Prosecutor in 'Broadview Six' Case Resigns, Alleges Scapegoating by U.S. Attorney
Prosecutor Sheri Mecklenburg resigns, accusing U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros of scapegoating her over the failed 'Broadview Six' case.
A federal prosecutor at the center of a failed felony case against six immigration protesters in Chicago has resigned, alleging she was made a scapegoat after the prosecution unraveled.
Sheri Mecklenburg announced her departure in a sharply worded letter Thursday to Andrew Boutros, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, stating she was "retiring under protest." In the letter, she wrote that she had been forced to choose between silence as her professional reputation was destroyed and leaving her career early, and that she chose the latter.
Mecklenburg accused Boutros of placing blame on her for a felony prosecution she said he personally directed despite her objection that the matter was better suited to misdemeanor charges. She described herself as a convenient target who was publicly vilified.
The case stemmed from protests last fall against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in the Chicago area. Boutros' office sought felony charges against six people for allegedly conspiring to impede an officer during a demonstration at an immigration detention facility in the suburb of Broadview. A grand jury twice declined to indict the group after Mecklenburg presented evidence. The charges were ultimately dismissed in May.
The defendants, known as the "Broadview Six," have accused Mecklenburg of prosecutorial misconduct in her interactions with jury members and have asked U.S. District Judge April M. Perry to consider sanctions. Perry is set to hear oral arguments on October 1.
In a motion filed Thursday, Mecklenburg informed the court of her retirement and sought to appear as an independent party. She said the U.S. Attorney's Office had previously barred her from filing anything on her own behalf and warned she could face discipline or termination if she did.
An attorney for one of the former defendants, Andre Martin, said the resignation letter raises serious factual disputes between Mecklenburg's account and that of Boutros' office regarding why the case was brought. Boutros' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Mecklenburg's lawyer declined to comment.