Jurors in the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and longtime political associate Michael McClain requested further clarification on the definition of 'bona fide salary' in their ninth day of deliberations. The jury is weighing nearly two dozen felony counts against Madigan, once the state's most powerful politician.
Jurors in the federal corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and longtime political associate Michael McClain returned Monday for their ninth day of deliberations. Since receiving the case on January 29, the eight-woman, four-man jury had deliberated for roughly 50 hours as of Friday afternoon.
On Friday, jurors submitted a note asking for clarification on their instructions as they worked through nearly two dozen felony counts against the man who was once the state's most powerful politician. \In addition to requesting two more binders of audio transcripts, jurors also wanted guidance on whether 'bona fide salary' is considered something of value. Attorneys for both sides debated whether the jurors should determine that for themselves before Judge Edmond Chang, who was substituting for the case's assigned judge, Judge John Robert Blakey, offered clarification. Chang told jurors that salary and wages that come from a normal course of business do not qualify as a thing of value. But if they're obtained by means of bribery, that should not be considered a normal course of business. Chang reminded the jury that it's ultimately up to them to determine the facts of the case. \Early Monday, attorneys for Madigan and McClain filed a motion requesting that the court provide jurors with further clarification on their question, emphasizing that the burden of proof lies with the government, not the defense. 'For purposes of evaluating a 'thing of value', 'valuable thing', or 'something of value', the government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant knew the salary at issue was not bona fide or wages paid in the usual course of business,' the motion read. Defense attorneys went on to say they contacted prosecutors late Sunday night to determine their position on the request, but had not heard back at the time the motion was filed early Monday. The motion is expected to be argued before a judge Monday afternoon. The jury in this landmark case was seated in mid-October. Jurors have been meticulously sifting through evidence presented during the nearly four-month-long trial. They’ve heard testimony from more than 60 witnesses and listened to dozens of wiretap recordings in court. They have also been provided with a laptop to access key files as they work through the 23 counts against Madigan and six counts against McClain. Their jury instructions, alone, amount to more than 100 pages. Jurors will continue to deliberate until 4:30 p.m. on Monday. If convicted, Madigan, 82, and McClain, 77, could face significant prison time, though their ages may play a role in sentencing considerations
MICHAEL MADIGAN MICHAEL Mcclain FEDERAL TRIAL CORRUPTION JURY DELIBERATIONS BONAFIDE SALARY
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