NASHVILLE, April 17 (UPI) -- Rod Blagojevich's brother says the former Illinois governor can prevail in his retrial if he testifies.
In the brothers' first trial last summer, Rob Blagojevich walked after the jury deadlocked on all four counts against him. Rod was convicted of one count, and jurors could not agree on 23 others.
The ex-governor's second trial, on 20 charges including trying to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat, begins Wednesday in Chicago.
Rob is now back in Nashville after prosecutors declined to try him again.
"I can tell you that Rod can be his best defense," he told the Chicago Sun-Times. "There are a ton of tapes that are favorable to Rod that can make a definite reasonable doubt argument. ... The only way that can get in is if Rod took the stand to defend himself. If he did that, I think he'd knock it out of the park."
In the first trial, the judge barred many tapes the defense wanted played unless Rod Blagojevich testified.
Defense lawyer Sheldon Sorosky says he will wait until the prosecution rests to decide.
Rob Blagojevich believes testifying for himself helped him, as did his lawyer's refusal of separate trial.
