Felony criminal charges against Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill were dismissed by a special prosecutor on Wednesday. Murrill had been indicted on accusations of threatening the jobs of New Orleans officials who opposed a Republican-led court overhaul in a predominantly Democratic city.
The charges, initially brought on July 2, were halted soon after by the Louisiana Supreme Court. The court indicated that both the local court and special prosecutor failed to adhere to proper indictment procedures. Special prosecutor Laurie White dismissed the charges a day after receiving a letter from New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams, Democratic Mayor Helena Moreno, and five City Council members urging the case’s dismissal.
“What I did was not a crime, it was never a crime,” stated Murrill, a Republican, calling the prosecution malicious. The case highlighted growing conflicts between Louisiana’s Republican leaders and the Democrats who manage the city’s affairs.
White submitted the letters from the city officials and prosecutor to a judge before dismissing each charge. The case was then ordered closed. She mentioned fulfilling her lawful duty as a special prosecutor and remarked on the grand jury’s role in bringing the indictment. She expressed concern over what she considered interference in the case, though she did not elaborate.
Republican Governor Jeff Landry had vowed a quick pardon for Murrill to prevent tarnishing her reputation, describing the local court as an “Orleans Kangaroo court.” At a news conference regarding Tropical Storm Bertha, Landry supported state and federal investigations into the indictment’s origins.
Mayor Moreno had previously accused Murrill in May of threatening public officials. A 16-count indictment from a New Orleans grand jury alleged Murrill’s intimidation and malfeasance, marking her as Louisiana’s first female attorney general.
Political tensions grew between Louisiana Republicans and New Orleans officials concerning a new law that eliminated a court clerk office, previously won by exoneree Calvin Duncan. The consolidation aimed to enhance judicial efficiency, according to Republican supporters. New Orleans leaders opposed the consolidation. A City Council special election in May was set to allow Duncan a chance to win the newly combined job.
Murrill warned local officials in letters that they could lose their jobs for supporting an unauthorized officeholder, citing state “usurper” laws. “I didn’t write that law. The Legislature wrote that law. I just explained it to them,” Murrill said, describing the indictment as an extortion and public intimidation threat.
In their Tuesday letter, the mayor and City Council stated that they weren’t intimidated by Murrill’s earlier letters. “While the correspondence at issue contained threatening language directed toward public officials, we never believed those threats could lawfully or practically be carried out. We continue serving the people of New Orleans without hesitation,” they wrote.
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