Blagojevich jurors to deliberate first full day

CHICAGO (AP) — A pre-algebra teacher, a former Marine and an avid marathon runner are among the 12 jurors meeting Thursday for the first full day of deliberations in the corruption trial of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Little is known about the six men and six women deciding the fate of Blagojevich and his co-defendant brother, aside from hints that emerged during jury selection. That's because the judge awarded them a luxury not all jurors in high-profile cases enjoy: Their names are being withheld until after a verdict.

Some experts believe that verdict won't come for at least several days in the complicated case. Two carts full of evidence rolled into jurors' meeting room Wednesday when they began deliberations. They got though the basics — elected a foreman, agreed to meet at 9 a.m. on weekdays — but what they'll do next isn't clear.

"Since the trial has gone faster than expected, I don't think they will be in as much of a mindset of, 'let's get out of here,'" said Michael Helfand, a Chicago attorney who followed the trial but has no link to the case.

No matter how long they take, they shouldn't be burdened by intense public scrutiny: They have entered a cocoon of privacy.

They'll get no e-mail messages from "the King of Japan" or expletive-laden voicemail messages on their phones, like the ones that Judge James B. Zagel has received. No chance of Facebook postings using their names, either.

The ubiquity of e-mail and social networking and the Internet Age-urge for everyone to express their opinions were among the reasons Zagel cited when he prohibited the release of the 12 primary and five alternate jurors' names until after a verdict.

Withholding juror names is more common in trials involving alleged mobsters or terrorists, for security reasons, and media organizations contested Zagel's ruling. But the judge maintained that the jurors' ability to impartially decide an "inarguably" high-profile case could be impaired by unsolicited interruptions.