Jury selected in trial of former Michael Madigan chief of staff

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Opening statements will begin Wednesday morning, after a jury was selected following two full days of questioning in the trial of one of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's closest confidants.

Madigan's ex-chief of staff, Tim Mapes, is accused of lying to a federal grand jury to protect Madigan.

Mapes arrived Tuesday morning, appearing relaxed as he chatted with his attorney, but, in court, he showed little emotion.

Jury selection began Monday with a pool of 50 perspective jurors at the Dirksen Federal Building. On Tuesday, the judge added 15 more potential jurors to the pool.

Each one was questioned individually.

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The jury that will decide Mapes' fate is made up of six men and six women. Eight of the jurors are white, two are Black and two are Asian.

There are also three alternates.

It took prosecutors and a defense attorney two full days to get the jury selected. The judge apologized that it took so long, but he said with the high-profile nature of this case, he wanted to get it right.

The jurors will eventually have to decide whether or not Mapes lied to the grand jury or if his memory was a little hazy.

"So the only option he had at that point then was to say that he didn't remember or to tell what he knew in detail, and so it's going to be up to the prosecution to argue that he did know it, he knew it was false and he chose not to answer honestly," North Central College political science professor Stephen Caliendo said.

The 68-year-old Mapes served as former House Speaker Madigan's right-hand until he was fired in 2018 in a sexual harassment investigation.

He also served as executive director of the Democratic Party of Illinois.

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He is charged with lying to a grand jury in 2021 as part of an investigation into Madigan and the ComEd bribery case.

Prosecutors had offered him immunity for his testimony as they pursued allegations against Madigan in the case.

Mapes was asked 650 questions, and is accused of lying when he responded to seven of them.

Those questions centered around what Mapes knew about interactions between Madigan and lobbyist Michael McClain. Mapes repeatedly said he didn't remember.

McClain was convicted in the ComEd Four trial earlier this year.

A hazy memory is now part of his defense, which his attorney said is not a crime. Prosecutors allege Mapes was lying to cover for Madigan.

Mapes' trial was slated to last three weeks, but Monday morning attorneys indicated there will be fewer witnesses than originally planned, so it may not last that long.

Madigan goes on trial next April in a racketeering case.