'ComEd Four' trial: Jury deliberates for 2nd day in bribery case surrounding Mike Madigan

CHICAGO (WLS) -- After deliberating for just an hour and 45 minutes Tuesday, the jury in the so-called "ComEd Four" trial was back at it Wednesday morning at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse.

Their first question for the judge came just an hour into the day. Two more questions were asked throughout the nearly eight hours of deliberations.

It was one concerning the statute of limitations, which says the defendants can only be prosecuted for "overt acts" committed within five years of the filing of the indictment, which in this case was November of 2020.

The judge is expected to check in with the jury about 4:30 p.m.

If they're close to a verdict, they'll continue deliberating. If not, they're expected to adjourn until Thursday morning.

Even as a jury of 12 goes through the painstaking process of determining whether Anne Pramaggiore, Michael McClain, John Hooker and Jay Doherty are guilty of engaging in a conspiracy to bribe then-House Speaker Michael Madigan in exchange for legislation favorable to the utility company, there are two key pieces of information jurors may not be aware of that were purposely left out of the trial so as to not influence their opinions.

SEE MORE: ComEd Four trial: Jury gets bribery case surrounding ex-Speaker Mike Madigan

One is that Madigan himself has been indicted on corruption charges, and is scheduled for trial along with current defendant McClain in April of next year.

The second is that a few months prior to the indictment of the "ComEd Four," the utility company admitted to the wrongdoing of its senior executives when it entered into a three-year deferred prosecution with the government.

In the agreement, ComEd essentially pleaded guilty to a single count of bribery, and agreed to pay a $200 million fine.