Madigan jurors in Chicago end 5th day of deliberations with no verdict
Published in News & Features
CHICAGO — Jurors in the Michael Madigan trial on Tuesday afternoon closed out their fifth day of deliberations without reaching a verdict.
The jury began their discussion last Wednesday afternoon, kicking off the final phase of a landmark four-month trial. All together, they have deliberated for roughly 29 hours – longer than in two other recent high-profile corruption cases.
The jury in the “ComEd Four” bribery case, which featured evidence that overlapped significantly with some of the evidence in the Madigan trial, reached a verdict after about 27 hours. And jurors in the racketeering trial of former Ald. Ed Burke found him guilty in about 23 hours.
Jurors’ only communication Tuesday was a note about scheduling, informing the judge that from now on they will break at 4:30 p.m. on most days instead of their initial 4:45 end time.
That followed their sole note Monday, which asked about evidence related to Madigan’s alleged scheme to put onetime political nemesis Juan Ochoa on the ComEd board.
Madigan, who spent decades as the speaker of the state House and ruled the Illinois Democratic caucus with a tight grip, is charged with a racketeering indictment accusing him of running his political and government operations like a criminal enterprise. Charged alongside him is Michael McClain, a former lobbyist who was Madigan’s right-hand man.
Last week, jurors’ only communication was about scheduling — and office supplies. Shortly before noon Thursday, they sent a note to the judge asking for more highlighters, sticky notes and white-out.
That followed requests on Wednesday for “more pens and highlighters and tape” as well as “at least five more copies of the indictment.”
“Apparently there is some kind of arts and crafts going on back there,” U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey quipped after reading the Thursday note. When another message from the jurors arrived later in the day, the judge joked that it would be a red flag only “if they start asking for pipe cleaners and macaroni.”
Jurors have to consider 23 counts against Madigan alleging an array of schemes to enrich his political allies and line his pockets. McClain is charged in six of those counts.
To assist their deliberations, jurors have about 100 pages of legal instructions, dozens of undercover recordings, and hundreds of emails, texts and other documents entered into evidence.
Madigan, 82, of Chicago’s Southwest Side, was for decades the most powerful man in Illinois politics, reigning over the state Democratic party and setting a national record for longest-serving speaker of a state house. His co-defendant, Michael McClain, 77, is a retired lobbyist from downstate Quincy who acted as Madigan’s right-hand man.
In addition to alleging plans to pressure developers into hiring Madigan’s law firm, the indictment accuses Madigan and McClain of bribery schemes involving ComEd and AT&T Illinois, where the utilities allegedly funneled payments through do-nothing subcontracts to a handful of the speaker’s closest allies.
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