The case is Charles Muhammad et al. v. Abbott Laboratories Inc. et al., case number 128841, in the Illinois Supreme Court.
High-Profile Corruption
This year, the long-awaited bribery trial against Commonwealth Edison employees will begin. The employees are being accused pf using bribed to gain former House Speaker Michael Madigan’s legislative advantage. The eight-week trial will begin in March.
Additionally, Former Chicago Alderman Edward Burke will also face trial this year, after he has been accused of using his position to hire and fire, as well as receiving improper incentives during his time on City Counsel.
Mark J. Silberman of Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP says, “At what point, though, do relationships become proper horse-trading become improper horse-trading become corruption? I don’t know,” he said. “These will be interesting questions that will likely play out, and I would expect that that is where some of the battlefield will be.”
In regards to the power of the jury, “That’s a particularly significant factor since social morality changes over time. When mores change around someone who’s walked a particular career path for a long time, “changing your muscle memory isn’t always easy.”
