Feds Plan Retrial of Illinois Sen. Emil Jones on Bribery Charges

Federal prosecutors announced plans to retry Illinois state Sen. Emil Jones III on bribery and lying to the FBI charges after his initial trial ended in a hung jury earlier this year. Jones, a Chicago Democrat and son of former Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr., is accused of accepting bribes from red-light camera entrepreneur Omar Maani in 2019, then lying about it to federal agents. The original trial, which lasted nearly three weeks, featured testimony from Maani and showcased undercover recordings, but jurors deadlocked after 23 hours of deliberations, leading Judge Andrea Wood to declare a mistrial. Prosecutors indicated the retrial could last up to four weeks due to additional witnesses they plan to call. Jones’ case is part of a broader federal investigation into corruption involving red-light cameras and other schemes in the Chicago area. No trial date has been set yet, but a scheduling hearing is expected soon.