The Louisiana Supreme Court has paused the criminal case involving State Attorney General Liz Murrill, following her indictment on charges of job threats against New Orleans officials. The decision came one day after the indictment was issued.
The state’s highest court pointed out procedural errors by the local court and special prosecutor involved in the indictment. Reports indicated improper exclusion of a journalist from grand jury proceedings were also highlighted.
The case is temporarily halted. Murrill, serving as the state’s first female attorney general, plans to pursue dismissal, reflecting tensions between Republican state leaders and Democratic officials in New Orleans.
Murrill stated, “I hope this political witch hunt is not a harbinger of things to come, but I fear that it is.”
The Supreme Court found issues with the 16-count indictment, which charged Murrill with intimidation and malfeasance. Critically, the court reported the use of the law was questionable, noting threats must be “unlawful or include a threat of bodily harm or death” to qualify under the named legal statute.
Justice Jay McCallum authored the court’s findings, citing potential conflicts of interest involving Laurie White, the special prosecutor, and noted issues of procedural errors. White is a former judge represented by the Attorney General’s office in a separate legal matter, complicating her role in Murrill’s indictment.
The court’s order suggested Murrill’s chance of success in dismissing the case is high, emphasizing that allowing proceedings to continue would cause her irreversible harm. The ruling, supported by four Republican justices and one Democrat, had dissent from another Democrat and an independent justice. Justice John Guidry expressed concerns over expedited treatment of the case, stressing the need for equitable legal processes.
The backdrop of the case involves political conflicts in Louisiana, particularly a contested restructuring of the court clerk positions in New Orleans. This reorganization followed Calvin Duncan’s election to the criminal clerk role after his murder conviction was overturned. Despite his exoneration, GOP officials, including Murrill, have not recognized his innocence, as noted in the National Registry of Exonerations.
A letter by Murrill to local officials, warning of potential office losses for supporting Duncan, played a key role in the charges against her. Murrill has maintained her actions were part of her official responsibilities.
Governor Jeff Landry indicated his willingness to pardon Murrill and requested an investigation into the grand jury’s proceedings, describing the indictment as politically motivated. He expressed gratitude to the Supreme Court for its intervention.