Newly released transcripts from a normally secret grand jury proceeding show repeated friction with federal prosecutors in the tainted “Broadview Six” case, including a juror being excused after calling the matter a “crock of sh–.” The judge authorized the re
When federal prosecutors returned to a grand jury for a second try, the room didn’t buy the case as easily as the government wanted.
Nine minutes into Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Mecklenburg’s effort to secure an indictment against the group of protesters later known as the “Broadview Six. ” Mecklenburg excused a grand juror who called the case a “crock of sh–.” The incident is now part of a public record after U.S. District Judge April Perry. who discovered improprieties last month. authorized the release of transcripts from normally secret grand jury proceedings on Tuesday.
On the first day, Mecklenburg told the panel she had a “very interesting case,” urging jurors to “trust” her. She also said, “I would never ask you to charge somebody if I didn’t think there was probable cause.”
The transcripts depict a proceeding where jurors pressed on the government’s theory—especially the role of an immigration agent at the center of the case. Jurors questioned whether the agent should have driven his SUV into a crowd of protesters in Broadview after a confrontation that prosecutors ultimately described as pivotal.
At one point, a juror asked, “If he is afraid of running over people, isn’t the right thing to do to stop?”
The “Broadview Six” case stemmed from a Sept. 26 protest outside the immigration facility in Broadview. where a crowd surrounded. pushed. scratched and otherwise damaged a federal agent’s SUV. Prosecutors charged six people—people largely involved in local Democratic politics—raising questions about selective prosecution and freedom of expression. The case collapsed by spring, leaving behind a record that now shows how visibly contested the government’s presentation became.
Just as stark as the pushback was how Mecklenburg spoke to the panel from the beginning—asking for trust while insisting she would not seek charges without probable cause. With Judge Perry’s authorization. the transcripts move the spotlight from what the government alleged to how the case was received inside the room where indictments are supposed to be earned.
For those who watched the case unfold, the newly public testimony adds a different kind of pressure: not just on what prosecutors charged, but on how that decision process played out when jurors hesitated and a juror was removed after using the blunt phrase “crock of sh–.”
Broadview Six grand jury transcripts April Perry Sheri Mecklenburg immigration agent Broadview protest selective prosecution freedom of expression