Louisiana Attorney General Faces Indictment Over Alleged Threats to New Orleans Leaders

Louisiana’s Attorney General, Liz Murrill, has been indicted on accusations of threatening New Orleans officials who opposed a Republican-led overhaul of local courts in the predominantly Democratic city. The indictment, consisting of 16 counts, was filed by a New Orleans grand jury. It charges Murrill, the state’s first female attorney general, with intimidation and malfeasance.

The case highlights deepening tensions between Louisiana’s Republican state leaders and Democratic leaders in New Orleans. Republican Governor Jeff Landry pledged a swift pardon, asserting that Murrill’s reputation would remain untarnished by what he referred to as an ‘Orleans Kangaroo court.’

New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno, a Democrat, had accused Murrill of making threats against public officials. Murrill dismissed the charges as ‘retaliatory, meritless, and unconstitutional.’ On Thursday, she announced filing an emergency stay with the Louisiana Supreme Court. She stated, ‘I will not back down. I will continue enforcing the law, fighting corruption, and doing the job the people of Louisiana elected me to do,’ on X.

Political tensions have escalated between Louisiana Republicans and New Orleans officials over a law that abolished the court clerk office won by Calvin Duncan, an exoneree who spent nearly three decades in prison. The change aims to consolidate that role with another clerk’s office, a move Republican supporters argue will improve judicial efficiency.

In May, New Orleans leaders opposed the consolidation, prompting the city council to set a special election allowing Duncan a chance to win the new combined role. Murrill responded with letters to local officials, warning that they could face removal for violating state ‘usurper’ laws, which prohibit support for unauthorized officeholders.

Special prosecutor Laurie White emphasized the importance of New Orleans elected officials not being intimidated by any means. Murrill’s bond was set at $400,000 on Thursday, according to court records. Landry announced his directive for state police to investigate alleged improprieties within the grand jury.

The Republican Attorneys General Association defended Murrill, stating that her written communication served as a legal opinion warning public officials of the law in her official capacity. They called the indictment ‘outrageous.’

Mayor Moreno remained focused on her duties, saying the matter is now for the courts. Calvin Duncan believes the elimination of his clerk position was retaliatory, having won the role with 68% of the vote. Despite listed as exonerated, Duncan’s conviction remains unacknowledged by Murrill and Landry due to a 2011 plea deal.

Duncan, a jailhouse lawyer turned law graduate, works on expanding access to the court system for incarcerated individuals. He was pivotal in a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court decision ending nonunanimous jury convictions. Spending over 28 years in prison for a fatal shooting, he agreed to a plea deal in 2011, freeing him based on time served, but continued to fight for justice.