From the Chicago Sun-Times

Ryan seeks to delay his trial until September
January 14, 2005
BY NATASHA KORECKI Staff Reporter
While trying to postpone his March 14 public corruption trial until September, former Gov. George Ryan argued Thursday that the government is putting his defense team on "drastically unequal footing" by, among other things, trying to get him to change lawyers. Ryan has chosen high-powered defense attorney Dan Webb to represent him. But Webb could be tied up through July 1 because he's also representing Philip Morris USA in a $280 billion Big Tobacco case that's going on longer than expected, according to a motion filed by Ryan's attorneys Thursday. Webb is scheduled in court next week to argue on Ryan's behalf for the trial date change, which prosecutors have opposed. They suggest Ryan get a new attorney instead. The former governor, in Thursday's motion, also argued the government has an unfair advantage in the case because it only recently laid out all of its evidence -- about two months before trial -- giving the defense little time to prepare. 'Mr. Webb is uniquely qualified' Ryan, who has "strong defenses to each and every one of these charges," is scheduled to go on trial with his lobbyist friend Lawrence Warner, a Republican businessman. Ryan is charged with taking cash, gifts, trips and loans for himself and his family while he was the secretary of state and allowing people such as Warner to reap millions of dollars from state contracts. "Mr. Webb is uniquely qualified to defend George Ryan against the serious charges brought by the government and more importantly George Ryan has exercised his constitutional right and chosen Mr. Webb to proceed with his defense," Thursday's filing stated. Last fall, prosecutors tried to head off such a request by asking U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer to set the firm trial date of March 14. Pallmeyer agreed, but she didn't completely close the issue. Prosecutors warned a delay could create more difficulty in getting witnesses to testify at trial. They also said four people who pleaded guilty are waiting until after the Ryan trial to be sentenced. However, Ryan's filing also noted that the case could be "historic" and create "landmark precedent" because the feds named the State of Illinois a racketeering enterprise. Defense attorneys said they have to sift through more than 80,000 pages of evidence turned over by the government. The filing also notes Ryan has been living "under the burden of an intense federal investigation," and "looks forward to the opportunity to clear his family's name at trial, but he asks to do it only with the counsel of his choosing." Prosecutors declined to comment.