Defense Lawyers’ Online Tracker Maps 'Abnormal' Trump DOJ Prosecutions and Failed Indictments
Defense attorneys say the Justice Department is behaving unusually and have built an interactive, searchable online map cataloging controversial, unusual or unsuccessful Trump DOJ prosecutions, including failed grand‑jury indictment attempts. As of Sunday the database lists 11 cases where grand juries refused to indict — citing examples like a D.C. “sandwich thrower” case and alleged “weaponized forum shopping” such as attempts to indict New York AG Letitia James by convening grand juries in three Virginia cities — and the DOJ says it respects the judicial process and will not be deterred.
📌 Key Facts
- Defense attorneys, including the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), built an interactive, searchable online map that provides a state-by-state breakdown of controversial, unusual or unsuccessful Trump DOJ prosecutions, including failed grand jury indictment attempts.
- As of the report (Feb. 23, 2026), the database includes 11 prosecutions in which grand juries refused to indict — a historically unusual number of failed federal charging attempts.
- The tracker is designed to catalog alleged 'weaponized forum shopping,' with NACDL citing examples such as the DOJ’s effort to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James by convening grand juries in three different Virginia cities.
- The tool includes concrete case examples, including a 2025 D.C. case where a grand jury rejected charges against a man who tossed a sandwich at a federal agent (the so‑called 'sandwich thrower' case).
- The Justice Department responded on the record, saying it 'respects the judicial process and jurors’ role as impartial arbiters of evidence' and 'will not be deterred or distracted from keeping the American people safe.'
📰 Source Timeline (2)
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February 23, 2026
1:00 AM
Defense attorneys build mapping tool to track Justice Dept. "weaponization"
New information:
- CBS details that the tracker is an interactive, searchable online map showing a state‑by‑state breakdown of controversial, unusual or unsuccessful Trump DOJ prosecutions, including failed grand jury indictment attempts.
- The piece reports that as of Sunday, the database already includes 11 prosecutions in which grand juries refused to indict, a historically unusual number of failed federal charging attempts.
- It gives concrete examples, including the 'sandwich thrower' case in which a D.C. grand jury rejected charges against a man who tossed a sandwich at a federal agent in 2025.
- The article describes how NACDL says the tracker will catalog alleged 'weaponized forum shopping,' such as the DOJ’s attempt to indict New York AG Letitia James by convening grand juries in three different Virginia cities.
- DOJ provides an on‑record response that it 'respects the judicial process and jurors’ role as impartial arbiters of evidence' and says it 'will not be deterred or distracted from keeping the American people safe.'
February 18, 2026