U.S. District Judge April Perry is clashing with top Justice Department official Stanley Woodward as she tries to sort through a scandal that has erupted amid the Broadview Six case.
The existing Broadview Six case is over. It was about six officials and activists who were arrested outside of the Broadview immigration detention center outside of Chicago. The case against those individuals has been dismissed, but Judge Perry is now investigating whether the prosecutors who brought it misled her or concealed misconduct. DOJ is challenging how she can conduct that investigation, especially when the prosecutors themselves could face criminal consequences.
There are two layers: what went wrong in the original prosecution and whether officials gave truthful explanations afterward. Several questions remain about the grand jury and prosecutor Sheri Mecklenburg.
Perry’s concern has become questions about whether the prosecution mishandled the case and withheld information that would have allowed her to discover it. There's even a broader concern that top Justice Department officials in Washington or even the White House were involved in the matter. So, a hearing is scheduled to address it.
On Tuesday, Woodward challenged Perry's hearing, which will call prosecutors to court to ask whether anyone intentionally misled or lied to her. In fact, Woodward even questioned Judge Perry's authority to hold it. Chicago Sun-Times reported Woodward's complaint and filing, saying that anyone called to talk about the matter may simply claim their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
The report also noted that it has become clear that Judge Perry doesn't believe what U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros told her about the case. He now faces possible sanctions or a criminal contempt finding by the judge.
“The court has presented the United States Attorney and his subordinates with a Catch-22,” Woodward said in his five-page filing. “They can testify and risk prosecution, or they can assert their rights under the Fifth Amendment and risk antagonizing the court.”
Woodward suggested that there's little Judge Perry can do about any DOJ lawyer who may have lied to her, the article said. The judge made it clear, however, that she has inherent authority to sanction abuse of the judicial process.
On Wednesday morning, Perry updated the docket with her own statement to Woodward, Seidel and national security analyst Marcy Wheeler observed. The judge call its "professed" lack of clarity "immaterial."
"The Government's 'motion for clarification' is denied. The Court explained the reasons for the upcoming hearing in open court" in May and again in October, she said. "Moreover, the Court laid out its reasoning in writing in its Order of 11/2/2026. ... Finally, the Government's attorney agreed on 10/5/2026 that 'this Court certainly has the authority to ask witnesses to come testify about factual matters.'"
"Ultimately, the Government's professed lack of clarity about the Court's inherent authority to ask lawyers who have made misstatements to or misled the court to explain their actions is immaterial. The Government does not represent at least 3.4 of the individuals who have been asked to testify, two of whom have expressed their willingness to do so. And there is no indication on this docket that the Government represents the fourth individual. The Court strikes the motion hearing set for 11/17."
