawyers Ditch Blago

Ahead of retrial on 23 counts.

The father and son team of lawyers who led Rod Blagojevich’s defense this summer have asked to withdraw from the case, citing “financial realities,” but possibly figuring they could do no better than the hung jury they obtained on 23 counts. In securing his defense for the first corruption trial, Blagojevich also burned through the $2.7 million he had in reserve in his campaign fund, leaving him with publically-funded defense for the next one. The attorneys, Sam Adam and Sam Adam Jr., have offered to remain unpaid advisers to Blagojevich and his next set of lawyers when he appears at a retrial, which could be as soon as January. Many believe that Sam Adams, Jr. earned the publicity he needed from the case and is preferring to quit while he is ahead. "Junior got the rocket ride out of (the trial), pretty much to the top," said one legal analyst. "There's no funding left, and he has to be thinking about his law practice."