The Louisiana Supreme Court stopped the criminal case against Attorney General Liz Murrill one day after her indictment for allegedly threatening New Orleans officials. The court cited procedural errors and media issues related to the indictment process.
The case’s suspension means proceedings are paused. Murrill, a Republican, plans to ask for dismissal, highlighting tensions between Republican state officials and Democrat-controlled New Orleans. Murrill expressed concerns about political motives in a statement.
The indictment, issued Thursday, accused Murrill, the state’s first female attorney general, of intimidation and malfeasance. The Supreme Court found significant errors with the charges. Justice Jay McCallum noted extraordinary procedural issues in the indictment process. Conflict of interest concerns were raised about Laurie White, the special prosecutor and former judge who filed the charges while being defended by the attorney general’s office in a lawsuit.
Justice John Guidry, a Democrat, criticized the swift decision, emphasizing the need for due process and equal legal protection.
This case involves a political dispute stemming from a decision to merge the New Orleans criminal court clerk’s position with another, following Calvin Duncan’s election after his murder conviction was overturned. Murrill and other Republicans have not acknowledged Duncan’s exoneration.
Questions of conflicts emerged as Duncan was previously represented by White. Murrill warned city officials about potential office loss for supporting an unauthorized officeholder, asserting her actions were within her duties.
Following the indictment, Governor Jeff Landry, also a Republican, promised to pardon Murrill and ordered an investigation into the grand jury’s conduct. He expressed his approval of the Supreme Court’s intervention, deeming the indictment politically motivated.
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