To convict Michael Madigan of a racketeering conspiracy, jurors will need to find that Madigan or his close ally agreed that two so-called racketeering acts would be committed — not that they were actually carried out.

Good afternoon, Chicago. Attorneys for Michael Madigan opened their final bid to persuade jurors of his innocence by hearkening back to a memorable nickname for the former speaker: the Sphinx. “The Sphinx is,

Prosecutors began wrapping up their final summations Friday on Day 3 of closing arguments in the former speaker’s landmark trial by presenting an overview of how the various bribery and corruption schemes alleged in the government’s 23-charge indictment all come together under count one: racketeering conspiracy.