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Jon Seidel

Federal courts reporter

Jon Seidel covers federal courts for the Chicago Sun-Times.

Jurors at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse are expected to get a close-up look at how Springfield operated in the last decade when four political power players head to trial.
U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber said releasing the recordings to the public would “sensationalize the trial more than we want.”
The case of Naperville gunshop owner Robert Bevis appears to be the first to challenge the ban in the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. A federal judge found it constitutional.
U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber noted that “emphasizing the history of corruption and election fraud that marked the early years of the machine could prejudice defendants.”
Federal prosecutors charged Mustafaa Saleh in November with wire fraud for the scheme involving the Cook County Land Bank Authority. The agency’s board is led by Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer.
A set of FBI affidavits, unsealed in federal court Thursday, seem to offer the most substantive details yet about the closely guarded case. Crimo faces 117 felony counts filed in Lake County for allegedly firing an assault rifle at paradegoers from a rooftop in the north suburb.
The role of interim U.S. attorney will fall to Morris Pasqual, the office’s first assistant U.S. attorney. A search is underway for a successor to Lausch.
The contests in the 13th, 14th and 23rd wards were framed by the aggressive work in recent years of the office of U.S. Attorney John Lausch, which secured expansive racketeering indictments against Madigan and Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th).
The election night deadline for Madigan’s attorneys to file the motions was set in January by U.S. District Judge John Blakey, who presides over the case.