Top News

CHICAGO (AP) ― The father of six children whose deaths in a fiery expressway tragedy launched the George Ryan corruption investigation will not be allowed to speak at the former governor's sentencing, a federal judge ruled Friday.

Meanwhile, prosecutors asked Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer to impose a tough sentence next week on the 72-year-old Ryan -- ranging from slightly more than eight years to more than 10 years in federal prison.

They said Ryan should get extra time behind bars for obstruction of justice and has shown no remorse for his part in a decade of scandals.

Pallmeyer threw cold water on what was shaping up as a potential confrontation of high drama -- a father venting boundless grief over six lost children and getting his moment of justice at the sentencing of the once-mighty political leader blamed by critics for a part in the tragedy.

Pallmeyer's late Friday afternoon order denying the Rev. Scott Willis a chance to speak at the hearing was just one sentence.

"The court declines to hear Rev. Willis' testimony at George Ryan's sentencing hearing but will accept a written submission from him or from any additional witnesses," she said.

Ryan, 72, was convicted in April of racketeering conspiracy, mail fraud, tax fraud and lying to FBI agents. Longtime businessman and Ryan friend Larry Warner, 67, also was convicted at the seven-month trial.

Among other things, prosecutors presented evidence that as secretary of state and later governor Ryan steered big-money contracts to Warner and other insiders and used taxpayer dollars for political campaign purposes.

Evidence showed that Ryan dismantled the inspector general's department in the secretary of state's office -- possibly to cover up evidence tying campaign fundraising to the sale of truck drivers licenses.

The six Willis children were killed in November 1994 when a steel part that broke off of a truck struck their family van and set it ablaze on an expressway outside Milwaukee.

Prosecutors believe the license of the truck driver involved in the accident was purchased at the corruption-plagued McCook drivers testing station when Ryan was secretary of state. The driver himself took the 5th Amendment when asked in a civil lawsuit how he got the license.

Willis family attorney Joseph A. Power Jr., who eventually obtained a $100 million settlement for the parents, has said he believes the accident might have been prevented if the driver had been qualified for his job.

The licensing test includes safety questions such as how to inspect the truck for damaged parts. And an investigation has shown that while other truckers tried to warn the driver over citizens band radios that the part was dangling dangerously he may not have been able to understand English.

A federal investigation that got under way a little more than three years after the accident found widespread selling of licenses to unqualified truck drivers in exchange for payoffs and campaign donations.

Prosecutors traced thousands of dollars in payoff money to the Citizens for Ryan campaign fund, which was later convicted of racketeering.

Reached by telephone Friday night, Power said he expected the Willises to be at Wednesday's sentencing even though Scott Willis will not speak.

He said Willis is guaranteed to be disappointed by Pallmeyer's ruling.

"But it's the judge's call," Power said. He suggested Pallmeyer may have acted to prevent the sentencing from turning into a war of words.

"She may not have wanted to have Scott Willis on one side and witnesses for Ryan on the other," Power said. "She will decide on the evidence. She knows what the evidence is."

Ryan's lawyers had said in court papers Thursday that the former governor is not in good health and a long stretch in prison could amount to a life sentence for a man of his age. They said even a 30-month sentence might mean he would not be released until his "healthy years" were over.

In Friday's filing federal prosecutors said it would be "a great disparity" if Ryan were to get a 30-month sentence when his top aide, Scott Fawell, convicted of racketeering, got 78 months for similar crimes.

(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)