Illinois in Focus

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(The Center Square) – Longtime former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was convicted Wednesday on 10 corruption-related charges, but the jury could not reach a unanimous decision on an overarching racketeering conspiracy. The jury also deadlocked on all six counts that Madigan's codefendant, Michael McClain, was charged with. Madigan, 82, was charged in March 2022 with 23 counts of bribery, racketeering and official misconduct in connection with a scheme that federal prosecutors referred to as "Madigan Enterprise." Codefendant Michael McClain was charged in six of those counts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the state of Illinois, the city of Chicago, and local officials alleging they are exacerbating the border crisis and thwarting federal officials with sanctuary city policies. The Justice Department asked a judge to declare the state and local laws unconstitutional under the federal government's supremacy clause. The complaint, filed Thursday, specifically referenced the Illinois Way Forward Act and the 2017 TRUST Act alongside Chicago's Welcoming City Ordinance and Cook County policies. It further names Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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(The Center Square) – Jurors started deliberating at the public corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan in Chicago. Judge John Robert Blakey handed the case to the jury shortly after 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse. The judge first provided a few final instructions about communications and asked jurors to choose a foreperson once they were in the jury room. He also displayed the verdict forms each juror would receive and said the verdict must be unanimous. St. Xavier University Professor David Parker said it’s hard to say what the jury will do. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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(The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is already butting heads with the Trump administration about immigration and more. Pritzker said he had heard reports of about 2,000 initial immigration enforcement actions coming, but said he’s heard nothing from the Trump administration as of Day 2 of the new presidency. Pritzker also said Trump’s actions against birthright citizenship are unconstitutional. “We will not follow an unconstitutional executive order but we will follow the law in this state,” Pritzker said during an unrelated news conference Tuesday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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The Center Square's Greg Bishop shares a conversation with Illinois state Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, about Gov. J.B. Pritzker and leading Democrats holding up state law prohibiting local law enforcement from working federal immigration officials.

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The Center Square's Greg Bishop talks live with Larry Ligas, a Jan. 6 defendant, about the sweeping pardons of around 1,500 defendants by President Donald Trump.

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President Donald Trump signed a slew of executive orders on Day 1 of his presidency, including things impacting immigration. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker reacted on social media.

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(The Center Square) – Closing arguments are scheduled to begin next Wednesday at the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and codefendant Michael McClain. U.S. government attorneys wrapped up their rebuttal about 30 minutes after the Madigan defense team rested its case Thursday at the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago. FBI Special Agent Ryan McDonald reported to the witness stand for a fourth time during the trial. Before testifying during the rebuttal case, McDonald had previously been called twice by the government and once by Madigan’s defense team.

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The Center Square's Greg Bishop reviews a recent letter Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul signed with other attorneys general urging the U.S. Senate to oppose the Laken Riley Act, a measure to require the detention of illegal immigrants accused of things like robbery.

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