Eddie Vrdolyak is out and there is Hell to pay - make book on it. . . .or a really cool movie in black and white.Judge Milton Shadur sentenced Alderman Edward Vrdolyak in December 2009, as I recall. Within hours, of the judgment, the most insulated and powerful Brahmin's in Illinois, federal Judge Richard Posner started squeaking. Try and find any reference to the Intrusive Jurist anywhere in the news copy, today, or tomorrow. The mewling media kittens wet the sandbox at the thought of Judge Posner.
However, in 2009, when the Larry David of the Illinois Federal Bench wanted Eddie V punished real hard, the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times and Carol Marin purred up a storm.
Judge Richard Posner, joined at the oral argument by two other judges, even asked the prosecution if it wanted a federal judge other than Shadur to re-sentence Vrdolyak.
"You're not going to get anywhere with Judge Shadur because he's made up his mind," said Posner, once the court's chief judge and a prolific author who is known for his aggressive questioning of lawyers during oral arguments.
In a rare move, the U.S. attorney's office appealed Shadur's sentence of five years' probation. The government had sought about 3 1/2 years in prison.
Vrdolyak had pleaded guilty for his role in a kickback scheme in which a Gold Coast real-estate deal was rigged so he could secretly split a $1.5 million finder's fee with corrupt insider Stuart Levine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Niewoehner told the appeals panel that Shadur erred in concluding that Rosalind Franklin University, which owned the building, hadn't lost any money in the rigged sale. That played a key part in Vrdolyak eluding prison time.
But Posner said it was the corruption of the bidding process, not whether the school lost money, that was important.
"What is probation for such a crime?" Posner asked incredulously. "It's nothing," he said. "The punishment was not a punishment for a serious offense."
The conservative Posner's view represents a clear problem for the Vrdolyak camp, which argued Shadur was within his power to hand down the light sentence. Posner enjoys a national reputation and his opinion carries great weight. Judges David Hamilton, just appointed to the appeals court, and Daniel Manion will also take part in the decision.
Posner and Shadur, who was appointed to the bench by President Jimmy Carter in 1980, are known around the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse as two judges who often don't see eye-to-eye. Posner once removed Shadur from a civil case in 2002 because he had supposedly let slip in front of the jury too many of his own views about one side's case.
Judge Posner has made millions doing insider legal legerdemain on Trust & Anti-Trust cases, has his own Legal Warehouse, access to the ears of powerful and the morally/ethically vaccinated, and is Federal Judge with unlimited powers to do anything. Judge Posner does whatever he wants, when he wants and to whom he wants.
It's great to be Judge Posner.
You can have him.
Eddie V - went to prison on the say-so of recreational drug enthusiast and political hyena Stuart Levine - ever wonder who was the first person to suggest to anyone that Stu was a great guy? Who brought Stu to the Parties?
Anyway, I liked Ed Vrdolyak - he wouldn't know me if he was walking on me. Never did me no harm, or took a jit out of my jeans. I have always liked Eddie Vrdolyak; so did Mayor Harold Washington. They fought like hell, but amused one another. Eddie V is a hard guy. He is also a very smart guy. From everyone I met on Hegewisch and the Greater 10th Ward between 1994-present, I have yet to hear anyone say an unkind thing about Eddie V. He took care of the young and the elderly and kept tabs on the more shiftless Patres Familias of the neighborhood.
While reading that Alderman Vrdolyak was freed from Terra Haute FCF today, I imagined a black and white epic with a music score dominated by a sinister Bass. Think Alan Ladd, or George Raft, or maybe Bogie - a roll of dimes in each mitt. I don't think today's Hollywood cream-puffs could carry it off.
Eddie shoved out of the doors of the joint and goes home. Everyone knows he's out and that a guy like Eddie V don't forget. Stu is behind bars and Judge Posner is behind robes, but Eddie V was behind Fed Walls.
Pay-back and the Hunt for the Rats is on!
I'd pay Lowe's Cinema prices to watch that one!
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-12-11/news/0912100746_1_appeals-court-light-sentence-oral-arguments
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