Just when we thought getting the first black man elected President was an extraordinary feat cementing her legacy in history, we find out the power of Oprah is strong enough to do something truly unfathomable: influence a US District Court schedule.A potential juror questioned during the second day of jury selection in Rod Blagojevich’s retrial Monday said she didn’t want her possible jury service to interfere with the taping of the Oprah Winfrey show, which she planned to attend on May 10.
She might just get her wish.
U.S. District Judge James Zagel said he could reschedule the trial of Illinois’ former governor to accommodate the talk show goddess but: “That seems a little over the top.”
“It’s the last year, judge,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Schar said, smiling, and referring to the final season the show is taping.
Zagel asked the woman if she had one ticket to attend the taping of the show, which will be in its final month of taping in May.
“Four tickets,” she said.
Zagel later seemed open to a defense lawyer’s suggestion that court be scheduled that day around the taping of the show. The parties agreed to revisit the issue.
If having tickets to the Oprah Winfrey show is enough to have a US District Court Judge schedule court around the taping, how long until we run into a case where Oprah is cited as an actual defense? The sad thing...it would probably work.
BTW, wonder what kind of message it's gonna send to the jury if the Court does schedule around a tv talkshow taping to jurors in a case involving a Defendant who has become a minor television celebrity?
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