Michael Madigan meets the people who could decide his fate: 3 jurors chosen

Two men and one woman are the first to be chosen as jurors in the racketeering conspiracy trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, following a selection process that got off to a slow start Wednesday.

One is an educator. Another works for Amazon. And the third says he works in insurance. Now, they’ll help decide the fate of one of the most powerful politicians in Illinois history.

That man, Madigan, spent the day listening to lawyers interview potential jurors, including one person who said Madigan had a reputation for “doing things his way” and for being involved in “shady dealings.” He was excused from the panel.

Madigan, 82, simply took notes on a yellow legal pad, showing little reaction to the comments as preliminaries in his trial continued.

The ex-speaker also crossed paths with his onetime friend, Michael McClain, 77. The relationship between the pair has been examined in multiple corruption trials in Chicago. Now they’re finally on trial together, but it still seemed to take them hours Wednesday to acknowledge each other.

McClain stepped into the courtroom and quickly took his seat just as things got underway in the morning. For the most part, Madigan kept his back to him. But U.S. District Judge John Blakey later called a bathroom break, and McClain stepped out of the courtroom while Madigan stayed behind.

When McClain returned, Madigan appeared to raise his left hand in a subtle wave toward his co-defendant. McClain seemed to smile back. But once again, he made his way to his seat without speaking to Madigan.

The pair otherwise blended into the background while Blakey, prosecutors and defense attorneys pressed forward with their inquiries of potential jurors, questioning 10 people in all.

By contrast, 20 people were interviewed on the first day of jury selection in last year’s trial of ex-Ald. Edward M. Burke. At one point Wednesday, Blakey warned the lawyers they were on track for jury selection in Madigan’s trial to last three and a half weeks.

However, the attorneys then got together and agreed to excuse several potential jurors based on answers they’d given to written questionnaires. The lawyers are expected to deliver another batch of challenges to the judge by Thursday morning.

That could speed up the process because there will be fewer potential jurors to interview. Blakey has said he hopes to have attorneys deliver opening statements Tuesday. But that leaves only two more days to select nine additional jurors and six alternates.

Madigan is accused of leading a criminal enterprise for nearly a decade, designed to enhance his political power and generate income for his allies and associates. McClain, who has separately been convicted of bribing Madigan, is accused of acting as an agent of Madigan’s enterprise by being Madigan’s agent and trying to shield him from criminal liability.

The woman chosen as a juror said she grew up in the 13th Ward, which was Madigan’s power base. However, she said she has nothing but typical childhood memories of her time there. She said she’s now an educator, working with teachers to implement best practices.

The man who works for Amazon prompted a challenge from McClain’s attorneys after he told the courtroom he viewed lobbying as “bribing other people in order to get a response.” Still, he acknowledged that it’s legal, which Blakey took as a sign that the man could follow the law.

The other man said he lives in the 19th Ward, knows Ald. Matthew O’Shea and has several friends who are Chicago police officers. He said he’d heard in passing that Madigan faced “a number of charges.”

At one point, he was asked point-blank if he wanted to be chosen for Madigan's jury.

He gave a simple answer: “No.”