WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros announced a comprehensive review of over 1,000 grand jury presentations in the Northern District of Illinois on July 1, 2026. The action follows the dismissal of charges in the "Broadview Six" case due to grand jury abuses and prosecutorial misconduct.

The office will scrutinize prosecutorial conduct in cases dating back to 2007. "When this is all said and done, I will tell you that well over 1,000 grand jury presentations will be reviewed in the Northern District of Illinois," Boutros said. "They will both be retroactive, looking at what happened in some cases going all the way back almost 20 years." "It will cover everything that is happening now that's pending in court."

The Broadview Six case involved protesters arrested outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Illinois. U.S. District Judge April Perry unsealed grand jury transcripts in that case, which revealed prosecutors engaged in inappropriate conduct while securing the indictment against the protesters.

The transcripts showed that Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Mecklenburg improperly vouched for the strength of the evidence. Mecklenburg also dismissed grand jurors who disagreed with the allegations and improperly contacted one grand juror outside of official proceedings. Subsequently, Senator Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, fired Mecklenburg from her position working for him.

Boutros also announced he has instituted a remediation plan. This plan includes new reforms regarding when prosecutors must turn over grand jury material. The plan will conduct an extensive review of prior cases handled by Mecklenburg and other prosecutors in the office.