Barrington Resident Serves on Cellini Jury

Barrington resident Jennifer van Boven had never heard the name William Cellini before the day she was called to jury duty at the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago.  Like many Illinois residents, van Boven was keenly aware of the downfall of former governor Rod Blagojevich but held little interest in the continuing fallout of corruption charges among his network of power-brokers.

That was until the afternoon of Oct. 5 when she was selected from a pool of 60 potential jurors to sit in judgment of Cellini on charges that he tried to extort funds for Blagojevich's re-election campaign.

"After two weeks of waiting around, I was actually excited to be selected to serve on this high-profile case," van Boven said.  "I know some people look for ways to avoid jury duty.  Not me.  I really wanted that front row seat to see our justice system in action."

A stay-at-home mother of two daughters, van Boven had to work out the logistics of child care so that she could commute via Metra train from her home in the Barrington Meadows sub-division to downtown Chicago each day.  Her husband, who travels about thirty percent of his time on business, made a point to be in town and close to home.  Neighbors and friends picked up the girls from school and dance classes, and take-out food was a common dinner option.

In a luck of the draw, after a three week trial, van Boven was randomly selected from 16 people who heard the case, to be one of 12 who actually deliberate.

"I served with a phenomenal group of people," van Boven said.  "Everyone was respectful of each other's thoughts and opinions." 

After three days of deliberation, the jury reached its verdict.  Cellini was convicted on two counts: conspiracy to commit extortion and aiding and abetting the solicitation of a bribe. The prosecution made their case that Cellini agreed to use his power at the Illinois Teachers Retirement System to squeeze campaign donations from a Hollywood producer who did business with the state.

"The bulk of the evidence was in the tapes," said van Boven, referring to Cellini's voice on government recordings tying him to the extortion scheme.  "There's no doubt, he was clearly involved."

In an ironic twist of fate, as she sat in judgment of a person convicted of "stealing," van Boven's wallet was stolen on her lunch break one day at a restaurant near the Dirksen building. 

"Not only was it a huge inconvenience, but I had to be re-interviewed by the court to ensure that the incident would not cloud my judgment as a juror. Thankfully, I passed the review."

While jury duty temporarily upended her family routine, van Boven is grateful for the experience. 

"It was enlightening to see first-hand the corruption that exists in our state," she said.  "I hope our verdict sent a clear message that people will be held accountable for their actions."

After weeks of commuting into the city, van Boven is glad her life is finally returning to normal.

"Now that efforts to assist the government with Operation Board Games is complete, it's time to start Operation House Cleaning."