No Verdict in First Full Day of Jury Deliberations in Madigan Corruption Trial
Jurors Will Need More Time to Decide Guilt or Innocence of Former Illinois House Speaker
Eight women and four men will need more time to decide the guilt or innocence of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. The 12 jurors and four alternates have been hearing testimony from almost 60 witnesses, listening to and watching close to 150 wiretapped calls and secretly recorded videos, and hearing hours of arguments from prosecutors and defense attorneys in the landmark federal corruption trial involving Madigan and political confidante Michael McClain.
Judges’ Decision
On Thursday, Judge Robert Blakey ordered the defendants and their lawyers to stay within 15 minutes of the federal courthouse so they could rush back to hear jurors’ questions or the verdict read.
A Daunting Task Ahead for the Jury
Given the enormous volume of evidence in this case, criminal defense attorney Gal Pissetzky said Thursday that jurors face a daunting data management task.
“Anything and everything that was admitted as an exhibit at trial goes back to the jury. There’s a mountain of evidence that was given to them,” Pissetzky said.
Sorting Through the Evidence
Jurors must sort through more than 20 hours of closing arguments, hundreds of secret recordings, countless emails, and conflicting testimony from more than 60 witnesses.
Jurors’ Requests
Across two days of deliberations, jurors requested pens, highlighters, sticky notes, and white-out, prompting Judge Blakey to say, “Apparently, they have some kind of arts and crafts going on back there.”
Pissetzky told WGN News that the requests show jurors take the task seriously.
The Case Against Madigan and McClain
Madigan and co-defendant McClain each face a 23-count criminal indictment. Both are accused of running their political operations like a criminal enterprise, though both deny wrongdoing.
What’s Next?
Jury deliberations will resume Thursday morning.
FAQs
* What is the case about?
The case is a federal corruption trial involving former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and political confidante Michael McClain, accused of running their political operations like a criminal enterprise.
* How many jurors are there?
There are 12 jurors and four alternates.
* How long have the jurors been deliberating?
The jurors have been deliberating for two days.
* What is the verdict so far?
There is no verdict yet. The jury is still deliberating.
