CHICAGO ? Jurors among those who convicted Rod Blagojevich of corruption Monday said they found the former Illinois governor personable, but had to set that aside to consider what they found to be clear evidence that he tried to sell or trade President Barack Obama's Senate seat.
All 12 jurors ? 11 women and one man ? met with reporters after the verdict in a spare courtroom. They identified themselves only by their juror numbers, noting that their full names will be released Tuesday. Four alternates also sat in on the news conference but didn't take questions.
Jurors said the evidence that Blagojevich tried to secure a high-paying, high-powered position in exchange for an appointment to Obama's seat in the Senate was the most clear.
"There was so much more evidence to go on," said Juror No. 140. Jurors said they listened and re-listened to tape recordings of Blagojevich's phone conversations with aides as he discussed ways to ask for a Cabinet post or government job in exchange for naming Obama's preferred candidate for the Senate.
Jurors said they feel confident they reached a fair verdict and acknowledged that it was difficult to convict Blagojevich, who they said they found likable.
"He was personable," said Juror 103. "It made it hard to separate what we actively had to do as jurors."
Still, Juror 140 said she found Blagojevich's testimony over seven days at times "manipulative."
"Our verdict shows that we didn't believe it," she said.
Jurors said their deliberations were respectful and productive, and in a statement read by the forewoman, they said they felt "privileged to be part of our federal judicial system."
The forewoman, a retired director of music and liturgy at a church, called the jury "an amazing group of people."
"They did such due diligence," she said. "They were so wanting to keep innocent until proven guilty."
Jurors said they hope their verdict sends a message to public officials not to take the people's trust lightly.
The forewoman, who was Juror No. 146, joked that she told her husband if he's considering a career in politics, he'd have to find a new wife.
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