Liz Murrill indictment dismissal: all felony charges dropped
A special prosecutor on Wednesday dropped all felony criminal charges against Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill in a Liz Murrill indictment dismissal that closes a July 2 New Orleans case accusing her of intimidation and malfeasance. The Louisiana Supreme Court had already put the matter on hold over indictment procedures.
Key Takeaways
- Special prosecutor Laurie White dismissed every felony count against AG Liz Murrill on Wednesday, and Orleans Parish records show the case was ordered closed.
- A July 2 New Orleans grand jury had returned a 16-count indictment alleging intimidation and malfeasance tied to a fight over local court clerk offices.
- The Louisiana Supreme Court froze the case soon after, saying the local court and special prosecutor did not follow indictment procedures.
- Dismissal came a day after New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams, Mayor Helena Moreno, and five City Council members urged White to drop the case.
- Gov. Jeff Landry and Rep. Clay Higgins have called for probes into how the grand jury case was brought.
According to AP News, White submitted letters from the elected city officials and the district attorney to a judge before dismissing each count. In a prepared statement, she said she performed her lawful duty and noted that a grand jury brought the indictment.
White also criticized what she called interference in the case without detailing it. “Extraordinary interference in this situation has been truly unfortunate, and we should all hope that it doesn’t set a precedent,” she said.
Why were Liz Murrill’s charges dropped?
White ended the prosecution one day after alleged victims — including Moreno and other New Orleans officials — wrote letters asking her to dismiss the matter. In their Tuesday letter, the mayor and council members said they were not intimidated by Murrill’s earlier correspondence.
“While the correspondence at issue contained threatening language directed toward public officials, we never believed those threats could lawfully or practically be carried out,” they wrote, adding they continue serving New Orleans without hesitation.
Murrill, a Republican and the state’s first female attorney general, rejected the case outright. “What I did was not a crime, it was never a crime,” she said. “I think this was a malicious prosecution.”
What sparked the indictment against the attorney general?
The dispute grew from a Republican-backed law that abolished a court clerk office won by exoneree Calvin Duncan and consolidated it with another clerk’s office. New Orleans leaders opposed the change. In May, the City Council set a special election that would have given Duncan a chance to win the combined job.
Murrill warned local officials in letters that they could lose their offices for violating state “usurper” laws, which forbid support for an unauthorized officeholder. She said she only advised officials of the law. Moreno was among those who had accused Murrill in May of making threats against public officials.
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Will there be further investigation after the dismissal?
Republican Gov. Jeff Landry had promised a swift pardon and said Murrill would not have her reputation tarnished by what he called an “Orleans Kangaroo court.” Appearing with Murrill at a Tropical Storm Bertha briefing, Landry said he would welcome state and federal investigations and added, “I think the feds need to come in.”
FOX 8 reports that Rep. Clay Higgins asked FBI Director Kash Patel on July 3 for a “thorough investigation” into whether the Orleans Parish grand jury was properly convened and free of retaliatory or political motives. Landry also ordered the Louisiana State Police to investigate the same proceedings. There has been no public indication Higgins’ FBI request was granted, and the status of the state police probe remains unclear.