The Other Jury

Under the plea bargain, Rockwell cannot be touched. But the Justice Department still has its sticky fingerprints all over the deal. "They have evidence of obstruction of justice at Rocky Flats," Turley said of his clients at a hearing on the grand jurors' petition, "but more important are efforts by the Department of Justice to obstruct their efforts in the grand jury room."

Not surprisingly, U.S. Attorney Solano argued against giving the grand jurors a hearing, sealed or otherwise. That's why they took the next step, of preparing a proffer outlining what they would testify to--if they could. Turley delivered that to Matsch on February 24.

That's the document now sealed by Matsch.
The most recent filing available for public viewing dates back to September, when Rockwell's attorneys offered their response to Turley's petition. The grand jurors just want to be relieved of their secrecy oath, the response claimed, because they're eager to sign book and movie deals.

But assuming Hollywood would ever buy into this story, a former prosecutor is the one pursuing the movie deal, Turley says; the jurors are keeping their mouths shut. "Unlike the prosecutors, my clients have faithfully observed the rules," he adds. "They have a right to reclaim their reputations."

In the seven years since the grand jurors were sworn in, Finesilver has retired--which is why their petition went to Matsch. U.S. Attorney Mike Norton, who'd refused to sign the grand jurors' indictments, has been succeeded by Solano. Rockwell no longer runs the plant. In fact, Rocky Flats is no longer a plant at all; it quit manufacturing nuclear-weapons parts years ago, and today it has a warm and fuzzy new name, Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site. Former Denver mayor Federico Pena is now the Secretary of the Department of Energy, which is overseeing the warm (plenty warm, given the 14.2 tons of plutonium there) and fuzzy cleanup of Rocky Flats.

The only constant remains the runaway grand jurors, who are still standing firm. They aren't going anywhere. They'd tell you that, if they could.