Itasca juror's birthday one to remember

Top this for a 21st birthday story.

Instead of spending the day with friends and family, Erik Sarnello spent most of Aug. 10 holed up in a jury room with 11 people who had been strangers two months earlier. They gave him a card.

Today, those strangers and the Itasca resident will be forever remembered as the jury that could not make up its mind on 23 of 24 counts in ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's corruption trial.

This despite Sarnello voting guilty on about 80 percent of the charges and Blagojevich barely avoiding conviction on some of the more serious charges, including the one accusing him of trying to sell President Barack Obama's Senate seat.

The jurors did, however, convict him of lying to the FBI, a charge that carries a possible sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Experts agree that the likelihood of Blagojevich receiving the maximum sentence is fairly low.

The verdict touched off a media swarm that grilled Sarnello and other jurors about their deliberations.

In a 48-hour period, Sarnello's quotes ran in several local and national newspapers, and he also appeared on local and national television programs. The Lake Park High School graduate said the one thing that bothered him was people saying the jury had failed in its job and hadn't tried hard enough.

"There was so much emotion in the jury room," he said. "Some of us couldn't sleep. This wasn't a joke to anybody. It concerned someone's life."

After receiving a jury summons in March, Sarnello said he tried unsuccessfully to get it deferred. On June 2, he filled out a questionnaire along with more than 100 others. Sarnello said some of the questions had to do with Blagojevich, which was the first indication of which trial the jury would preside over.

The eight-week trial made Sarnello reconsider enrolling at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn for his sophomore year, although he says he will look into late-start classes for the fall. He said he figured the case and the deliberations would last further into the semester, which officially begins Monday.

Early on, he developed a routine that saw him catch the 8:20 train and ride into Chicago, walk the six blocks to the Dirksen Federal Building and begin his 11-hour days. Sarnello is a sports fan who has done some surfing in California and snowboarding in Colorado. But during the trial, he was forced to miss a lot of pickup basketball games with his friends but said that he and the jurors formed their own bond, which was tested when deliberations began.

"During the whole trial, it was straight friendship," he said. "But the first day of deliberations, it made a 180-degree turn and turned from friendly to ugly."

He said those who thought Blagojevich was guilty could not believe others disagreed. Meanwhile, the not guilty voters said the rest were not even trying to deliberate fairly.

As the youngest juror of the group, Sarnello said he tried to lighten the mood and ease tensions at times. However, he said it was all business when it came time to vote and discuss the charges.

After the verdict was read Tuesday, Sarnello said the media attention did not faze him. While some jurors - including the lone holdout on the more serious charges - try to avoid the spotlight, Sarnello said he continues to enjoy the experience.

"For me, it doesn't bother me," he said. "Some (jurors) didn't want this to happen. Some just want to get past it."

Sarnello's appearances have gotten him noticed. He said he was recognized during a recent trip to renew his driver's license and at the gym.

As he enjoys the limelight, Sarnello, who hopes to embark on a law enforcement career some day, said he would like to meet Blagojevich, although he doubts the former governor shares the sentiment.

Sarnello said it would be a good experience but that does not change how he feels about the verdict.

"Meeting a public figure is something you rarely get a chance to do," he said. "But it's not like I'm supporting his crime spree."