Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, center, and his lawyer Thomas Breen, left, leave the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago on Jan. 3, 2024, after a hearing before U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey over whether Madigan’s landmark trial should be postponed pending a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court in another Chicago-area bribery case. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
By Jason Meisner and Ray Long | Chicago Tribune
Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s landmark racketeering trial was postponed Wednesday pending a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court in a Chicago-area bribery case that could fundamentally alter what prosecutors are required to prove.
The new date for the trial was set for Oct. 8. It’s expected to last up to three months.
“I don’t do this lightly,” U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey said. “But it’s better to do it right than to do it twice.”
Blakey’s ruling came as Madigan, the former leader of the state Democratic Party who holds the nationwide record 36 years as speaker, appeared in court for the first time since his indictment nearly two years ago.
Blakey had allowed both Madigan and his co-defendant, longtime confidant Michael McClain, to appear via video conference, which McClain accepted. Madigan, however, appeared in person instead, walking into the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse with his legal team shortly after 1:30 p.m., noticeably grayer around the temples than when he controlled the House.
More here.