Blagojevich: Cancel trial, sentence me now

Associated Press

Rod Blagojevich asked a judge today to cancel his retrial on corruption charges and promptly sentence him on the sole conviction from his first trial, arguing that money woes prevent him from mounting an effective defense.

A five-page motion filed in U.S. District Court insists that Blagojevich isn't conceding any guilt, including on the conviction of lying to the FBI. That's the lone count jurors agreed on at his otherwise deadlocked trial last year.

The motion says the broke ex-governor, whose legal bills are supposed to be paid by the government, wants to forego a retrial on grounds that none of his lawyers have been paid for months of pretrial preparations.

"Should this motion be granted . . . funds for the second trial would no longer be necessary," the motions says. An added bonus, it continues, would be "no further cost to taxpayers."