* Tribune courts reporter Jason Meisner…
This post will likely be updated.
…Adding… Capitol News Illinois’ Hannah Meisel…
…Adding… Sun-Times…
Attorneys and U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood are expected to set a new trial date later this month.
A new trial could last four weeks since prosecutors intend to call “a few additional witnesses,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Prashant Kolluri said in court.
It’s been a little more than a month since Jones’ trial ended with a hung jury. Despite being a relatively straightforward case, the trial featured plenty of intrigue. Jurors heard from a former red-light camera executive who wore a wire for the FBI after being caught giving “benefits” to public officials across the suburbs, and they viewed undercover recordings he made in 2019. […]
Ultimately, Jones’ trial turned out to be the third of four federal corruption trials in Chicago to end without a conviction since August.
- NIU Grad - Tuesday, Jun 10, 25 @ 11:02 am:
After the mistrial, the question was if the office would reevaluate their approach after so many failed cases. Looks like they’re doubling down.
I wonder if the new US Attorney is going to start cherry-picking which corruption cases he’ll be pursuing, balancing the president’s desire to go after Democratic politicians and his goal of rolling back anti-corruption efforts.
- ElTacoBandito - Tuesday, Jun 10, 25 @ 11:03 am:
I mean what are they even doing over there? Take the L and do a better job next time. I don’t want to gloss over any kind of corruption but there has to be bigger fish to fry right now.
- Moe Berg - Tuesday, Jun 10, 25 @ 11:38 am:
An office that’s out of control. Running entrapments. Overcharging cases. The various acquittals and/or inability to reach unanimous verdicts. The gratuitous inclusion of Madigan’s net worth.
The feds have limitless resources to keep trying cases. Most defendants not so much - save for corporations like ComEd, that do have the resources to fight and are therefore able to cut sweetheart non-prosecution deals and pay a cost-of-doing business fine negotiated for them by former federal prosecutors working on the defense side of the revolving door.
This is an abuse of power.
- Alton Sinkhole - Tuesday, Jun 10, 25 @ 11:43 am:
Unreal.
- Remember the Alamo II - Tuesday, Jun 10, 25 @ 12:05 pm:
Because… Madigan
- Irreverent - Tuesday, Jun 10, 25 @ 12:12 pm:
This federal regime can’t credibly tackle corruption. At this point, anything the feds say is the opposite of the truth.
- Annon'in - Tuesday, Jun 10, 25 @ 12:50 pm:
Perhaps it it time for a DOGE-like meter to clock the waste of the USA Northern District of IL. Some wise person should explain how this retrial and the DOJ sweetheart deal with the LaHood’s and their “loan”, lies and false documents square up.
- DuPage Saint - Tuesday, Jun 10, 25 @ 2:17 pm:
The Feds should be required to pay for the defense
@Moe Berg is 100 % right. A total abuse of power
- Just Me 2 - Tuesday, Jun 10, 25 @ 2:46 pm:
Yeah, Emil is innocent, and Madigan is just a loving father.
- Dan Johnson - Tuesday, Jun 10, 25 @ 2:57 pm:
@Moe Berg nailed it. This is ridiculous. All over the quid of a pushed and purported $5,000 never-made contribution for the quo of a sponsor of a consumer friendly bill promising to compromise and follow the Chair’s requirement to get an agreed bill with industry and thus promising not to magically pass a more onerous non-agreed Republican bill from the other chamber. Both sides of this quid pro quo are equally fake (at least from news reports of the allegation).
- City Guy - Tuesday, Jun 10, 25 @ 4:11 pm:
I’m disappointed in the feds. They had their shot and failed because it was a weak case. The feds dragging the intern into the case was inappropriate. They should drop it.
- It's always Sunny in Illinois - Tuesday, Jun 10, 25 @ 4:22 pm:
The Feds should be required to pay for the defense
@Moe Berg is 100 % right. A total abuse of power
And Illinois Politicians should not be able to use Campaign Funds for legal defense fees….would bring about a big change to behaviors…..
- state worker - Tuesday, Jun 10, 25 @ 4:29 pm:
Agree with the above. I’m surprised and disappointed. If the jury could have coughed up one count to “teach the defendant a lesson,” you know they would have. But they couldn’t. The case isn’t getting any stronger the second time around. Move on.
- Watchdog - Wednesday, Jun 11, 25 @ 2:05 am:
Waste of time….I agree it’s prosecutorial abuse.
- Leatherneck - Wednesday, Jun 11, 25 @ 8:21 am:
I wonder if Blago will weigh in on Threemil’s charges, considering that he and his Dad were buddies (to the detriment of the state’s budget and well-being) during his administration.