A federal judge on Tuesday upheld Rod Blagojevich's 14-year prison sentence on corruption counts, setting aside pleas for leniency by the former Illinois governor's wife and daughters during his resentencing hearing. U.S. District Judge James Zagel said it's an "unfortunate reality" that Blagojevich's innocent family members are made to suffer the consequences. Zagel told him "the fabric of Illinois is torn and disfigured" by his corruption and handed down a far stiffer sentence than many expected. Calls for leniency have been a tough sells to Zagel, a no-nonsense judge who berated Blagojevich at the 2011 sentencing. Federal prosecutors said the dismissal of the five counts doesn't reduce the seriousness of Blagojevich's offenses and argued the sentence shouldn't be reduced.

Source: ABC News August 09, 2016 06:14 UTC