JoAnn Chiakulas, the female juror who saved Rod Blagojevich’s hide when she voted against 11 other jurors not to convict on charges he tried to sell the senate seat, says she “didn’t do it for him.”
In her first interview since the trial ended, Chiakulas tells the Chicago Tribune she did what she felt was right, even if it wasn’t the most comfortable thing to do.
“I can’t explain how badly I felt,” she said to the Tribune. “I didn’t sleep at night. I thought about it on the train. I wanted to make sure my reasonable doubt was reasonable.”
Despite speculation that her former career as a state worker and her late-husband’s one-time donation to Rod Blagojevich’s campaign played a role in her decision, Chiakulas makes clear that she was no fan of the former governor.
Full story: Blago’s Holdout Juror Talks | NBC Chicago.