Mandell’s attorney, Keith Spielvogel, asked for Thursday’s hearing in an attempt to force prosecutors to reveal why Mandell was placed back in isolation.
He complained that the government’s refusal to explain how it learned of the alleged witness murder plot makes it impossible for him to properly defend Mandell.
St. Eve told prosecutors to give Spielvogel a limited account of the evidence, but said she would revisit the issue.
“There’s been an allegation of a threat to kill a federal witness — that’s a very serious allegation,” she said.
Mandell, of Buffalo Grove, has a long an colorful history of battling federal law enforcement,