THE ILLINOIZE: Monday Free for All...Madigan jury selection...Threats to election officials
October 14, 2024
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Jury selection in Madigan trial stretches into second week (Capitol News Illinois)
The jury that will determine the fate of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is nearly complete after three slow days of jury selection this week.
But in addition to the 11 jurors who have already been chosen, one final jury member must survive challenges, plus six alternates — a larger number than other recent federal corruption trials, owing to the length of Madigan’s.
U.S. District Judge Robert Blakey has repeatedly told the attorneys they should take whatever time they need. But he has also warned the pace would delay the trial one week beyond its original 10-week schedule. On Friday, Blakey and the attorneys agreed that opening statements would be pushed to Monday, Oct. 21.
So far, the jury pool has been overwhelmingly white, though the jurors selected are a more diverse group of eight women and three men. The jury so far includes a teacher, an Amazon warehouse worker, an overnight nurse and a Goodwill donation center employee.
The Goodwill employee, who was chosen Friday, told attorneys she’s considering moving out of Illinois because she didn’t want to continue raising her son in Chicago due to violence and the cost of living.
The jury will also include a woman who said that when she told her best friend about her jury summons, the friend predicted that she was being called for the Madigan case — and told her to “vote guilty” for the former Democratic House speaker.
“She’s a Trumper,” the juror said of her friend, referring to her support for former President Donald Trump. “She really hates all Democrats except me, maybe.”
Throughout the hours of questioning, Madigan has been seated at the head of his defense table in Blakey’s wood-paneled courtroom, taking notes on a yellow legal pad and occasionally conferring with his five attorneys.
Most of the time, the former speaker has remained stone-faced even as others in the courtroom have laughed during lighter moments of questioning.
Related: After week of sluggish questioning, 11 jurors now seated in former Speaker Madigan’s historic corruption trial (Chicago Tribune)
David Axelrod sizes up the case against Michael Madigan (WBEZ)
Amid false claims, Illinois elections officials push integrity, transparency — and maybe body armor (Chicago Tribune)
The roughly 100 men and women who oversee elections in Illinois — both Democrats and Republicans — have launched a voter integrity campaign to help debunk falsehoods being fed in large part by lies from former President Donald Trump and his allies that the 2020 election was stolen.
But even as the elections officials open their offices for tours and make themselves available for questions about the voting process and the equipment they are using to count ballots for the Nov. 5 election, the head of their state association said he is considering purchasing body armor amid fears the conspiracy theories will turn physical.
The efforts to be both more transparent about the election process while also keeping a keener eye on safety comes during one of the most polarized political times in American politics and as misinformation has taken hold in corners throughout the nation.
The Illinois Association of County Clerks and Recorders, the organization representing the top elections officials in most locations, said in a recent statement that a “secure nonviolent democracy is only possible when the citizens have faith in the results of fair, free elections” and the group acknowledged misinformation has been allowed to germinate in part because voting and ballot counting have been more opaque than they could have been.
The ability to visit our offices, ask us questions, express your concerns and see for yourself how the election process works has always been available from us, the local individuals responsible for this activity here in the State of Illinois,” the association statement continued. “If in the past this was not well communicated and you the citizens did not feel we welcomed your inquiries, we want that to change and we want you to know we want to talk with you!”
Democratic Attorney General Kwame Raoul also has issued a short “voter misinformation” guide, saying that “while election misinformation efforts are concerning, we can be reassured by the fact that thousands of elections officials and volunteers work hard and with integrity to keep our elections free and fair.”
Elections officials from both political parties have initiated their own efforts. Democrats have what they call “ballot protection” efforts, including creating a hotline to help voters if they face hurdles in casting a ballot. Republicans are focused on recruiting election judges and poll watchers for what it calls its “election integrity” program. But the state GOP also continues to rely on 2020 election deniers to offer training.
Related: Sangamon County Clerk Don Gray with Patrick Pfingsten (WMAY)
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