Louisiana Grand Jury Indicts Attorney General Liz Murrill Over Intimidation Charges

A New Orleans grand jury indicted Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill on Thursday on a 16-count charge accusing her of intimidation and malfeasance in a dispute over changes to New Orleans courts.

“A grand jury indicts Louisiana’s attorney general in a fight over changes to New Orleans courts A grand jury indicts Louisiana’s attorney general in a fight over changes to New Orleans courts Louisiana’s attorney general was indicted Thursday over accusations she threatened the jobs of New Orleans leaders who fought a Republican-led overhaul of local courts in the heavily Democratic city”

Associated Press

The Associated Press said the case centers on rifts between Louisiana Republicans and Democrats who govern New Orleans, and it described Republican Gov. Jeff Landry’s promise of a swift pardon.

Associated Press

Murrill called the case against her “retaliatory, meritless, and unconstitutional,” and she said she had filed for an emergency stay with the Louisiana Supreme Court.

The indictment stemmed from letters Murrill sent to New Orleans leaders in May warning they could lose their offices under Louisiana “usurper” laws, which forbid support for an unauthorized officeholder.

Special prosecutor Laurie White told reporters, “We’re very interested in elected officials in New Orleans not being intimidated or threatened by letter or any other way.”

Louisiana’s highest court granted a stay of the proceedings in the criminal indictment targeting Murrill, and the Guardian reported the ruling came as the dispute escalated between Republican state leaders and Democrats in New Orleans.

The Guardian said the supreme court found Murrill made “a compelling argument concerning the disturbing defects in the grand jury proceedings and in the trial court’s handling of those proceedings”.

FOX 8 Local First

The Guardian also described how news media members awaiting in the courtroom of New Orleans Judge Leon Roche were escorted out after he ordered the room sealed, and it said an investigative producer for WWL Louisiana, Danny Monteverde, and the outlet’s attorney, Elana Beiser, were handcuffed.

In a reply filing, Roche asserted, “The court never instructed [deputies] to remand or detain any members of the media,” and he added, “No members of the media were handcuffed inside the courtroom or in the court’s presence.”

Murrill’s attorneys argued the stay could lead to dismissal, and KTBS 3 reported the Louisiana Supreme Court noted Murrill made a compelling argument about “disturbing defects in the grand jury proceedings and the trial court's handling of those proceedings.”

After the indictment, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry promised a swift pardon, and the Associated Press quoted him saying Murrill would not have her reputation tarnished by an “Orleans Kangaroo court.”

“NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - The Louisiana Supreme Court has issued a stay in the criminal case against state Attorney General Liz Murrill, saying a motion filed by her attorneys could be successful in dismissing an Orleans Parish grand jury indictment against her”

FOX 8 Local First

The Guardian reported that the supreme court order said the case was meant to allow Murrill to “assert any and all necessary defensive pleadings, including motions to quash,” and it added that the stay did not prevent filing responses to pleadings.

KTBS 3 said Murrill planned to file the necessary motions to seek a total dismissal of the matter, and it also quoted her saying, “Neither the grand jury investigation law nor the public intimidation law was intended to be used as a political weapon by a rogue, biased, vindictive special prosecutor, judge, and grand jury,”

Fox 8 Local First said the stay was issued because a motion filed by Murrill’s attorneys could be successful in dismissing an Orleans Parish grand jury indictment, and it described the charges as stemming from letters Murrill sent to Mayor Helena Moreno, District Attorney Jason Williams, and five councilmembers in May.

The Associated Press reported bond for Murrill was set at $400,000 on Thursday, and it said Landry ordered state police to investigate what he called “alleged improprieties” of the grand jury and those who ran it.