Matthew Hendrickson

The decade-long FBI investigation that led to Madigan’s trial roiled local politics and changed the course of Illinois history. The feds summoned 50 witnesses to a 12th-floor courtroom in their bid to prove Madigan and Michael McClain guilty of “corruption at the highest levels of state government.”

One of Illinois’ most powerful politicians is on trial. Get caught up on the critical points.

Prosecutors have begun to firm up one of the key pillars of their case, alleging Michael Madigan accepted bribes from ComEd in exchange for favorable treatment of the utility’s bills in Springfield.

The week began with Michael Madigan’s attorneys insisting no one had the right to speak for the speaker — that Madigan was “ignorant” of what people said behind his back. His chief ally, Michael McClain, is on trial with him.

An attorney for Michael Madigan’s longtime friend and confidant Michael McClain, who is on trial with him, told jurors there is no evidence of an intention to exchange a favor for something else.

The opening statements kick off the trial of the longest-serving state House speaker in the country, and one of the most powerful politicians in Illinois history. The FBI has pursued Madigan for more than a decade, and the probe forced him from power in 2021.

There are minimal consequences for failing to register, and whether the law is even enforced depends heavily on where you live and how authorities discover an unregistered gun.

Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis said the decision was made due to “the anticipated volume of investigations and hearings on pretrial detention” when bail reform goes into effect Sept. 18.

The opinion was handed down in a lawsuit by a central Illinois lawmaker who argued that banning the sale of high-powered rifles and high-capacity magazines violates the state constitution.