The Louisiana Supreme Court has halted the criminal case against State Attorney General Liz Murrill, who was indicted on accusations of threatening the jobs of officials in New Orleans. The state's top court stated Friday that the local court and special prosecutor did not follow proper procedures during the indictment process.
The court's order temporarily suspends the case, which Murrill, a Republican, intends to have dismissed. She described the indictment as a "political witch hunt."
The 16-count indictment, handed down Thursday by a New Orleans grand jury, accused Murrill of intimidation and malfeasance. However, the Louisiana Supreme Court found significant flaws in the charges, stating in its filing that the indictment "appears to turn the law on its head and flows from what appear to be extraordinary procedural defects and improprieties."
The court also pointed to potential conflicts of interest involving the special prosecutor, Laurie White, a former state judge. White is reportedly being defended by the attorney general's office against a sexual harassment lawsuit, which the court noted as a likely conflict.
Further analysis by the court indicated that the law used for the intimidation charge against Murrill specifies that threats must be "unlawful or include a threat of bodily harm or death." The court also determined that Murrill is likely to succeed in getting the case dismissed and would suffer irreparable harm if it were to proceed.
The order was supported by four Republican justices and one Democrat, with another Democrat and an independent justice dissenting. Justice John Guidry, a Democrat, criticized the swiftness of the decision, writing that due process should not allow for preferential treatment.
This case stems from a political dispute in Louisiana that intensified earlier this year when the state abolished the criminal court clerk position in New Orleans, merging it with another clerk role. This action followed the election of Calvin Duncan to the criminal clerk office, despite his past incarceration before his conviction was overturned. Murrill and other Republican officials have not recognized Duncan's innocence.
The court's filing also mentioned that Duncan was previously represented by White, citing this as another "likely conflict of interest."
The indictment followed a letter from Murrill to New Orleans city council members and Mayor Helena Moreno. In the letter, Murrill warned officials they could lose their positions for violating state laws by supporting an unauthorized officeholder after the city council scheduled a special election that could have allowed Duncan to pursue the combined clerk role. Murrill stated she was fulfilling her official duties.
Following the indictment, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, announced he would pardon Murrill and ordered a state police investigation into the grand jury proceedings and its management. Landry later praised the Supreme Court's decision, reiterating his belief that the indictment was a politically motivated attack.