Green Bay, Wis. (WLUK) — James Grandberry, one of the key figures in a major Brown County drug bust, has filed a motion to have his case dismissed due to delays in his preliminary hearing. Grandberry, 35, who is facing 14 charges, including three counts of drug manufacture or delivery for fentanyl, amphetamines, and cocaine, argues that his rights have been violated by the prolonged delays.
The charges stem from an August 2024 bust, which led to the arrest of seven people, with Grandberry facing the most charges. According to the law, a preliminary hearing must occur within 10 days of charges being filed, but over six months have passed since his arrest, with his hearing still pending. Grandberry, who is being held on a $1 million cash bond, claims the state has failed to appoint an attorney for him, causing multiple postponements.
His most recent hearing was set for Feb. 19, but a status conference is now scheduled for April 2. Frustrated by the extended wait and his continued detention, Grandberry submitted a handwritten motion requesting the case be dismissed. He cited the Marathon County case of Nhia Lee, where the court ruled that a defendant’s rights had been violated due to an excessive delay before a preliminary hearing. Lee’s case was dismissed, and the charges were later refiled.
In his motion, Grandberry emphasized, “I have still not been afforded the right to a preliminary hearing to prove my innocence in a timely manner. It is the court’s duty to appoint counsel in criminal proceedings within a reasonable time frame.”
The drug bust, which resulted from a six-month investigation, uncovered a drug trafficking operation running from Chicago to Northeast Wisconsin. Police executed five search warrants in Brown County and uncovered 12 kilograms (26 pounds) of fentanyl, 4 kilograms (9 pounds) of cocaine, 748 grams (1.6 pounds) of methamphetamine, 460 grams (1 pound) of heroin, 16 firearms, and marijuana.
As of now, prosecutors have not responded to Grandberry’s motion, and the case remains unresolved.
