Law Day at COD features Blagojevich jury forewoman

On Monday, April 16, 2012 the College of DuPage will recognize Law Day 2012 with speaker Connie Wilson. Wilson was the forewoman for the retrial of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. The presentation will be held in the William J. Bauer Mock Courtroom in the Homeland Security Education Center at the corner of Fawell Blvd. and Lambert Road on the main campus in Glen Ellyn (HEC 1022). The presentation is sponsored by two COD student clubs: Academy of Law and Criminal Justice and the COD Paralegal Club.

Connie Wilson will address the Law Day 2012 theme, “No Courts, No Justice, No Freedom.” After a two-month trial before Judge James Zagel, the jury deliberated for ten days. Blagojevich was convicted on 17 of 20 counts of corruption at the Federal Courthouse in Chicago. Following the June 2011 verdict, Wilson, in response to questions about her service on the jury, stated it was a “daunting task” and that the jury “took the verdict very seriously.” Blagojevich is now serving a 14-year prison sentence at a Federal facility in Colorado.

Deborah Klein, Professor of Criminal Justice and Faculty Advisor for the Academy of Law and Criminal Justice, encourages all to attend the presentation. Klein stated, “This is a perfect opportunity for students, the COD community and the public to learn about our criminal court system. This trial, in particular, emphasizes that ‘no one is above the law'.”

Law Day is an annual event, originally conceived in 1957 when American Bar Association President Charles Rhynes envisioned a special national day to mark our commitment to the rule of law. The following year, President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the first Law Day. Law Day was made official in 1961 when Congress issued a joint resolution designating May 1 as the official date for celebrating Law day. (COD is celebrating Law Day early to avoid interrupting studies prior to the final exam schedule.)