Lawyers slowly make their way through up to 180 prospective jurors in Mike Madigan corruption trial

ByMichelle Gallardo

Thursday, October 10, 2024

Up to 180 prospective jurors being interviewed in Madigan trial

Lawyers are slowly making their way through up to 180 prospective jurors in former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's corruption trial.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan continues Thursday, with jury selection.

Jury selection on the first day of questioning went much slower than expected, with attorneys initially averaging more than half an hour per person.

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Fifteen jurors, of the up to 180 that will be interviewed, were dismissed before the start of proceedings Thursday, and each juror was being questioned for about 20 minutes.

By lunch, only eight had been questioned, with queries ranging from one juror's favorite "Doctor Who" character to another's knowledge of solar panels.

"I know what you're doing. You're establishing rapport; I'm not going to rush you at all," Judge John Blakey said.

He also said those jurors who would definitively not be interviewed Thursday should be allowed to go home.

Selecting a jury in Madigan's case was always expected to be complicated, as attorneys on both sides seek to find a panel that does not have a pre-existing bias against him. It is a difficult task, considering Madigan's nearly four decades as speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives.

Madigan, along with his co-defendant, Mike McClain sat in court Thursday at separate defense tables. Neither man appeared to openly acknowledge the other, despite a documented close relationship that dates back to the 1970s.

Mike Madigan trial LIVE updates: Lawyers make their way through up to 180 prospective jurors

Eight jurors have been selected so far.

Twelve jurors and six alternates will eventually be selected.

Opening statements were tentatively scheduled to begin next Tuesday, but the earliest they're now expected to begin is next Thursday.

The trial is expected to go well into December, and may now take 11 weeks, rather than 10.

Madigan faces bribery and racketeering charges.

Madigan and McClain are charged in an expansive 117-page racketeering indictment, with Madigan accused of using his position to obtain little to no work jobs for his political associates at both ComEd and AT&T.

It is alleged those favors were bribes given in exchange for helping the utility companies to steer important legislation through the General Assembly.

The indictment also accuses Madigan of using his position to enrich himself personally by pressuring developers to use his law firm in the tax appeals cases.

Both men have pleaded not guilty.

Their attorneys state that any legislative wins obtained by ComEd and AT&T were the result of legal lobbying.