# Broadview Six prosecutor admits mistakes

> Former federal prosecutor Sheri Mecklenburg says she 'owns' mistakes in tainted Broadview Six case after retiring from Justice Department.
- Title: Broadview Six prosecutor admits mistakes · Chicago Sun-Times
- Summary: Former federal prosecutor Sheri Mecklenburg says she 'owns' mistakes in tainted Broadview Six case after retiring from Justice Department. Sheri Mecklenburg…
- Keywords: broadview six, sherri mecklenburg, u.s. attorney, andrew boutros, federal prosecutor, grand jury, vouching, immigration, chicago, news, local, Broadview
- Source: Chicago Sun-Times — https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/09/24/broadview-six-sheri-mecklenburg
- Published: 2026-09-24T20:35:58.851+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: broadview six, sherri mecklenburg, u.s. attorney, andrew boutros, federal prosecutor, grand jury, vouching, immigration, chicago, news, local
## Broadview Six prosecutor retires
Former federal prosecutor Sheri Mecklenburg retired Thursday from the Justice Department after her attorneys claimed she followed U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros' instructions at every turn.
## Mecklenburg claims responsibility
Mecklenburg's attorneys wrote she 'owns' her mistakes in the Broadview Six case but denied she excused any grand juror based on opposition to the government's case.
## Tainted case background
The Broadview Six case involved six Operation Midway Blitz protesters charged after a Sept 26 2025 incident at an immigration holding facility in Broadview.
## Former defendants
The former defendants included congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh, Oak Park village trustee Brian Straw, Cook County Board candidate Catherine Sharp, Michael Rabbitt, Joselyn Walsh and Andre Martin.
## Grand jury misconduct
U.S. District Judge April Perry discovered prosecutors allegedly vouched for grand jurors and excused them based on opposition to the government's case.
## Mecklenburg's defense
Mecklenburg's attorneys claimed she only 'inartfully' told one grand juror to excuse himself after they stated they couldn't be fair in the case.
## Redacted transcripts
Prosecutors redacted misconduct from transcripts given to U.S. District Judge April Perry before Mecklenburg withdrew from the case in February.
## Boutros' response
U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros said he didn't remember reading the transcript documenting Mecklenburg's misconduct until late April.
## Case timeline
Mecklenburg vouched on Oct 9 2025 and told Boutros to order an expedited copy of the transcript after grand jurors rejected the case with a 'no-bill'.
## Case resolution
The grand jury finally indicted the six protesters on Oct 23 2025 after Mecklenburg and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Skiba brought the case back to the grand jury.
## Next steps
U.S. District Judge April Perry will hear arguments on Oct 1 2026 about potential consequences of prosecutorial misconduct in the Broadview Six case.
## Mecklenburg's stance
Mecklenburg wants to intervene if Perry goes forward with a separate evidentiary hearing or appoints a special counsel to investigate Boutros for criminal contempt.
## Defense support
Former defendants' attorneys told Perry that Mecklenburg is now able to provide highly material evidence after she retired from the Justice Department.
## Vouching explanation
Vouching occurs when prosecutors put their personal credibility on the line to support criminal charges, which grand jurors are expected to base on evidence, not prosecutor's goodwill.
## Case impact
The Broadview Six scandal caused a credibility crisis for U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros this summer unlike any faced by his recent predecessors.
## Next hearing
U.S. District Judge April Perry will hear arguments on Oct 1 2026 about potential consequences of prosecutorial misconduct in the Broadview Six case.
## Key takeaway

Sheri Mecklenburg, former federal prosecutor, admitted mistakes in Broadview Six case and retired from Justice Department after accusing former defendants of trying to smear her.