The Louisiana Supreme Court on Friday halted the criminal case against State Attorney General Liz Murrill, a Republican, a day after she was indicted on accusations of threatening the jobs of officials in New Orleans.
The court stated that the local court and special prosecutor involved in the case did not follow proper procedures concerning the indictment. The state's high court also noted that Murrill is likely to succeed in having the case dismissed and would suffer irreparable harm if it were allowed to proceed.
The 16-count indictment, handed up by a New Orleans grand jury, accused Murrill of intimidation and malfeasance. The indictment stemmed from a political dispute following the state's abolition of the New Orleans criminal court clerk position and its merger with another clerk role. This action occurred months after Calvin Duncan, who had served prison time before his murder conviction was vacated, was elected to the criminal clerk office.
Murrill and other Republican officials had expressed opposition to recognizing Duncan's innocence, despite his inclusion on the National Registry of Exonerations. A letter from Murrill to New Orleans city council members and Mayor Helena Moreno preceded the indictment. In the letter, Murrill warned officials they could lose their positions for potentially violating state laws by supporting an unauthorized officeholder, particularly after the city council scheduled a special election that could have allowed Duncan to contend for the combined clerk role.
Murrill has maintained that her actions were part of her official duties. The Supreme Court filing, signed by Justice Jay McCallum, a Republican, indicated that the law used for the intimidation charge typically requires threats to be "unlawful or include a threat of bodily harm or death." The court also identified likely conflicts of interest involving the special prosecutor, Laurie White, a former state judge. The court noted that White is being defended by the attorney general's office against a sexual harassment lawsuit and that White had previously represented Duncan, which it deemed a "likely conflict of interest."
Following the indictment, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, announced his intention to pardon Murrill. He also stated he was directing state police to investigate alleged improprieties related to the grand jury proceedings and its leadership. Murrill expressed concern that the case represented a "political witch hunt."