Key facts
- Grand jury transcripts released Tuesday show jurors were dismissed after questioning the case against the 'Broadview Six'.
- Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Mecklenburg presented the case multiple times, facing skepticism from grand jurors.
- One grand juror was dismissed after stating they thought the case was 'a crock of s—' and still did.
- The case was ultimately dropped by prosecutors shortly before it was set to go to trial.
- A judge characterized prosecutorial statements to the grand jury as improper vouching.
Transcripts released Tuesday reveal that grand jurors were dismissed after expressing skepticism and disagreement with the case presented against the 'Broadview Six,' a group of Democratic activists and local officials. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Mecklenburg presented the case multiple times, facing pushback from jurors who questioned the evidence and the prosecutors' persistence.
During a presentation on October 16, 2025, a grand juror stated they thought the case was 'a crock of s—' and still did, leading to their dismissal by Mecklenburg. This occurred after another juror inquired about the prosecutors' ability to repeatedly bring the case for indictment. Despite the jurors' reservations, prosecutors eventually secured an indictment on the third attempt, on October 23, 2025.
The case later collapsed dramatically in court. Prosecutors dropped charges against two defendants in March and subsequently dismissed the felony conspiracy charge in late April. Defense attorneys suggested these moves were strategic to avoid releasing unredacted grand jury transcripts. Ultimately, U.S. District Judge April Perry canceled the trial in late May after reviewing the transcripts, rebuking prosecutors for apparent misconduct, including improper vouching for the charges in their opening statement to the grand jury.