Expelled, yet newly elected (or is that re-elected), Democrat state Rep. Derrick Smith will be serving (with pay) at least a year in the Illinois General Assembly before his trial, which was been set for Oct. 21, 2013.
Smith was arrested last March and charged with taking a bribe. He pleaded not guilty in April. He was expelled by the House this year, but was easily elected on Nov. 6, and will take the oath of office (again) on Jan. 9.
Despite talk of expelling him yet again, the Illinois Constitution prohibits a lawmaker from being kicked out more than once over the same set of circumstances. ...Good news for Rod Blagojevich!
