From the Sun-Times: 
 
Ryan lawyers ask to keep Willis crash out of trial 
 
September 8, 2005 
 
BY NATASHA KORECKI Federal Courts Reporter 
 
 Lawyers for former Gov. George Ryan want to ban from his upcoming corruption trial any mention of a tragic car crash that became one of the most explosive episodes to emerge from the federal licenses-for-bribes scandal. 
 
 In 1994, a fiery accident in Wisconsin involving a semitrailer truck killed six children of the Rev. Scott Willis and his wife, Janet. 
 
 Investigators later discovered that the truck driver in the crash paid bribes for his commercial license. 
 
Crash 'aroused great horror' 
 
 The Willis family tragedy dogged Ryan during his 1998 run for governor and through his tenure. 
 
 Now Ryan's defense team, made up of Dan Webb, Bradley Lerman and Timothy Rooney, say even bringing up the crash that "aroused great horror and sympathy with the public," would "severely compromise Ryan's constitutional right to a fair trial." 
 
 They made the request Wednesday as part of a series of motions that aim to keep out certain evidence at Ryan's trial set for later this month. 
 
Seek to exclude scandal 
 
 They also want to ban mention that Secretary of State workers accepted bribes and illegally handed out licenses, saying the feds can't prove that Ryan knew about the bribes or took any of the cash. 
 
That scandal, dubbed Operation Safe Road, brought more than 70 convictions. 
 
 Ryan and lobbyist Lawrence Warner face trial on charges that Ryan took cash, gifts, vacations and other perks and in exchange steered contracts to benefit friends like Warner. 
 
 Jury questioning is scheduled to start Sept. 19. 
 
 Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Collins said prosecutors will respond in court about whether they will bring up the Willis incident but they plan to "prove up the indictment." 
 
 The indictment states that while Ryan served as Secretary of State, his Inspector General learned that the truck driver involved in the Willis crash got an illegal license from the McCook licensing facility and told "high-ranking SOS Office officials of the allegations." 
 
 Ryan later dismantled the office. 
 
 But Ryan's lawyers say it's unfair to bring up the Willis tragedy. 
 
 "There is no allegation -- nor could there be -- that Ryan was involved in the bribe conduct that resulted in the truck driver receiving a license from McCook," they wrote.