With his sentencing hearing beginning Tuesday, convicted former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich spent his last free weekend quietly with his family -- even adding an extra member.
According to CBS Chicago, Blagojevich adopted a dog Saturday with his wife Patti and their two daughters. None of the family members have commented publicly since federal prosecutors last Wednesday recommended a sentence between 15 and 20 years in prison for the ex-governor who, they say, misused the power his office granted him "from the very moment he became governor."
Prosecutors have further argued that the embattled former governor has not shown any remorse since he was convicted on 17 counts of corruption this summer. Worse, they contend that he has "belittled the seriousness of his offences."
Blagojevich's defense attorneys, however, have countered that federal guidelines dictate that their client should get slightly more than four years in prison. They are pushing for an even lighter sentence.
On Monday, prosecutor Reid Schar lashed out against the Blagojevich defense's plea for a light sentence in a lengthy court filing, NBC Chicago reports.
"These portrayals are inconsistent with one another," Schar wrote, "and contradicted by the evidence and the jury’s verdicts. ... The government requests that the court reject the defendant’s arguments, and impose a sentence that properly accounts for seriousness of (his) crimes."
The filing further states that the ex-governor's failure to benefit financially from his indiscretions "was not for lack of trying, and thus in no way detracts from his culpability," as CBS reports.
Judge James Zagel is slated to commence Blagojevich's hearing Tuesday but a sentence is not expected to be issued until Wednesday. Among the key factors Zagel will be considering as he calculates an appropriate sentence for the 54-year-old, as the AP reports, are whether the ex-governor will accept responsibility for the crimes he has been convicted of, what harms the crimes caused and whether he perjured himself during testimony at his retrial.
Blagojevich is expected to address the judge during the hearing.
Zagel last week denied a last-ditch effort from Blagojevich's attorneys to to play new federal wiretap tapes in court, which the ex-governor's attorneys say contain evidence pointing to his innocence.
The 10 1/2-year sentence handed down last month to Tony Rezko, Blagojevich's former fundraiser, was seen as a possible sign that a similarly stiff sentence lies ahead for his former boss. Prosecutors in Rezko's case had recommended an 11-to-15-year sentence for the defendant.
Most legal experts expect Zagel to sentence the former governor to about 10 years in prison Wednesday, according to an AP report.