New Sentencing Date Set For Tony Rezko
CHICAGO (CBS/AP) -- A federal judge set a new sentencing date in October for convicted political fixer Antoin "Tony" Rezko, a former fundraiser for ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve agreed to set a new sentencing date of Oct. 21 for Rezko at a hearing on Friday.
Federal prosecutors and Rezko's attorneys had asked for a delay to allow for the possibility that Rezko could testify at Blagojevich's retrial in April. Rezko also might testify at the August trial of Springfield businessman and Republican power broker William Cellini.
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Rezko's attorneys also have asked for a new trial for Rezko, based on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year that scaled back use of the so-called "honest services" statute that was used in Rezko's case.
St. Eve said she would rule on that request at a later date.
Rezko didn't testify at Blagojevich's first trial, which resulted in the former governor's conviction on a single count of lying to the FBI. Jurors were deadlocked on 23 other fraud, bribery and extortion charges against him.
In 2008, Rezko was convicted on 16 counts accusing him of scheming to get kickbacks out of money management firms wanting state business. Several counts carry maximum 20-year prison terms.
He is being held in a jail in Wisconsin and did not attend Friday's hearing.
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