From the Sun-Times: 
 
Both sides grill jury pool in Ryan trial 
 
September 20, 2005 
 
BY NATASHA KORECKI Federal Courts Reporter 
 
 
 To one potential juror, former Gov. George Ryan was "no good," "forgetful" and "unprepared" as a public official. 
 
 He wasn't talking about Ryan's historic decision to clear Death Row, or unqualified truckers getting licenses for bribes, or the 73 people convicted in the Operation Safe Road investigation. 
 
What was the juror referring to? Ryan once mixing up the names of legendary Bears linebacker Dick Butkus and former Bears coach Mike Ditka. 
 
 Ryan, for the first time sitting in a federal courtroom as a criminal defendant, lowered his head and smiled at the observation. He had made the gaffe in 2000 by introducing Ditka as Butkus. 
 
 In the first day of jury selection in Ryan's public corruption trial Monday, lawyers on both sides struggled through the public's wide-ranging opinions or preconceptions that come with a defendant as prominent as Ryan. 
 
"Because he was governor this is a highly unusual case," Ryan's powerhouse attorney Dan Webb said. 
 
 "We are exploring the attitudes people have against George Ryan because we should have a jury without bias." 
 
 Ryan, 71, is on trial with his lobbyist friend Lawrence Warner on charges he steered state contracts and leases to his friends and took gifts, vacations and cash for himself and family. 
 
 He's also charged with lying to the feds. 
 
 Warner is accused of shaking down state vendors for lobbying business while giving Ryan and his family cash and loans. 
 
Ryan calmly walked past a flurry of cameras Monday morning. His first question upon exiting the elevator to his floor: "Where's the men's restroom?" 
 
 He later cracked a joke about the early morning as he entered the courtroom for the first time. His wife, Lura Lynn, sat behind him in the courtroom, as did members of Warner's family. 
 
Jury selection, often seen as the most important part of a trial, started slowly Monday with just eight potential jurors set aside after 14 were questioned. 
 
 Ultimately, 18 will sit on the panel for the four-month trial. U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer said jury selection could continue through Wednesday. It could be longer. 
 
 From a pool of 300, at least 46 are needed -- possibly up to 60 -- who are deemed impartial by the judge. Then, both sides can strike: The defense has 18 peremptory challenges, the prosecution has 10. 
 
Strategies came to light in the questioning of the first batch. Ryan's defense team asked each person if he or she could keep an open mind. Did they understand Ryan was presumed innocent until proven guilty? Could they look at prosecutors at the end of a four-month trial and vote not guilty -- even if they thought Ryan was guilty but believed the government hadn't met its burden? 
 
 Nearly all said yes. 
 
 If they went back to the jury room convinced of Ryan's innocence could they be swayed to change their minds? 
 
 "I would definitely stick to my guns," said one. Another said he wouldn't change his mind, "Because that's who I am." 
 
 Webb also asked numerous people how they felt about vanity license plates. 
 
'A cat-and-mouse game' 
 
 A jury selection strategist said the defense is already trying to condition potential jurors. 
 
"He is starting to try his case and start creating the idea there is doubt," said Beth Foley, vice president and senior litigation consultant with Zagnoli McEvoy Foley, LLC. 
 
Foley said the defense wants to see how influential a person might be over other jurors, while the feds are looking for those who distrust the government or strongly favor Ryan or his policies. 
 
"There is a cat-and-mouse game being played," she said. "George Ryan wants to identify people who love him, [but] he does not want them to step forward because the government will strike them. George Ryan only needs one fan to hang the jury, so he hopes that fan can slip by undetected." 
 
Not as seen on TV 
 
 Prosecutors, too, were heading off their own issues. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Collins explained to one juror who liked "CSI" that unlike the television show, the case would take months, and asked if she expected anyone to "pull a rabbit out of a hat." 
 
 Among the dozen jurors dismissed Monday was one who said he had an issue sending older people to prison. Prosecutors had moved to toss that juror, who earlier expressed admiration for some of Ryan's policy decisions while he was office. 
 
 Another said he couldn't be fair to Ryan. 
 
Highlights 
 
Jury: Selection starts slowly with just 8 of 14 potential jurors surviving the first round. Jurors were questioned one at a time. Up to 60 will be set aside before both sides whittle down panel to 18. 
 
Defense: Asks each juror to commit from the outset that he or she will make prosecution prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Samples jurors by asking their opinion on politicians getting friends low-digit license plates. 
 
Prosecution: Wants to speed up jury selection and possibly place time limits on questioning. Fights references to low-digit plates as misstating and oversimplifying the case. 
 
THE CHARGES AGAINST GEORGE RYAN 
 
Two-term secretary of state and one-term Gov. George Ryan and lobbyist friend Lawrence Warner are on trial for a 22-count indictment. 
 
 Allegations against Ryan include: 
 
Racketeering: He's accused of steering lucrative contracts to friends -- while in office -- and giving them insider information from which they could profit, while he took cash, gifts and vacations for himself and family. He also allegedly used state money for political reasons. 
 
False statements: Three counts alleging he lied to the FBI. 
 
Income tax fraud: He allegedly kept information from the IRS. 
 
Mail fraud: Nine counts alleging he wrongly received financial benefits from those getting state business, including loans for himself and family. 
 
False tax returns: Allegations of filing false federal tax returns for 1995-1998.