"It's a stupid statute," he said. "It is overblown and vague. ... You can be charged with terrorism by destroying a beehive."

Prosecutors told Judge Adam Bourgeois, Jr., earlier that they were not ready to show defense attorneys the formal indictment. Defense lawyers say they have seen almost none of the evidence against their clients, who were arrested days before the NATO summit started and are also accused of plotting attacks on police stations.

During the two-minute hearing, one defense attorney told the judge he didn't understand why prosecutors weren't willing to turn over the indictment, which likely includes more detail on the investigation.

"I don't either," the judge responded. "It seems a little strange."

The judge did not order prosecutors to turn the indictment over to prosecutors, but they must do so when the three are arraigned on July 2.

A spokeswoman for the Cook County prosecutor's office, Sally, Daly, said withholding indictments from defense teams is standard procedure in state courts.